The Green Bay Packers Will Be Playoff Bound In 2023

The NFL has accomplished something that no other sport has come close to achieving. They already own the airwaves from September through the middle of February with regular season and playoff football. You can watch football at least three days a week, and certain holidays or late season games may even add another day or two to the mix. But beyond the game, it is the ongoing action that keeps fans entertained all year round.

As soon as the confetti stops falling on the night of the Super Bowl and before the parade is even complete for the winning team, the NFL has already turned its attention, and that of its viewers, to the upcoming combine. As fans, we begin to overanalyze players who we may have never heard of. For those who do not follow the college game, it may be the first time you are being introduced to future stars of the NFL. As soon as the combine ends, we begin talking about free agency and crazy things like “legal tampering periods”. We wait on the edge of our seats, hoping that our favorite team grabs the right guy, or re-signs an important free agent.

Before long, the entire focus is on the NFL draft. Fans can find thousands of hours of draft coverage, looking at individual players, completing our own mock drafts, discussing potential trades, and much more. Three days of live draft coverage turns into weeks of diagnosing what each team did, what players were drafted too early or too late, and how everything will impact fantasy football.

Organized team activities (OTAs), begin right after the draft, and rookies get their first taste of life in an NFL facility. And then, before the pages turn to the full off-season programming, we get one glorious night, which has most recently landed two weeks after the NFL Draft: Schedule release day!

For some fans of the NFL, the schedule release means very little. As we all know, the actual home and away matchups are determined well before the schedule release day. Maybe it allows you to pick the match-up you’d like to see in person. Perhaps you mark your favorite Sunday or Monday night games to go watch with friends. At a minimum we see who the defending Super Bowl champs will take on for the season opener. But for the fans of the Green Bay Packers, it means a lot more than that.

A huge majority of NFL teams offer a full slate of season tickets to their fan base. The Packers are a different breed. Dating back to the transition from playing in Milwaukee to playing in Green Bay, the Packers wanted to make sure that those season ticket holders who still had seats in Milwaukee would be able to grab a piece of the action in Green Bay. This developed the idea of a split season ticket package.

The Green Package owns rights to home games 1,3,4,6,7, and 8. The Gold ticket package owns rights to home games 2 and 5. The addition of the 17th game has made that a little more complicated, but in general, the breakout is still in play. Any season ticket holder, or a friend or family member of a season ticket holder, or the guy down the street who knows you own season tickets, or the co-worker who swears this is the year they are getting to their first game – they ALL are interested in exactly which games land on which package.

Whether you are a casual fan picking a specific matchup to watch with your college roommates, or a season ticket holder on the edge of your seat hoping for rights to watch Patrick Mahomes come to Lambeau, the schedule release is for you. Let’s take a deeper dive into the Green Bay Packers 2023 schedule! * Gold package noted, all other home games are on the Green package. *

Before we break down the individual games, I want to highlight a few items that I found very interesting regarding the schedule.

• The Packers start with back-to-back road games for only the third time in team history.

• The Packers will only play one 2022 playoff team during the first 10 weeks of the season!

• The season includes TWO Thursday games, both against the Lions.

• The season includes a total of SIX “Island” or stand-alone games. Clearly the Packers are a hot commodity for the networks.

• The Packers will have a stretch of an entire month where they do not play at home (they play 9/28 and not again until 10/29).

• The Packers will face off against the winners of the past four Super Bowls.

• The Packers have an 8-game span between weeks 9 and 16 where they only play one division opponent.

Week 1: 9/10 @ Chicago Bears

The season kicks off in hostile territory as the Packers travel to take on the Bears, continuing the longest rivalry in professional football. Gone now are the days of Favre and Rodgers dominating this match-up. But should Green Bay be nervous? Will they even be underdogs? Remember, this is a Bears team that had the top pick in the 2022 draft. It is a new day in Green Bay, but I am expecting a similar result. Green Bay wins 23-16 to start the year 1-0.

Week 2: 9/17 @ Atlanta Falcons

The schedule makers might have it out for Jordan Love. Back-to-back road games to start the season doesn’t seem very generous; back-to-back games against teams at the bottom of their division doesn’t seem quite as bad. The Falcons have added dynamic playmakers in the NFL draft for three straight years with Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and now Bijan Robinson, all of whom were selected in the top eight of their respective drafts. The Falcons were also very good at home, where six of their seven wins came last season. This game will come down to who wins the turnover battle. The Packers win a close one, 24-23 to start the year 2-0.

Week 3: 9/24 vs New Orleans Saints

Who would have thought that the Packers would have to wait until week 3 for a home game? More importantly, how about entering week three still undefeated? As we will soon see, over the first 10 weeks of the season, the Packers only play ONE game against a 2022 playoff team. With Carr at the helm of the Saints, both teams will continue to try and gel with their new Quarterbacks. The crowd at Lambeau will be rocking, as they watch Love for the first time as the true, unquestioned starter. I think this one gets away from the Saints very quickly and expect the Packers defense and special teams to add a pair of scores to the beat down. GB takes it 34-16 to move to a surprising 3-0.

Week 4: 9/28 vs Detroit Lions (Gold package)

The Lions are currently the favorites to win the North, and rightfully so. This was a team that was 17 points away from being the 1-seed in 2022. While the Lions moved on from both Swift and Williams at running back, they restocked with David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs. They massively updated their secondary with C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Cameron Sutton, and Emmanual Moseley. The Lions also brought back fan favorite Marvin Jones Jr. Jared Goff proved that he could win games last year, and I fully expect him to be “the guy”, even after the Lions drafted Hendon Hooker. Both teams will be playing on a short week, which should favor the home team. The Packers should be playing with some major fire after the Lions knocked them out of the playoff chase in a week 18 Sunday Night football game, which saw Aaron Rodgers walk off of Lambeau Field for the final time as a Green Bay Packer. Maybe it is just the “fan” in me, but Green Bay finds a way to get the bitter taste of 2022 out of their mouths in a 24-23 win thanks to a late touchdown drive by Jordan Love. Green Bay starts 4-0.

Week 5: 10/9 @ Las Vegas Raiders

The Packers will not play a game at Lambeau for 30 straight days. This stretch begins with their “mini-bye”, following the week 4 Thursday Night Football game against the Lions, and is even extended a day as they face the Raiders on Monday Night Football. This marks game number two where the Packers are the only team on the television (an “island game” if you will). This is the first time that Davante Adams will play against the Packers since he requested a trade to the Raiders after the 2021 season. Oddly enough, the Packers will have already played Derek Carr (Saints), the QB that Adams left Green Bay to join in Las Vegas. The Raiders will be led by Jimmy G, who should thrive with a talent like Davante Adams on the other end of his passes. Josh Jacobs is a force to be reckoned with, especially for a Green Bay defense who has had trouble against the run. The Packers can’t keep up in this one and fall 27-20 to head into the early bye at 4-1.

Week 6: BYE

The early bye directly after a “mini-bye” is a total waste. The Packers got screwed last year with a super late, week 14 bye. A week 6 bye may be even worse. The only silver lining is that it breaks up back-to-back road games, and it could provide a new-look offense with a chance to tweak a few things for the next third of the season, before they target another mini-bye after week 12.

Week 7: 10/22 @ Denver Broncos

While the Broncos never quite figured things out with Russell Wilson last year, I fully expect them to have that offense turned around in year two. A healthy Javonte Williams could be a problem for Green Bay. Jaire Alexander one-on-one vs Jerry Jeudy may be the most entertaining match-up of the game. The Broncos averaged the fewest PPG in 2022, so even if they improve, it may not take a lot of points offensively for the Packers to win this one. The Packers will be fresh after only playing one game over the previous 23 days. The wins keep coming with a 24-17 road victory to move to 5-1.

Week 8: 10/29 vs Minnesota Vikings

The next eight weeks will be very interesting for the Packers. This includes five home games, three more nationally televised island games, but also matches the Packers with five playoff teams from 2022. In addition, they face the Steelers and Lions, who were each one game out of the playoffs, plus the Rams, who are a year out from winning the Super Bowl.

The week 8 matchup heads back to Lambeau for the first time since a 9/28 game against the Lions on Thursday Night Football, to take on another division rival in the Minnesota Vikings. The battle, both in word and deed, between Justin Jefferson and Jaire Alexander went full tilt last season. In a week one match-up, JJ had 9 catches for 184 yards and a pair of scores! In a week 17 match-up, he was held to only one catch for 15 yards on five targets! This game will be decided by how well the passing attack of Cousins to Jefferson, Osborn, Hockenson, and rookie Jordan Addison can stack up against the Packers secondary. In his four games at Lambeau, Cousins is 78 for 125 (62.4%) for 7 TDs and 6 INT, and a 1-2-1 record. Last year the Vikings finished the season 13-4 and yet they were actually outscored by their opponents on the season! Three of those four losses came on the road, including a 41-17 shellacking at the hands of the Packers. The Lambeau crowd, after waiting a full month to cheer on their team, will be a major factor in a 3-turnover game for Cousins, and a 30-20 win for the Packers, as they move to an almost unbelievable 6-1 on the season.

Week 9: 11/5 vs Los Angeles Rams

Which Rams team is going to show up? The injured and broken team from 2022, or the high scoring Super Bowl champs from 2021? A healthy Cooper Kupp will be a problem for any defense. His route running is impeccable, and he simply does not drop the ball. The good news for Green Bay is that Matt Stafford must be upright for Kupp to catch the ball. By this point in the season, I expect that Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, Lukas Van Ness, Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt, and Kenny Clark are going to be wreaking absolute havoc on opposing quarterbacks. Stafford is going to be sacked a handful of times and throw a pair of costly picks. Green Bay defends their home turf with a 27-17 victory to move to 7-1.

Week 10: 11/12 @ Pittsburgh Steelers

The Packers hit the road for five of their next eight games, starting with a trip to take on the Steelers. Pittsburgh was bottom 8 in PPG in 2022, but they did very little to address areas of need in either free agency or the draft. Their best play may have been drafting Broderick Jones, who should help protect Kenny Pickett for years to come. Their one strength may have been at tight end with Pat Freiermuth, yet they decided to add another talent in Darnell Washington in the third round of the draft. This game has the writings of a low-scoring affair. The Steelers defense, if healthy, should carry them to the win, 16-13 as the Packers fall to 7-2.

Week 11: 11/19 vs Los Angeles Chargers (Gold package)

The Chargers will be only the 2nd 2022 playoff team that the Packers will face in the first 11 weeks of the season. Justin Herbert had a bit of a disappointing season in 2022, but this offense is primed for an explosion in 2023. Assuming they get Austin Ekeler to show up, defenses will have a tough time stopping Ekeler, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, and rookie addition Quentin Williams. I don’t think the Packers can keep up in this one, as they fall to another AFC West opponent, 34-20, and move to 7-3 on the season.

Week 12: 11/23 @ Detroit Lions

Packers vs Lions on Thanksgiving? Yes, please! This will be the 2nd time this season that the Packers and Lions have met on a Thursday, and will provide a mini-bye before a home game against the Super Bowl champs. This Lions team will look a bit different from the one the Packers faced in week four. First, suspended 2nd year WR Jameson Williams will be playing. Next, rookie Jahmyr Gibbs should have found his place as a major cog in this offense. The Lions are used to the hype of the Thanksgiving day games; but Green Bay will be looking to stop a two game slide, with the Champs on deck. While I do expect the Lions to be better than they were in week 4, I expect the same thing for Green Bay. This young offense will have found its voice by week 12, and the speed and route running of the current WR/TE group will be too much for the Lions. The short week may be daunting, but I expect the Packers to play up to the hype of Thanksgiving Day and get the win 30-24 to move to 8-3.

Week 13: 12/3 vs Kansas City Chiefs

The Packers still have six games left on the schedule, despite already being into December. If they are able to get to eight wins by this point in the year, things are going well. This will be the final game against an AFC opponent for the year. The Packers will be coming off a bit of a mini-bye, thanks to their Thanksgiving match-up with the Lions. The extra days of rest and preparation should have them as ready as they can be. Unfortunately, you simply don’t get ready for the likes of Pat Mahomes and Travis Kelce. I do believe that Green Bay could keep this game close, but the Chiefs defense is very good about getting to the QB. Unless Love does something crazy with his legs, to the tune of 100+ rushing yards and a pair of scores, I have to give this one to the Chiefs, 27-20, to drop the Pack to 8-4.

Week 14: 12/11 @ New York Giants

The final five games of the season are against NFC teams, and every game could be important for the division or wild-card races. The game against the Giants begins a stretch of four games where three of them are on the road. The Giants showed promise last year and found a way to bring back both Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley. However, their WR core is non-existent. The Giants were one of only two teams with seven or fewer losses who actually finished the season with a negative point differential (Vikings being the other). Packers fans will remember the London game last season, where we held a 17-3 lead midway through the 2nd quarter and led 20-10 at halftime, before allowing 17 unanswered points in a dismal 27-22 loss. After starting 3-1, this loss started a 5-game losing streak and losses in seven of the next eight. I expect this game to be a bit of retribution for the failings of 2022. The Packers defense will do more than enough to keep the Giants in check, and Green Bay will win a low scoring game, 20-16 to move to 9-4.

Week 15: 12/17 vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Gone are the days of Tom Brady. The Bucs could very easily be at a point where they are hoping to lose out and snag the top overall pick. While guys like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin can always put on a show, I’m not quite sure who we should even expect to be throwing them passes. Plain and simple, this is a bad team that is in much more of a rebuild than the Packers have ever been. Also, the Bucs from sunny Florida will have trouble coming to Lambeau in December. Get ready for a beat down: 41-16 as the Pack move to 10-4.

Week 16: 12/24 @ Carolina Panthers

The Panthers are starting a rookie QB, traded away their top WR, traded away possibly the best RB in the game, so on paper I have trouble finding a lot of bright spots for this team in 2023. The Packers played on Christmas Day in both 2021 and 2022. They are slated for noon on the 24th, and you better believe they will be focused way more on winning this game, and their chances of taking the North, than on getting home for Christmas Day. This game should be about limiting mistakes against a sub-par team and getting a road win. Merry Christmas Packers fans. The Green and Gold get the win, 24-13, and move to 11-4 with two massive division games left. They also clinch a playoff spot with their 11th victory!

Week 17: 12/31 @ Minnesota Vikings

Depending on how the rest of the year has gone, the Packers may be sitting two games away from a division crown, or even a shot at the top seed in the NFC. Going to Minnesota is never easy. Cousins is very good at home. Currently this game is set for a Sunday Night Football match-up, and if both teams are still fighting for the division, I don’t expect them to flex out of this game. That is good news for the Packers, as the bright lights of a national audience seem to haunt Kirk Cousins. As much as I want to pick the Packers to snag an unexpected W, I think the Vikings take this one 24-23 as GB moves to 11-5.

Week 18: TBD vs Chicago Bears

The Packers schedule has beautiful bookends with the Bears in week 1 and again in week 18. I fully expect the hype around Chicago to quickly fade, and by this point in the year, an injured Justin Fields could be worried that the Bears will snag his replacement with another top three selection. In 2022, the Packers had a home game against the Lions with a chance to make the playoffs with a win. Aaron Rodgers could not help deliver that victory, and the rest is history. Jordan Love will be in a similar position, but this will be to clinch the NFC North. The Packers will head into the playoffs with a nearly flawless game in all three phases. They will control the clock, easily win the turnover battle, and dominate field position all day. Jordan Love will not finish the game; he won’t need to. After a 23-16 win over the Bears in week 1, the Packers show just how far they have come, with a 34-6 win over a Bears team that only made it to the red zone once all day. Final record: 12-5

There we have it. Can Vegas really be so wrong? Most pundits are happy to take under 7.5 wins for the Packers. Am I living in some false reality that a team who was led by Aaron Rodgers could only get to 8-9, but a team led by Jordan Love can get to 12-5? I don’t think I am. Rodgers played half the season with a broken thumb after starting 3-1. That Packers team played two rookie WRs most of the season, neither of whom stayed healthy all year. I won’t be a bit surprised if this young squad, with some amazing talent especially on defense, can go a great deal further than any of the “experts” think they can. As a Packers fan, I can surely hope!