The 2018 Schedule and Thoughts
The Packers get their season started off with a bang as they host the Bears and Vikings in consecutive weeks. The season gets started off with four home games in the first six weeks, and then a “Bye Week” in Week 7. After the week off, they will be traveling quite a bit as they will have only four home games in the final ten weeks of the season.
Despite this, they don’t have more than two straight home games or road games. Their week off is at a decent point in the season. They have a Thursday night game in Week 11, which means they have a “mini-bye” before they hit their final stretch of the season.
Two home games vs divisional opponents gives the Packers a great opportunity to jump ahead and take control of the division and tiebreaker scenarios early. Did we expect anyone else but the Bears to open their 100th season? It’s no doubt that emotions will be riding high in the second week as the Vikings come into town. They travel to Detroit in Week 5, their first game in the Motor City before December since 2014. The 49er game will be intriguing as San Francisco has high hopes with Jimmy Garoppolo as their QB. The two weeks after the “bye” will be tough as they visit the Rams in Los Angeles, and then travel to the East Coast to play the New England Patriots. After a home game vs Miami, they travel to Seattle for a Thursday Night Game, and then have some time off before a huge game in Minnesota. Their December features three home games, all vs teams who play their home games indoors. They play Detroit to close out their regular season for the third year in a row, but they will be at home this time.
We never know how the season will play out, but what I am seeing, they had better be ready to play after the “bye week” as they play four road games in five weeks, all against potential playoff teams. Seattle is a question mark, but they are at home and still have Russell Wilson at QB, even if their defense is no longer dominant. I think they are set up to have a great finish to the season if they have their house in order in December.
We can predict this and that, but the whole Packer roster hasn’t even taken shape yet. We still have the draft, plus there will be players coming and going in training camp and during the preseason. The schedule is a fun time of the year though. Many of you will be buying tickets, and perhaps make a trip or two, like to L.A. in November for example. It’s a good time to plan your football parties. Some of you will probably plan your Sunday Mass or Service schedule around the Packer games. For your friends and relatives that are not really into football, I guess they will have to find something else to do during Packer games. Hey, there is always Saturday, and there will be some Sundays free during the season.
I know there is a long way to go before the first game kicks off, but the release of the schedule is welcome news for sure. The draft will be coming up soon, and we will see what happens. There have been some grumblings from fans and rumors about the team and whether Aaron Rodgers is frustrated with management. A lot of it is just talk. There is plenty of time to sort things out. The team will be just fine. Let’s enjoy this moment and get ready for the draft as we build this roster for their 100th NFL Season, a season in which I believe they are fully capable of ending with another Vince Lombardi Trophy.
Go Pack Go!
@DieHardPackrFan #DHPF #GregGoshaw @gg901 @thepackerpage #thepackerpage
