Yesterday was one of my favorite days of the year as the Green Bay Packers schedule has been released. If last year's performance is any indication as to what teams will be like this year, the Packers will be in a good position as they play teams from the weak NFC East and AFC South division next season.
I'll skip over most of the preseason schedule except for the first game on Sunday, August 7th as the Pack take on the Indianapolis Colts in the Hall of Fame Game which is the opening game of the 2016 preseason. It's a nice honor to take part in that game and maybe we will get to see some of the Packer stars a little longer than we normally would in the first preseason game.
Week 1
Sunday, 9/11
@ Jacksonville Jaguars
My Prediction: A little more than a month later the season kicks off with the Packers hitting the road to play the Jaguars who were 5-11 last year. This is going to be an easy victory but Blake Bortles will definitely tell us how good our pass defense will be in 2016.
Packers Record: 1-0
Week 2
*Evening Game
Sunday 9/18
@ Minnesota Vikings
My Prediction: Now this is going to be good. The Packers make their first appearance of the year on NBC's Sunday Night Football and it's also their chance to ruin the Viking's debut home game at the new U.S. Bank Stadium. A hard fought victory. I think the Packers are still in the Vikings' head even after they won the NFC North last season.
Packers Record: 2-0
Week 3
Sunday, 9/25
Detroit Lions @ Home
My Prediction: The Lions imploded last year and it will definitely continue in 2016.
Packers Record: 3-0
Week 4
BYE
This is definitely the first difficulty the Packers face in the 2016 schedule as they have their one bye in Week #4 meaning their next 13 games are played without an extended break.
Packers Record: 3-0
Week 5
*Evening Game
Sunday, 10/9
New York Giants @ Home
My Prediction: The Packers are back again on NBC's Sunday Night Football and it all depends on which Eli Manning shows up on Sunday night. I don't think the Giants will be any better after losing Tom Coughlin and so it could be a shoot out but the Packers will come out on top.
Packers Record: 4-0
Week 6
*Afternoon Game
Sunday, 10/16
Dallas Cowboys @ Home
My Prediction: Tony Romo might already be out for the season when the Packers play the Cowboys at home as America's Game of the Week on Fox. I might be on want to check out of this game as Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will be rumbling, bumbling, stumbling through the commentary.
Possibly another close one but I think a newly trim Eddie Lacy will have a great game.
Packers Record: 5-0
Week 7
*Evening Game
Thursday, 10/20
Chicago Bears @ Home
My Prediction: The Packers have a short week playing on Thursday night on CBS but I don't think the Bears have a chance of beating them up at home. Culter with 3 interceptions.
Packers Record: 6-0
Week 8
Sunday, 10/30
@ Atlanta Falcons
My Prediction: The Falcons at the beginning of the 2015 season looked like an unbeatable offensive juggernaut and then they fell off a cliff, finishing the season at 8-8. That being said, I think the Packers stumble here on the road and lose a close one.
Packers Record: 6-1
Week 9
*Afternoon Game
Sunday, 11/6
Indianapolis Colts @ Home
My Prediction: The Colts might develop into one of the best teams in the AFC next season and the Packers have a disturbing problems sometimes at closing out games and avoiding comebacks. Those two things happen to be Andrew Lucks's specialty and I'm afraid we lose two in a row.
Packers Record: 6-2
Week 10
Sunday, 11/13
@ Tennessee Titans
My Prediction: The Titans can add as many draft picks to this year's draft as they want, they aren't going to have a winning record in 2016!
Packers Record: 7-2
Week 11
*Evening Game
Sunday, 11/20
@ Washington Football Team
My Prediction: Of all the games on the 2016 schedule, this is the game that I have no idea about. The Washington Football Team might be the cream of the crop as far as the NFC East goes but only if Kirk Cousins continues to improve. Mason Crobsy will win it with 50+ yard field goal in overtime.
Packers Record: 8-2
Week 12
*Evening Game
Monday, 11/28
@ Philadelphia Eagles
My Prediction: Another mystery is how good the Eagles will be in 2016 but I don't think they will be the offensive powerhouse they occasionally were with Chip Kelly. I will take Rodgers over Bradford every day.
Packers Record: 9-2
Week 13
Sunday, December 4th
Houston Texas @ Home
My Prediction: This might be a trap games as the Packers might be thinking about the Seattle Seahawks the following week but I can't really see the Texans approving beyond a .500 team. Packers win again!
Packers Record: 10-2
Week 14
*Afternoon Game
Sunday, December 11th
Seattle Seahawks @ Home
My Predictions: Certainly the toughest game on the schedule but we get the Seahawks at home giving us an advantage. It will be hard fought victory and our defense has to close this one out in regulation.
Packers Record: 11-2
Week 15
Sunday, 12/18
@ Chicago Bears
My Prediction: The Pack finish their schedule with three straight divisional games starting with the Bears in Chicago. The Bears will probably be in meltdown again, thinking about firing a coach, and wondering "how much do we owe to Jay Cutler still?" Another Packers rout!
Packers Record: 12-2
Week 16
Saturday, 12/24
Minnesota Vikings @ Home
My Prediction: The Pack avoid playing on Christmas by taking on the Vikings on Christmas Eve at noon in Lambeau. Hopefully, we will have a foot of snow, it will be nice and cold, the defense will be chasing Teddy Bridgewater all over the field.
Packers Record: 13-2
Week 17
Sunday, 1/1
@ Detroit Lions
My Prediction: The Packers finish the season on the road in Detroit as we put the Lions out of their misery. It will fell good ending the year on a blowout as the Packers battle for home field advantage in the playoffs.
Packers Record: 14-2
I will end my predictions there as the Packers will certainly return to being NFC North champions yet again.
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