Packers Are Prime Time In 2016

The NFL finally announced its 2016 regular season schedule and the Green Bay Packers will have five games under the lights.  They're 7-6 over the last three seasons in regular season night games.  

Their first is a notable game, as they have been selected as the first regular season opponent in the new home of the Minnesota Vikings.  U.S. Bank Stadium opens this season and will host the 2018 Super Bowl.  That matchup is a Sunday night game and gives the Packers an early crack at the reigning NFC North champions.  

The Packers also have home night games against the New York Giants, another Sunday night game, and the Chicago Bears on a Thursday night game that will be broadcast on CBS, NFL Network and streamed live on Twitter.  Green Bay rounds out their slate of night games with back-to-back road games against Washington and their only Monday night appearance the following week against the Philadelphia Eagles.  

The Sunday and Monday night games are usually reserved for the league's best matchups and TV draws.  The Packers remain a regular in those slots this season.  Head coach Mike McCarthy has maintained that he likes regularity and routine and managing the variable schedule is an annual task for him and the staff.  Two straight night road games on the east coast later in the season will test the team's prep.  All in all, they have an opportunity to gain back some of the prime time dominance the team had become known for years back.  

Based on opponent records in 2015, the Packers have the easiest schedule of all 32 teams.  Last season the Carolina Panthers had a similar slate of opponents in facing the NFC east and AFC south like the Packers will in 2016.  Carolina ended up 15-1 and in Super Bowl 50.  That said, a lot can change and what may seem like an easy matchup now may take on a whole new persona come game time.

Like it or not, we'll be waiting a few extra hours for some of Green Bay's games this season but we can also be thankful that they're a team worth putting in front of the biggest and best audiences.

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Jason is a freelance writer on staff since 2012 and also co-hosts Cheesehead TV Live, Pulse of the Pack and Pack A Day podcasts.  You can follow him on Twitter here

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Comments (12)

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Tundraboy's picture

April 15, 2016 at 06:13 am

Good news for me since I'm working a lot of Sundays but will be home in time for more games, than usual . Yay.

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Horse's picture

April 15, 2016 at 06:55 am

So-called strength of schedule is nonsense. The 2016 Packers won't be playing against 2015 teams.

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Evan's picture

April 15, 2016 at 07:10 am

It's funny - because everyone knows that and admits that, but in the next breath they talk about it.

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EdsLaces's picture

April 15, 2016 at 07:04 am

I plan on taking my son to his first ever game vs the skins. It should be a great time for he my wife and myself. Only a 5 hour drive to watch some packer football! You like that!!???

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Bearmeat's picture

April 15, 2016 at 07:57 am

We live in south GA - so road games at JAX and ATL will be really nice. Time to get on ticketmaster! :)

PS: Jason, the last sentence of the 2nd paragraph has an error in it. It should read: "That matchup is a Sunday night game and gives the Packers an early win at the worst NFCN division champion since the dissolution of the old NFC Central after 2001."

:D

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jasonperone's picture

April 15, 2016 at 11:50 am

That should be an autocorrect for sure, I don't know what happened to ours!

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Thegreatreynoldo's picture

April 16, 2016 at 10:18 am

Blame it on Behnke!

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Since'61's picture

April 15, 2016 at 08:34 am

When I look at this schedule I don't like the 3 game road trip or the Thursday night game. I have not liked Thursday football since the Packers lost to the Lions on Thanksgiving Day in 1962 and ruined their chance for a perfect season. I still believe that if they had a full week to prepare for the Lions, Lombardi's Packers win that game and go 14-0 in the regular season and 15-0 including defeating the NY Giants for the 1962 NFL Championship. We will face 4 very good QBs on this schedule, Andrew Luck, if healthy is the best of them, Eli Manning next, Russell Wilson and Tony Romo. The good news is that we face all 4 of those QBs at Lambeau. Essentially, this means that if Aaron Rodgers stays healthy we will have the best QB in every game we play. This is usually the case anyway but at least this year we are not facing either Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, who I would consider the only QBs capable of playing on a par with Aaron Rodgers. I know many fans believe that Rodgers was not at his best in 2015 and this is true but his team and his receiving corps especially were no where to be found during parts of every game last year. This year if the receivers and OL are healthy Rodgers should return to form and our QB should be an advantage in every game. We'll see. Go Pack Go! Thanks, Since '61

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Flow49's picture

April 16, 2016 at 10:09 am

You'll probably be seeing Kellen Moore by that time. Romo's body is beat to hell.

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Big Moe's picture

April 18, 2016 at 03:29 am

Thursday night NFL football sucks! The Thanksgiving games can stay, but scrap the rest of them.

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cheezit's picture

April 15, 2016 at 10:57 am

I feel great about Week 14. Finally, we get to play the Seahawks at home late in the season. No sloppy early season offense that hasn't gelled (2015 broke the pattern in this regard but it's been typical for years), no replacement refs, no Pacific Northwest monsoon, and hopefully no big injuries.

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Ibleedgreenmore's picture

April 15, 2016 at 11:47 am

Good news for me because I can dvr them and watch how the Pack cleans their clock. It is good since I am out of the area it helps me see each and every game I have streaming programs too.

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