Packers Haven't Stacked Up Against Recent Super Bowl Opponents
Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper returns an interception in last year's 30-13 win over the Seahawks. It was the Packers last meeting against this year's NFC Super Bowl representative.
For the first time since the 2017 NFL season, the Green Bay Packers didn’t play the eventual NFC champion in the regular season or playoffs. The last time the Packers played the Seattle Seahawks was in Week 15 of the 2024 season with the Packers being victorious 30-13.
It was the Packers first win in Seattle since 2008, which was quarterback Aaron Rodgers' first season as a starting quarterback. Fast-forward a year, both teams made the playoffs this season, but with the Packers being a No. 7 seed, having their season end in the wild card round. Meanwhile the Seahawks earned the NFC's No. 1 seed, and are still playing after defeating division rivals the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams to advance to Super Bowl LX.
The previous three NFC representatives in the Super Bowl were teams the Packers went a combined 0-4 against (losses to Eagles in 2022, 49ers in 2023 and two times to Eagles in 2024). From 2018 to 2021, the Packers had just one win over the eventual NFC champion (2021 Rams) and were a combined 0-5 against the Rams, 49ers and Bucs.
This negative trend also existed earlier during Mike McCarthy’s tenure from 2011 to 2016. The teams who represented the NFC in the Super Bowl: 2011 Giants, 2012 49ers, 2013-14 Seahawks, 2015 Panthers and 2016 Falcons; the Packers beat the Giants during the 2011 regular season but then lost the next seven games from 2012-16 against these teams.
| Year | NFC Super Bowl Team | Packers' Result |
| 2011 | New York Giants | RS - win 38-35; DP - loss 37-20 |
| 2012 | San Francisco 49ers | RS - loss 30-22; DP - loss 45-31 |
| 2013 | Seattle Seahawks | Did not play |
| 2014 | Seattle Seahawks | RS - loss 36-16; Ch Gm - loss 28-22(ot) |
| 2015 | Carolina Panthers | RS - loss 37-29 |
| 2016 | Atlanta Falcons | RS - loss 33-32; Ch Gm - loss 44-21 |
| 2017 | Philadelphia Eagles | Did not play |
| 2018 | Los Angeles Rams | RS - loss 29-27 |
| 2019 | San Francisco 49ers | RS - loss 37-8; Ch Gm - loss 37-20 |
| 2020 | Tampa Bay Bucs | RS - loss 38-10; Ch Gm - loss 31-26 |
| 2021 | Los Angeles Rams | RS - win 36-28 |
| 2022 | Philadelphia Eagles | RS - loss 40-33 |
| 2023 | San Francisco 49ers | DP - loss 24-21 |
| 2024 | Philadelphia Eagles | RS - loss 34-29; WC - loss 22-10 |
| 2025 | Seattle Seahawks | Did not play |
A recurring theme since the Packers last made a Super Bowl has been struggles against the other top teams in the NFC. It’s a very startling number that the Packers are 2-17 against the NFC Super Bowl teams in that season since 2011.
During this season, the Packers were 1-4 against the NFC playoff teams, with a win against the Bears and losses to the Bears, Eagles and Panthers. Because of a third place finish in 2024, the lone matchup against the NFC West was a game at the Arizona Cardinals.
The 2026 schedule has the Packers playing the AFC contestant, the New England Patriots, as the entire NFC North plays the entire AFC East for the first time since 2022. If the Patriots were to win Super Bowl LX, next year’s game would be the first time the Packers play an NFC defending champion since playing the Baltimore Ravens in 2013. The previous time was the 2009 Steelers.
The Packers have played six AFC Super Bowl teams in the last 12 seasons. They were victorious four times, beating the 2014 Patriots, 2019 Chiefs, 2021 Bengals and 2023 Chiefs. The only one of those teams who did not win their Super Bowl was the Bengals. The two losses were to the 2015 Broncos and 2018 Patriots; two teams who won the Super Bowl.
If the 2026 Packers are to get over that Super Bowl hump performing better against the NFC’s top teams will be a big indicator if they are ready to make that jump. The 2025 playoff teams the Packers will play in 2026 will be the Panthers, Bears, Rams, Bills and Patriots.
Also on the 2026 schedule are several other teams who've been recent NFC playoff teams: Dallas, Detroit, Minnesota and Tampa Bay.
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Mitch McLaughlin is a Packers fan and shareholder residing in Sacramento, California. He will be writing Packers stories each week on Cheesehead TV. He can be found on Twitter: @McLaughlinMitch
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Comments (7)
Collins26
January 27, 2026 at 07:07 pm
Another 2025 playoff team the Packers play in 2026 are the Texans.
stockholder
January 27, 2026 at 07:55 pm
Unrealistic expectations!
While some would point to strength of schedule.
Losing Momentum and Health could be another.
But the player vs Coaching is always the GM out.
Whether it be rebuilding, reloading or re-tooling.
It’s time to put the blame on TT and Gute.
Let’s just forget "Battle tested" for a moment.
The constant turn-over in the roster is to blame.
While the press made Gute look like superman.
The high and mighty still lacks a player or two.
The breach in trust and integrity is gone.
The missed objectives are as follows-
Lack of development -
High staff turn-overs-
Lack of salary cap space.
Mis- management in signing Free Agents now.
Operational Chaos - becoming the norm .
And failing to build a deep roster, by prioritizing
top-tier talent.
That left the packers
vulnerable when injuries occurred.
The writing is on the wall.
GreenandBold
January 27, 2026 at 07:59 pm
Gee got any good news , Mitch ?
TXCHEESE
January 28, 2026 at 07:56 am
Please, just quit the constant bitchin about Gute. We get it. He shipped off your man crush, albeit, a year too late.
Like all GM's, he's had his swings and misses, but he's made some really good acquisitions as well. If he was such a crappy GM, how did the Packers even have leads to give away in the second half of most of their games this year and last. That is on the coaches and players. 100%.
barutanseijin
January 27, 2026 at 08:06 pm
They failed to beat the eventual Super Bowl winner in 2010 also.
But seriously, isn’t this what you expect? The Super Bowl champions are champions, winners. They win games against the other teams. That’s what champions do.
Had the Packers won their week one game against Seattle in 2014, they would have been the number one seed, and the NFC Championship would have been in Green Bay. Presumably, they would have an advantage and would have been more likely to advance to the super bowl against the Pats, whom they had already beaten. Unfortunately, Seattle was the better team that year, so none of that happened.
PhantomII
January 28, 2026 at 05:48 am
GB ALWAYS beats itself usually through catastrophically bad football play....Right now we are a few dominant DL , a CB and a dominant DE away on Defense. On Offense I would say if you draft a #1 WR with the best hands on the team...Only a Moron doesn't play him on a team with WR's that drop the ball too often....And that's what GB does. On Offense a couple dominant OL and a Veteran TE and there are a bunch of FA TE's this year. Now we will also need a good RB2 also.
mdswhankhan420
January 29, 2026 at 11:42 am
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