The Love and Hate of the Packers 2018 Schedule

A look at what’s to love and what’s to hate about the Packers 2018 schedule.  

After the release of the regular season schedule that the Packers will face in 2018, a quick review of the schedule shows several things to love about the layout of the schedule and a few things to loathe as well.  Fans knew well ahead of time which opponents the team would face during the upcoming season but the road for the season wasn’t mapped out until last evening.  Here are the things that I love and hate about the schedule.

Love – The Packers opening the season at home for the first two weeks of the season against their premier NFC North rivals is an absolute love on my end.  This is the first season since 2015 that the Packers will open up the season against an NFC North opponent and what better team to begin their 100th season against than the Chicago Bears.  Moving on to week two, the reigning division champion Minnesota Vikings come to Lambeau Field for a Sunday afternoon matchup.  Opening the season against two division foes could really set the tone for the season.

Hate – Following a rather favorable week seven bye, the Packers will face a five-week gauntlet where they will only play one game in friendly confines of Lambeau Field.  The stretch between October 28th and November 25th features road games against Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings.  The only reprieve sandwiched in the middle is a home game against the Miami Dolphins.  Another difficult aspect of this stretch of games is the travel involved.  The team begins with a trip to the west coast and then back to the east coast the following week.  After the return back to Green Bay, the team has to make another return trip to the west coast and then back to Minnesota.  Thrown on top of all of the travel, all four road games during this stretch are in prime time viewing slots with three being night games. 

Love – Following up the tough stretch from the end of October through the end of November, December appears to set up favorably for the Packers.  During the final month, the team finds themselves playing in front of their home crowd against three dome teams in the Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions.  None of those opponents are looking forward to a December trip to Lambeau Field.  In the two weekends leading up to Christmas, the Packers play two favorable road games against the Chicago Bears and the New York Jets.  For a team that could potentially be looking to get hot before a playoff run, December may set up nicely for that.

Hate – Once again, the NFL is showing a penchant for putting the Aaron Rodgers led Packers squad in primetime games.  As the schedule currently sits, the team is scheduled to play five night games with three of them falling on Sunday night, one on Thursday night and one on Monday night.  The flex potential is obviously there once again with specific December matchups against the Atlanta Falcons and the finale against the Detroit Lions as well.  Being a fan of the 3:25 pm game time, the Packers are only scheduled for one game in that slot with the remaining 10 games being scheduled in the 12:00 pm slot.

Love – My final love of the coming season’s schedule is definitely a personal bias that I share with many of the fine Wisconsin folks.  Upon the release of the schedule each season, many Wisconsinites look right away at game times in late November to see how the schedule revolves around the state’s gun deer hunting season.  This year, hunters can rejoice in the fact that the Thursday night matchup against the Seattle Seahawks falls on the Thursday prior to the season opening and the following matchup against the Vikings is on the Sunday night the deer season ends.  This gives the state’s hunters more time in their deer stands while allowing them to watch their beloved Packers as well. 

Overall upon first glance, I’ll give the 2018 schedule slightly more love than hate for the 2018 Packers.  As it looks now, the schedule sets up favorably for a fast start and a hot finish.  How they weather the storm that is the middle part of the season will go a long way in determining the fate of the team and their Super Bowl hopes for the year.

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Ryan Brunner is an avid Packers fan hailing from Chippewa Falls, WI.  He is a firm believer that punters are NFL players too!  Follow him on Twitter @brunwardo

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Comments (24)

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Bearmeat's picture

April 20, 2018 at 01:57 pm

I hate hosting the Vikings so early in the year, and right after the Bears. 2 HUGE divisional games that we must win. Don't like them back to back, and would especially want the Vikings playing in the cold in Lambeau, and hate playing on CHI's turf late in the year. This is my single biggest beef of the season. That's a huge home-field advantage that we've lost this year.

I also don't like the mid-season 5-week stretch. Not so much because of the teams involved (a lot can change on that front by Oct/Nov), although they do look very tough now. No, I don't like the stretch because of travel. West coast. East Coast. Home. West Coast on 3 days rest (in the toughest stadium in the NFC to play in). Then thankfully a long week before the hardest/most important road game of the season (at least as it looks now.)

Other than the aforementioned Vikings problem, I do love the end of the year, and while it's early, the beginning looks like a cakewalk too.

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Tundraboy's picture

April 20, 2018 at 02:35 pm

I agree. Vikings have become a pansy team as it seems a great deal of effort is made to avoid going into cold weather games for them. Vikings always seem to start hot and it always takes 4 or 5 games for us to hit a stride. Maybe MM will have the team ready to go day 1. It is the 100th season and it's home after all.

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LambeauPlain's picture

April 20, 2018 at 02:03 pm

Ryan, I believe MM is a huge fan of noon games, especially at Lambeau and they have many more on the schedule this year than last.

Some of those Lambeau noon home games may be flexed, but may not be. MM likes noon at Lambeau because it fits the routine of the team daily regimen much more (creatures of habit thing) and the fact the other team has to travel and play right away.

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johnnyd17's picture

April 20, 2018 at 02:04 pm

most of their flights are short, even very short...shame they dont have more games at home in October, such a great time to visit the area!

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worztik's picture

April 20, 2018 at 02:30 pm

Let me tell you what I hate guys... the Queens game in week 2!!! As a season ticket holder of the Green package (6 games), while the Gold gets 2 games, (games 2 & 5), I wont even get to see the Queens at Lambeau this year!!! Plus, it’d be great to get them in the cold for our home game!!! Plus, we should have a later bye.... and on and on... just complain’, again.....ps... the Queens fans will pounce on ALL the tickets the Gold pkg. holders will sell as they do every year!!! It’s gonna be MPLS. EAST... SOOoooo SAD!!!

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Mojo's picture

April 20, 2018 at 03:21 pm

As a Gold package member I was pleased to see Minny coming to town. Just imagine how much I can get for my tickets.

Just kidding (about selling). Wanted to see how many of you got red in the face.

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Bearmeat's picture

April 20, 2018 at 05:11 pm

I was about to get on a plane to Milwaukee and start looking up some guy named Mojo to punch in the nuts. ;)

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worztik's picture

April 20, 2018 at 05:22 pm

Better one Bear!!! ;~€)

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worztik's picture

April 20, 2018 at 05:21 pm

Good one Mojo ;~€)

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EdsLaces's picture

April 20, 2018 at 02:52 pm

Seriously that many freakin 1pm games ? What a joke. I always have to work till 330!

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Point-Packer's picture

April 20, 2018 at 03:48 pm

Love: the likelihood of Green Bay going to Seattle and stomping the living pulp out of those butt nuggets on national television.

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Bearmeat's picture

April 20, 2018 at 05:11 pm

butt nuggets... lol

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Tundraboy's picture

April 20, 2018 at 05:15 pm

Turdlets ?

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worztik's picture

April 20, 2018 at 05:16 pm

That’s new to me... and I was born in Point!!! Good job!!!

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Lphill's picture

April 20, 2018 at 03:53 pm

I am happy I will be able to see the Packers play the Jets I have a lot of friends here in New York that have season tickets so I am looking forward to that game.

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Since'61's picture

April 20, 2018 at 04:06 pm

Hate Thursday night football, especially in Seattle, love 14 Sunday games regardless of the time.

I guess the deer stands in Wisconsin do not come with Electricty, WiFi, Keurigs, Gas fireplace or Eat in kitchens. How uncivilized, no wonder why the Packers schedule should revolve around that time. LOL. Thanks, Since '61

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worztik's picture

April 20, 2018 at 05:19 pm

Actually ‘61... most people hunt “bottle deer or dear and some of their hunting “shacks” are like small castles... LOL ;~€)

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Since'61's picture

April 20, 2018 at 07:22 pm

Good to know. I thought there were some pretty nice "shacks" out there. That means they can watch the Packers from anywhere. Thanks, Since '61

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LambeauPlain's picture

April 20, 2018 at 04:18 pm

13-3 season
2-0 playoffs with home field at the Lambeau Shrine
Super Bowl win vs the Steelers...again...dark horse the Jaguars.

Yes it is Spring and hope springs eternal in the heart of a Packer Fan.

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jeremyjjbrown's picture

April 21, 2018 at 04:08 am

Ryan

Why not include the schedule in the article so we can more easily reason about your comments without flipping pages?

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Roaddog's picture

April 21, 2018 at 07:34 am

What I like to know is why a 7 - 9 team has the toughest schedule in the NFL.

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Since'61's picture

April 21, 2018 at 08:43 am

2017 records of the Vikings 13-3 x2, Pats, 13-3, Rams 11-5 on our schedule.
Those 4 games skew our 2018 opponents win % to the highest in the league based on 2017 records.
Don't sweat it, SOS from the prior season means nothing for the current season. However 3 out of
4 of those games are on the road.
Thanks, Since '61

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John Kirk's picture

April 22, 2018 at 02:43 am

LOVE: ... 5 December games featuring 3 at home vs. inside teams, and two outdoor vs. weak sisters of the NFL. At Chicago is basically another home game.

HATE: ... that we aren't on the road at Minnesota after the Rams and Patriots roadies. We'll need that practice to simulate what it will be like if we eek into the playoffs as a 6 seed and have SB aspirations. We're only getting two playoff type opponents in a row instead of the 3 we'd need to beat on the road to get to the show ala 2010. :)

Glad to see Seattle has a roadie in LA which is traditionally a tough game for them prior to the Thursday nighter against us.

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Richard Gehrke's picture

April 24, 2018 at 12:11 am

I am not sure what to think about the Packers, I've been a fan 4 over 40 yrs now and I am very comfortable that if they can protect#12 they can possibly win 2 even 3 Super Bowls realisticly that's if they keep#12 healthy?if he(Rogers) gets hurt again his career could be over at this high level of play.

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