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Green Bay Packers' schedule tougher this year: What to know about their opponents

richard ryman, green bay press-gazette
·11 min read
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GREEN BAY – Things change fast in the NFL, but one thing teams can count on is that the reward for having a good season is that the next season will be harder.

The Green Bay Packers ranked 24th out of 32 teams in strength of schedule in 2023. After an unexpected 9-8 record and playoff appearance that came within a hashmark of the NFC championship game, the Packers rank fourth for hardest schedule in 2024. The Packers have seven games against playoff teams from last year, and 11 games against teams with winning records.

For the first time ever, the Packers have nine home games at Lambeau Field. That should be an edge, because the Packers are 32-8 in regular-season games at Lambeau under head coach Matt LaFleur, the best home field record in the NFL during those five years.

The Packers enter this season as the winningest team in NFL history at 799 regular-season victories and 836 wins overall. They've won four times in five Super Bowl appearances and have a league-leading 13 NFL championships. And are the smallest market team in the NFL by a large margin. Their last Super Bowl win was in 2011, at the end of the 2010 season.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts scrambles away from Green Bay Packers linebacker Justin Hollins during the third quarter on Nov. 27, 2022, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts scrambles away from Green Bay Packers linebacker Justin Hollins during the third quarter on Nov. 27, 2022, at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Eagles

  • First of 46 games on Oct. 29, 1933

  • Packers lead series 28-18-0

  • 2024: 7:15 p.m., Sept. 6, at Arena Corinthians, Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Peacock (NBCUniversal) and local stations in Green Bay/Milwaukee

  • 2022: Eagles 40, Packers 33 at Philadelphia

Worth noting: The Packers and Eagles will play the first NFL game in South America. Brazil has a growing NFL fan base and the Packers are the most popular team in the country. Sao Paulo is 5,432 miles from Green Bay, but this is likely to be more like a Packers' home game, although the Eagles are technically the host team. If the Packers hope to keep pace with the Detroit Lions this season, they will need to start strong. The Eagles faded hard (re: collapsed) at the end of last season, but they cannot be taken for granted.

Indianapolis Colts

  • First of 46 games on Nov. 5, 1950

  • Colts lead series 24-21-1

  • 2024: Noon Sept. 15, Lambeau Field, Fox

  • 2020: Colts 34, Packers 31, overtime in Indianapolis

Worth noting: The Colts ambush the Packers on a regular basis. The Packers lost four of the last five games, three times in Indianapolis, dating to 2004. The Colts have been on the quarterback carousel since Andrew Luck retired after the 2018 season. Nonetheless, they forged a 9-8 record last season and just missed the playoffs. The Packers might be glad they are playing them at Lambeau.

Tennessee Titans

  • First of 14 games on Nov. 19, 1972, when they were the Houston Oilers

  • Packers lead series 8-6-0

  • 2024: Noon Sept. 22, Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Fox

  • 2022: Titans 27, Packers 17 at Lambeau Field

Worth noting: The Titans are a team in transition. They fired respected coach Mike Vrabel after a 6-11 season. Vrabel led the Titans for six years, compiling a 54-45 record. Tennessee had quarterback uncertainty last season, but appears to have settled on second-year man Will Levis over longtime starter Ryan Tannehill. Also, offensive stalwart running back Derrick Henry is now a Baltimore Raven. The Packers are 1-1 against Tennessee in the LaFleur era, with both games at Lambeau Field.

More: Green Bay Packers game-by-game predictions after 2024 NFL schedule release

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Minnesota Vikings

  • First of 127 games, Oct. 22, 1961.

  • Packers lead series 66-58-3

  • 2024: Noon Sept. 29, Lambeau Field, CBS; noon Dec. 29, U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Fox

  • 2023: Vikings 24, Packers 10 at Lambeau Field; Packers 33, Vikings 10 in Minnesota

Worth noting:  The Packers and Vikings split last year, each winning at the other's stadium. When the Vikings won, they had Kirk Cousins at quarterback until late in the game, when he tore his Achilles tendon and was lost for the season. The Vikings possibly will be starting rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy this year, but he'll be surrounded by real talent, including wide receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, tight end T.J. Hockenson and former Packers running back Aaron Jones.

Los Angeles Rams

  • First of 99 games on Oct. 17, 1937, when they were the Cleveland Rams.

  • Packers lead series 50-47-2

  • 2024: 3:25 p.m. Oct. 6, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, Calif., CBS

  • 2023: Packers 20, Rams 3 at Lambeau Field

Worth noting: The Rams might be the happiest opponent on the Packers' schedule. For the first time in five games, they won't have to go to Lambeau Field to get their head handed to them. The Packers are 4-0 at Lambeau against the Rams since 2021. Beyond that, the Packers are 9-1 against the Rams since 2007.

Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur calls to his team during the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on Oct. 28, 202, in Glendale, Arizona.
Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur calls to his team during the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on Oct. 28, 202, in Glendale, Arizona.

Arizona Cardinals

  • First of 76 games on Nov. 20, 1921, when they were the Chicago Cardinals

  • Packers lead series 46-26-4

  • 2024: Noon Oct. 13, Lambeau Field, Fox

  • 2021: Packers 24, Cardinals 21 at Arizona

Worth noting: The Cardinals have been around longer than the Packers, but not as successfully. The Cardinals, formed in 1898, are the oldest continuously operating football franchise in the country, and the Cardinals and Bears are the only existing charter members of the NFL. The Cardinals have been on the cusp of success from time to time without actually getting there. They lost Super Bowl XLII to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009, and more recently were 11-6 in 2021, but 4-13 the last two seasons. The last head coach to have an all-time winning record for the Cardinals was interim head coach Larry Wilson, who was 2-1 in 1979. That said, the Cardinals defeated the Eagles and the Cowboys last year.

Houston Texans

  • First of five games on Nov. 21, 2004

  • Packers lead series 4-1-0

  • 2024: Noon Oct. 20, Lambeau Field, CBS

  • 2020: Packers 35, Texans 20 at Houston

Worth noting: A potential matchup of two of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL, Jordan Love vs. C.J. Stroud. The Packers have had the best of this 20-year-old series, but the last time they played was in 2020, during the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic, Deshaun Watson was Houston's quarterback, and Aaron Rodgers, Davante Adams, Aaron Jones and Mason Crosby were still Packers. All are now on other teams or not playing.

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • First of seven games on Sept. 24, 1995

  • Packers lead series 5-2

  • 2024: Noon Oct. 27, EverBank Stadium, Jacksonville, Fla., Fox

  • 2020: Packers 24, Jaguars 20 at Lambeau Field

Worth noting: Jacksonville is one of four teams that have never played in the Super Bowl, but they've played more International Series games than any NFL team. They top the list at 11, with the Dolphins second at six. The Packers won their last three games against Jacksonville, dating to 2012. The Jaguars went from 1-15, the last time they played the Packers, to 9-8 the last two seasons.

Jaire Alexander of the Green Bay Packers breaks-up a pass against Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions during the first half at Lambeau Field on Sept. 20, 2021, in Green Bay.
Jaire Alexander of the Green Bay Packers breaks-up a pass against Amon-Ra St. Brown of the Detroit Lions during the first half at Lambeau Field on Sept. 20, 2021, in Green Bay.

Detroit Lions

  • First of 189 games, Nov. 2, 1930, when the Lions were the Portsmouth Spartans.

  • Packers lead series 106-76-7

  • 2024: 3:25 p.m. Nov. 3, Lambeau Field, Fox; 7:15 p.m. Dec. 5, Ford Field, Detroit, Prime Video

  • 2023: Lions 34, Packers 20 at Lambeau Field; Packers 29, Lions 22 in Detroit

Worth noting: The Lions were the team to beat last year, and the Packers did so on Thanksgiving Day in Detroit, and they still are the team to beat this year. There is a different attitude in Detroit, which made it to the NFC championship game for the first time in decades. The Packers have had some of their most memorable performances against the Lions, including Don Hutson's 29 points in one quarter in 1945, Matt Flynn's 480 yards passing in 2012 and the Aaron Rodgers to Richard Rodgers Hail Mary in 2015.

Detroit is Green Bay's oldest rival in consecutive seasons played. The Bears are Green Bay's oldest overall rival, but they didn't play in the strike year of 1982.

Chicago Bears

  • First of 208 games, Nov. 27, 1921.

  • Packers lead series 107-95-6

  • 2024: Noon Nov. 17, Solider Field, Chicago, Fox; Week 18, time and date TBD, Lambeau Field

  • 2023:  Packers 38, Bears 20 in Chicago; Packers 17, Bears 9 in Green Bay

Worth noting: The Packers are 50-15 against the Bears since Brett Favre became the starting quarterback in 1992. This isn't so much a rivalry as an abusive relationship. The Packers played the Bears four times in 2011, winning all four games, which might be a record for the most times one team beat another team in the same calendar year. The Packers have a 10-game winning streak against the Bears at present. The Bears will be starting No. 1 draft pick Caleb Williams at quarterback. Whether the Bears or Vikings can compete with the Packers and Lions will depend largely on their rookie QBs.

The Packers last year surpassed the Bears as the winningest team in NFL history.

Green Bay Packers linebacker De'Vondre Campbell, linebacker Quay Walker and cornerback Jaire Alexander tackle San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel on Jan. 20 during their NFC divisional playoff football game in Santa Clara, California.
Green Bay Packers linebacker De'Vondre Campbell, linebacker Quay Walker and cornerback Jaire Alexander tackle San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel on Jan. 20 during their NFC divisional playoff football game in Santa Clara, California.

San Francisco 49ers

  • First of 73 games on Nov. 26, 1950

  • Packers lead series 38-34-1

  • 2024: 3:25 p.m. Nov. 24, Lambeau Field, Fox

  • 2024: 49ers 24, Packers 21 at San Francisco in divisional playoff game

Worth noting: The 49ers might as well join the NFC North. The Packers and 49ers played seven times in the last six years, with Green Bay winning three. In the 1990s, it was the Dallas Cowboys the Packers struggled to get past in the playoffs. In this decade, it's the 49ers. Three of Green Bay's four recent losses where in playoff games. The Packers nearly defeated the 49ers in the divisional round of the playoffs in 2023, but the 49ers rallied to beat the Packers, as they did against the Lions in the NFC championship game to advance to Super Bowl LVIII, where they lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.

Miami Dolphins

  • First of 16 games on Dec. 19, 1971

  • Dolphins lead series  10-6-0

  • 2024: 7:20 p.m. Nov. 28 (Thanksgiving), Lambeau Field, NBC

  • 2022: Packers 26, Dolphins 20 in Miami

Worth noting: Another matchup between good young quarterbacks, the Packers' Jordan Love and Miami's Tua Tagovailoa. The Dolphins finished 11-7 last year, but had some bizarre games. They scored 70 points against the Denver Broncos, but gave up 56 to the Baltimore Ravens. They played the Buffalo Bills in the last game of the season. Had the Dolphins won, the Bills would have missed the playoffs. Instead, the Dolphins lost 21-14, the Bills shot to the second seed and the Dolphins ended up as sixth seed. The Packers are 3-0 against the Dolphins since 2014. The Packers trail in the overall series because they were 0-8 between 1971 and 1994.

Seattle Seahawks

  • First of 24 games on Oct. 10, 1976

  • Packers lead series 15-9-0

  • 2024: 7:20 p.m. Dec. 15, Lumen Field, Seattle, NBC

  • 2021: Packers 17, Seahawks 0 at Lambeau Field

Worth noting: There was a time when Packers-Seahawks was an intense rivalry, the result of a lot of cross-pollination of personnel (mostly from Green Bay to Seattle), and several distressing Packers losses, including the 2015 playoffs. Since that game, the Packers are 5-1, including a playoff win in Matt LaFleur's first season. The lone loss was in Seattle in 2018.

New Orleans Saints

  • First of 27 games on Nov. 17, 1968

  • Packers lead series 18-10-0

  • 2024: 7:15 p.m. Dec. 23, Lambeau Field, ESPN

  • 2023: Packers 18, Saints 17 at Lambeau Field

Worth noting: Matt LaFleur is 2-1 against the Saints, who signed Derek Carr before last season to finally replace Drew Brees, who retired in 2020. With Carr at quarterback, the Saints finished 9-8, like the Packers, but failed to make the playoffs, even though they were tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the top of the NFC South. This will be New Orleans' second trip to Lambeau Field in two years. The 17 points the Saints scored last season was their fewest against the Packers in nine games dating to 2006.

Sadly for the warm-weather Saints, they are the only team to visit Lambeau Field in December this season. LaFleur is 16-1 in December games at Lambeau Field.

Contact Richard Ryman at rryman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @RichRymanPG, on Instagram at @rrymanPG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RichardRymanPG

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: These are the teams standing in the way of a Packers' championship