Green Bay Packers: Way too early 2019 record prediction

The Green Bay Packers schedule has recently been released, and while there is plenty that will change between now and week one, here is my way too early prediction for their season.

Prior to Wednesday, we had known who the Green Bay Packers would be playing in 2019, but we did not know when or where which as we have seen, turn out to be pretty important aspects in determining the success of a team’s season.

For much of the last decade, the question we as Packer fans would ask during the offseason was not will Green Bay make the playoffs, but how far will they go in the playoffs? However, with a brand new coaching staff, and an overhauled roster, there are a lot more uncertainties entering the 2019 season than there has been in recent memory.

Even though there are some question marks surrounding this team, I do think their schedule works out to their advantage and they will be able to bounce back with new head coach, Matt LaFleur at the helm calling plays.

Week 1: at Chicago – Loss

This will be a difficult matchup to start the season with, considering the Green Bay Packers have a brand new coaching staff and they will be in a difficult road environment. Chicago was a top team in the NFL last season led by a smothering defense and even though I think they will regress in 2019, they will still be a very solid team. One advantage the Packers have early on is there will be limited tape of them with the new offense, however, I still think at Soldier Field the Bears and their defense take week one.

Week 2: v. Minnesota – Win

I really don’t like having divisional games being played this early in the season because of potential tiebreakers, but as I said above, there will be limited tape of Green Bay’s offense at this point. With a revamped pass rush, the Packers will be able to get after Kirk Cousins and force him into some bad decisions, which often times isn’t difficult to do. Green Bay should have won this week two matchup in 2018, and I believe this year they will.

Week 3: v. Denver – Win

The Broncos have brought in Joe Flacco at quarterback and hired former Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio as head coach. While Fangio should be able to improve Denver’s overall defense and they have an already stout pass rush, typically quarterbacks win games and Flacco is a wildcard. At Lambeau, Green Bay should easily win.

Week 4: v. Philadelphia – Win

This game could be considered a toss-up, and while Philly wasn’t as dominant as they were during their Super Bowl season, they have shown that when they have it all put together, they are a very tough team to beat. However, this is a Thursday night game on the road for Philadelphia, which historically favors the home team. The Green Bay Packers will take advantage of the short week at home and get the win.

Week 5: at Dallas – Loss

Even with their recent success in Dallas, Jerry’s World is still a tough environment to play in. During the 2018 season, Dallas finished top ten in points and yards allowed defensively, and in this game I expect them to make it difficult on Green Bay. We also saw a much improved Dallas’ offense once Amari Cooper was acquired to accompany Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott. It will be another close game, but I think Dallas edges out Green Bay.

Week 6: v. Detroit – Win

Although Green Bay has uncharacteristically struggled recently to win against Detroit, three of their last four losses have come without Aaron Rodgers playing in a majority or in any of those games, and the other loss I would categorize as a fluke. This game is set to be played in prime time at Lambeau Field, the Packers will roll.

Week 7: v. Oakland – Win

The Raiders under Jon Gruden in 2018 were a mess and even with some offseason additions, the Packers should easily win this game at home. A potential concern to keep in mind is that Green Bay could be looking ahead to their Sunday night matchup against Kansas City the following week and could get popped in the mouth by Oakland. But let’s hope that scenario doesn’t happen.

Week 8: at Kansas City – Loss

This game has all the makings of being the best game of the year in the NFL. Green Bay’s defense should take a big step forward this season, but stopping the Chiefs offense is a whole different story. I expect this game to be a shootout but I don’t see the Packers having enough firepower in year one under LaFleur to get the road win.

Week 9: at Los Angeles Chargers – Loss

After a short week with the Sunday night game, Green Bay will have to travel to the west coast, which already puts them at a disadvantage before taking the field. The Chargers were one of the best teams in 2018 and they did it on both sides of the ball, finishing top 11 in the league in both offense and on defense. Chargers get the win.

Week 10: v. Carolina – Win

From year to year, or even week to week we don’t know what we will see with Carolina. While in recent years they have bounced back after a down year, I think 2019 will be different and they will struggle once again. The Green Bay Packers revamped defense under second-year defensive coordinator Mike Pettine will be able to slow Cam Newton and the Carolina offense, while Rodgers dissects the Panthers below average defense.

Week 12: v. San Francisco – Win

We can’t take too much away from last year’s matchup with Green Bay’s new offense and the Niners having their star quarterback return, but I expect the same result. With two weeks to prepare, Green Bay has a distinct advantage, especially with LaFleur knowing Kyle Shanahan’s offensive system quite well. The Packers will use that to their advantage, along with having the better quarterback and they will get the road win in San Francisco.

Week 13: at New York Giants – Win

This will be a difficult two-week stretch for the Green Bay Packers in regards to travel. Heading to San Francisco and then to New York the following week is a tough draw. However, it is the Giants and Eli Manning is continuing to regress, while the overall roster is not put together that well. Given the circumstances, there is upset potential if Green Bay isn’t focused after a heavy week of travel,  but this should be a blowout.

Week 14: v. Washington – Win

There is no home field advantage quite like Lambeau Field in December and at this point, Washington does not have a reliable quarterback option on their roster. Regardless of what happened when these two teams played in 2018, this should be another relatively easy win for the Green Bay Packers.

Week 15: v. Chicago – Win

Outside of the rivalry, I anticipate this game having huge playoff implications. While Chicago got the best of this Packers team in week one, enough time has passed that the offense should be clicking under LaFleur. We also saw Trubisky struggle at times last season once the weather went bad. I don’t expect that much has changed in that regard and the Green Bay defense will be able to capitalize.

Week 16: at Minnesota – Loss

These two teams have been very evenly matched and Green Bay has had a hard time winning in Minneapolis in recent seasons. It will be a close game as it usually is, but I think the trio of Dalvin Cook, Stefon Diggs, and Adam Thielen will be too much for the Packers in the dome.

Week 17: at Detroit – Win

The NFC North is going to be a battle all season long with three legit playoff contenders and Detroit likely taking a step forward in 2019. With that said, the Lions still don’t have the horses to match up with Green Bay, and unless the Packers are resting players because they have clinched a playoff spot, they should cruise to another victory.

Final Prediction: 11 -5

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