Packers Winners and Losers Coming Out of Bye Week

The Green Bay Packers have received plenty of rest over the last two weeks, as they will only have played one game in the past 16 days by the time they suit up on Sunday against the Denver Broncos.

Green Bay hoped that rest would prove helpful when they played the Las Vegas Raiders last Monday night, but they could not come away with a victory. With another week off, they hope to get their best offensive player back on the field in Aaron Jones.

Jones has been battling a hamstring injury since Week 1 against the Chicago Bears and only played in one game since then (Week 4 against the Detroit Lions). Hamstrings can be fickle, and the Packers think this extended break will get him 100 percent right for the rest of the season.

Here are winners and losers on the Green Bay Packers coming out of their bye week and heading back into the heart of their schedule.

That health will be necessary, as the Packers will play 12 weeks in a row (plus the postseason if they make it) to finish out the year. Minus David Bakhtiari, there’s a good chance Green Bay will get everyone back coming out of the bye.

Let’s check out some other winners and losers on the Packers following their bye week.

Winner: Packers’ Schedule

Although the Packers have 12 games in a row without a break, they have a favorable schedule for the rest of the season. Of their 12 remaining opponents, only four of them have winning records. They’ll play teams like the 1-5 Denver Broncos, 1-5 New York Giants, 0-6 Carolina Panthers and 1-5 Chicago Bears. That’s a great way to help a young team build some confidence and finish the season strong.

Loser: Weeks 9-13

This is easily the most challenging part of the Packers’ schedule this season. In Week 9, they host the 3-3 Los Angeles Rams, who look rejuvenated this season. They follow that up with an away game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, vs the Los Angeles Chargers, at the Detroit Lions and vs the Kansas City Chiefs. The last two, in particular, will be a tough back-to-back. If the Packers aren’t careful, they could enter that Lions’ game on Thanksgiving with a 3-7 record and all but eliminate themselves from winning the NFC North.

Winner: Packers Coaching

The Packers spent most of their break between weeks 4 and 5 self-scouting to turn their offensive fortunes around. It didn’t work. Now, they have another week to look themselves in the mirror and figure out what’s going on. This is a team that hasn’t been able to score in the first half, constantly putting themselves in a hole. If the bye week doesn’t fix their issues, nothing will. Head coach Matt LaFleur should’ve been in the kitchen cooking up plays that will make the game easier for his young offense.

Loser: Anders Carlson

Anders Carlson has been off to an excellent start this season. After an up-and-down training camp and preseason, he hasn’t missed a kick through the Packers’ first five games and has shown why the team believed in him. Unfortunately, having a week off can cool that momentum and make him start from scratch when play returns. Hopefully, he’s able to pick up right where he left off.