Breaking Down the Toughest Part of the Packers 2022 Schedule

The Green Bay Packers 2022 schedule has been released and it certainly has its share of challenges for the team. The most difficult stretch of the season comes early while the team will set a record with the latest bye week in Packers history for the second consecutive year.

Obviously, there is no easy game in the NFL schedule. The cliché is that on any given Sunday, any team can beat any other team and from year to year in the modern NFL, it’s not always clear which teams will meet expectations and who will surprise or disappoint.

The toughest part of the Packers schedule will come early in the year. It starts with a Week 3 trip to Florida to take on Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs last hosted the Packers in 2020 and the Packers lost 38-10 after taking an early 10-0 lead. The two teams met again in the 2020 NFC Championship Game with Tampa Bay winning that one 31-26 in Green Bay.

The Bucs figure to be contenders again, especially playing in a weakened division. This game may have playoff tie-breaking implications as well. The winner could gain home-field advantage if the two teams meet in the postseason and certainly the Packers would rather face the Bucs in Lambeau in January than in Tampa.

The following week, the Packers return home to face the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick’s team returned to the playoffs last season after a one-year absence. Belichick is one of the greatest defensive minds in the game and the matchup between his defense and Matt LaFleur’s offense will make for an interesting chess match.

The Packers next two games are not difficult on paper, but the travel schedule makes them extremely challenging. The Packers have a “home” game against the New York Giants in London. It will be Green Bay’s first international regular-season game. The big issue will be the long trip across the Atlantic and the unusual experience the team will have.

The NFL reportedly offered the Packers a bye week after their trip to London, but the front office turned that down, saying they preferred to have their bye later in the season. As a result, the Packers return to Lambeau Field in Week 6 to host the New York Jets. The Jets should be improved a bit from last year’s 4-13 season, but the potential jet lag the Packers may be dealing with may be just as big of an obstacle as the young Jets football team they’ll be playing. The Jets will be at home the previous week facing Miami.

After the Jets game, the Packers play three straight road games to round out the hardest part of their schedule. First the Pack heads to our nation’s capital to face the Washington Commanders for Week 7.

In Week 8, the Packers face the one of the top contenders in the AFC, the Buffalo Bills. That will be a nationally televised game on Sunday Night Football. The quarterback matchup of Aaron Rodgers against Josh Allen will keep the media and fans excited. There will some great matchups in this game including the Packers secondary trying to stop the elite Buffalo receiving corps.

The three-game road trip concludes with a divisional matchup against the Detroit Lions in Week 9. The Packers lost in Detroit in the season finale last year although they rested most of their starters in the second half of the game.

The Packers will play only two of the six games during this difficult stretch of schedule at Lambeau Field. Three of the games are against playoff teams from a year ago and the opponent has a rest advantage in the game after the trip to London.

The decision to not have the bye week after the London game is an interesting gamble. I can understand not wanting to have the bye in early October but Week 14 is the latest the Packers have ever had their bye. If the team is hurting by then, the bye could be well-timed. It still gives the Packers four games after their week off and three of those are at home.

Having the bye the week of December 11th could disrupt the team’s momentum if things are going well or it could be too late if injuries hit the team earlier in the year. It is always difficult to determine when it’s best to have the bye, but if the Packers can get to Week 14 and be relatively healthy, the late bye could set them up for a strong stretch drive.

There are certainly other challenging games on the Packers schedule, but this early-season road gauntlet is the toughest. If they can get through this tough travel schedule early, they have three of their final four and five of their final eight games at Lambeau Field. And in those final three, the Packers are facing two dome teams (the Lions and Vikings) and a warm-weather team in the Rams.

Now that we know the schedule, the anticipation begins. The first game is about four months away and there’s so much to look forward to.

 

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You can follow Gil Martin on Twitter @GilPackers

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Comments (6)

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pantz_bURp's picture

May 14, 2022 at 01:52 pm

Thanks Gil for the article. The toughest part of the schedule can and probably will change throughout the season with all the variables being part of it (injuries to the Pack and to their opponent, COVID?, is the opponent playing their best now, the Packers, is the We-fense ready week whatever?, etc...)

Yep, just got done planting some flowers in the flowers box; so hummingbirds, butterflies, bees bring your buds and enjoy! Felt good to get the hands in the dirt again. Plus, I planted the flower formation where one side were the Vikes (purple cone), the other Miracle-Gro applied side, the Packers (giant sunflowers). The Packers are on D with 11 sunflowers crowding the line of scrimmage. I feel guilty, but I am only going to water the Packer side.

Grow Pack Grow!

UPDATE: game is boring!!! No real offense to speak of! Plus some rodent? keeps stealing the football (walnut) when I duck inside to grab a Leinies and a vegan brat with HEAVY ON THE ONIONs and Kraut. Gonna watch Caddy Shack now... 👍💪👌

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packer132's picture

May 14, 2022 at 01:20 pm

No surprise with the schedule other than a late bye which should be a good breather. The NFL is a league of parity and I agree that there is no easy game. I thought the last two years the Packers had a tough schedule and still won 13 games each season. It comes down to delivering on 3rd down and lack of injuries, as a couple of plays often determines the winner. I think this is the best roster in many years, and hopefully will be a Super Bowl year.

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GregC's picture

May 14, 2022 at 05:56 pm

A six-game stretch that includes the Giants, Jets, and Lions does not sound scary to me. I'm already tired of hearing how tough the London game will be. The other team has to go to London too!

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Tex49's picture

May 14, 2022 at 07:16 pm

I’ve been predicting Brady’s play is going to decline for the past five years. Why stop now eventually I’ll be right. Packers roll over the Bucs 31-17.

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davekenya's picture

May 17, 2022 at 12:59 pm

Not in the early season Florida heat which rewards Tampa Tom 10 points before the game even starts.

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porupack's picture

May 15, 2022 at 02:57 pm

Thanks for your assessment of the schedule. However, I think we fans make a bigger deal than pros. I traveled extensively. Jet lag is a bigger deal when you have to sit through endless meetings, and less if you're active. Also, these are young 20 something year olds who just left the partying university scene and can function with little sleep. they're resilent I suppose compared to the average fan. Of all the issues you project, the short weeks seem the most relevant to me. Travel just isn't a big deal, especially when you get first class treatment on flights, and not the cattle car that regular people get. With due respect, I think we make too big of a deal on the schedule as fans. Pros come to work and prepare each week. If they lay a goose egg, its not because of the schedule, but preparation and plan. So, the short weeks impact preparation and plan....and the rest is mostly fret. Thanks again.

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