After losing their one and only postseason game last year to the eventual Super Bowl champs, the Philadelphia Eagles, there were signs of hope for the Packers heading into the 2025 season. Although Green Bay finds itself in arguably the toughest division in the entire NFL, improvements have been made and key additions, such as Micah Parsons, suggest that the Packers would challenge this year.

 With a month and a half of football now under our belts, we have more of an idea as to whether those preseason hopes will be vindicated. The campaign has not started too badly but not many of the top NFL online betting sites have the Packers victorious at Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium next February.

 There is still plenty of time to improve, however, and the Packers are in a good position to push forward and challenge the Lions, Vikings, and even the Bears for the NFC North title. From there, the playoffs would be as tough as usual, but Green Bay needs to make sure that it is still playing football by that point. Here are some of the crucial games coming up in the rest of the 2025 schedule.

Week 8 at Pittsburgh Steelers

 Going into week seven, the Packers lead the way in the AFC North and are being talked up as being Super Bowl contenders. But there are concerns. The defense, thought to be one of the best before the season began, has yet to dominate and has only managed two takeaways so far. The team as a whole is also struggling against “inferior” teams.

 It is obviously important to beat the best if you want to be the best, but ensuring that there are no surprises against the weaker teams is of equal importance. Pittsburgh is, by no means, a weak team, but it should be considered inferior to Green Bay. The fact that the Packers will be coming up against Aaron Rodgers makes a win here even more important.

Week 10 vs. Philadelphia Eagles

 Assuming that the Packers do manage to see off the weaker teams on the schedule, the week ten meeting with the Super Bowl champs could prove pivotal. Although Philly is still leading its own division, there have been a lot of questions about its performances this year and it seems to be more there for the taking than any time in the last few years.

 Much like the Chiefs have fallen from their dynasty-level of play, the Eagles have dropped down the power rankings and might well face a challenge in their division for the first time in a while. A win against this Eagles team would still be a statement to the rest of the league, however, and a perfect way to welcome the run-in.

Week 12 vs. Minnesota Vikings

 Formbook goes out of the window when it comes to divisional matchups a lot of the time. But making sure you beat your closest rivals is absolutely crucial to securing a postseason berth. Five of the last seven games of the season are against NFC North teams, and home games are even more important for success.

 The Vikings were good last year – but they were not really 14-3 good – and there are enough weaknesses for the Packers to exploit when welcoming them to Lambeau Field. A ramping up of the run game in recent weeks bodes well for Green Bay’s offense, and they will need to be on top form to win this week 12 encounter.

Week 14 vs. Chicago Bears

 Two weeks later, the Packers welcome the Bears to Wisconsin and the importance of this matchup is much the same as it will be with the Vikings. Although the whole division is tough, it is generally considered that Chicago is the weakest link. If Green Bay doesn’t beat this team with homefield advantage, it might as well give up now.

 That is not to say that a game against the Bears will be easy. But if we return to the issue of beating inferior teams, it has to be the case that Chicago falls into that category. After what should be a relatively easy start to the season, the final stretch is going to be really difficult – so a win here is crucial.

Week 17 vs. Baltimore Ravens

 Before the season began, many Packers fans would have looked at the schedule and classified this game as a “hopeful” win. The Ravens have been one of the best teams in the league over the last few years, without managing to get over the line and take another Super Bowl triumph back to Baltimore.

 Things are a little different this year, with the Ravens winning just one of their first six games. Lamar Jackson has either been injured or off his game and opponents have taken advantage of that. The Ravens season could well be over by the time week 17 comes around, so anything but a win here would be a disaster.

Week 18 at Minnesota Vikings

 It would be really nice to think that Green Bay could go into the final game of the regular season with the division and number one seed already secured. That would allow some players to take a break and a road game against Minnesota to be of little importance in the grand scheme of things.

 It is almost guaranteed that that won’t be the case, however, and there is a much better chance that this game could decide the division – if not the conference as well. It will be good if the Vikings have already dropped out of contention by this time. But, this matchup could still be a tough game, and it could be vitally important for the Packers.