It has been 11 long years since the Green Bay Packers won football’s biggest prize, the Super Bowl. The 2010 Packers went 10-6 in the NFC North and only made it into the playoffs as the number six seed based on a better strength of victory. However, everything came together in the playoffs, and the Packers bulldozed their way to Super Bowl XLV and ran out as 31-25 victors over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Finishing 13-3 in 2020, including a run of six consecutive victories, had Packers’ fans tingling with excitement for another Super Bowl appearance. Packers made short work of the Los Angeles Rams, 32-18, in the NFC Divisional Playoffs, but came unstuck in the NFC Championship against Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 31-26.

This season has seen Green Bay be fast out of the blocks again, resulting in them being among the Super Bowl favorites at Onlinesportsbetting. They are 5-1 through the opening six games; is this the year the Packers finally win another Super Bowl?

Poor Preseason But Packers Go 5-1

Head coach Matt LaFleur has found a way to win, even if winning ugly has been necessary for some of the Packers’ opening games. The Packers went 0-3 in preseason, losing 7-26 to the Houston Texans and 14-23 to the New York Jets before the Buffalo Bills beat them 0-19. You cannot read too much into preseason; it is when the league starts that matters get real.

The losing run continued on the opening game of the 2021 season, and it is fair to say the Packers were woeful at best. Aaron Rodgers, so often the hero for Green bay, recorded the fourth-lowest passer rating of his career (36.8) as he only made 133 yards and threw two interceptions as the Packers were embarrassed 3-38 at the New Orleans Saints. You would receive a 39.6 passer rating if you just spiked every ball on every play to put that into perspective.

Whatever LaFleur said to Rodgers after the Saints defeat and in the days running up to the home game against the Detroit Lions worked because the three-time MVP was immense. Rodgers completed 22 of 27 attempts, threw for 255 yards, four touchdowns, and finished with a 145.6 passer rating as the Packers ran out 35-17 winners. If Rodgers is on song, the Packers are a fantastic team.

Green Bay needed a 51-yard field goal from Mason Crosby in the dying seconds to beat a spirited San Francisco 49ers 30-28 on Week 3 and overtime to claim a 25-22 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Week 6. Either side of that OT win was 27-17 wins over the Pittsburgh Steelers and a 24-14 win over the Chicago Bears last time out.

Upcoming Packers Fixtures

Next up for the Packers are the Washington Football Team, who are 2-4 in the NFC East. Bookmakers are giving Packers a -10 spread, so fully expect a one-sided affair. These two historic teams last faced off in December 2019 at the Lambeau Field in front of 77,296 fans. Packers ran out 20-15 winners that day. Expect much of the same this time around.

Two difficult on the road fixtures follow: away at the Arizona Cardinals (6-0) on Week 8 and a trip to Patrick Mahomes’ Kansas City Chiefs (3-3) on Week 9. The Chiefs are struggling for consistency, but anything is possible with Mahomes pulling the strings from the pocket.

Should the Packers find themselves 8-1 as they reach the halfway stage of the 2021 NFL season, the loyal Cheeseheads have a legitimate reason to get excited about the prospect of Super Bowl glory. However, if they falter and reach Week 9 with a 5-4 or a 6-3 record, it could be a long, arduous season for those loyal supporters.