The Green Bay Packers may be on their bye this weekend but the NFL doesn’t just come to a stop when the Packers aren’t playing. Nope, there are still a ton of good football games that one can view today and on Monday night. So, if you are a Packers fan that still loves to watch good football games… This is the weekend for you.
Let’s try and have a stress-free weekend of football and give our hearts a rest. The bye week isn’t just for the team. Low key, it’s for the fans too.
All of that being said, if you want to know what games to pay closer attention to that still impacts Green Bay then these are the list of games for just that. The Packers may be on their bye week, but there are some good outcomes to cheer for this weekend as Packers fans.
Giants vs Panthers
You know, when I first saw this game on the NFL schedule, I couldn’t help but wonder what Germany (recently) did to deserve this. If the NFL really wants to spread their influence into Europe, then maybe having the 2-8 Giants play against the 2-8 Panthers may not be the answer.
But then, I remember that there is a weird phenomenon. That phenomenon is when two bad teams play against each other, that a good game just might break out. Throwback to the random great game that happened in week 11 of 2009 where the 1-8 Browns and 1-8 Lions faced off. That was the game where Matthew Stafford broke his arm. And with zeroes on the clock, he came back in and threw a game-winning touchdown.
Effect on the Packers
Honestly there isn’t much of an effect this game could have on the Packers at this point. I just wanted to mention it because it is the Germany game and I have a gut feeling that it could be a good one. Oh, and by the time you are reading this, it is probably already on so finish reading this article and go watch it with a cup of coffee.
Patriots at Bears
Battle of rookie quarterbacks in this one, the Bears should be favored in this one but we all know that the Bears are gonna Bear it up somehow. Chicago averaged 35.5 points between weeks five and six, however, ever since their bye week, they have only averaged 12 points per game. It feels like Caleb Williams’ development is somewhat being stunted.
Meanwhile the Patriots offense has been lackluster as well. The most they have scored in a game this season was 25 points. Drake Maye has looked okay but definitely has a long way to go, especially if he is going to keep getting hit like he has been.
Effect on the Packers
This one is kinda obvious. It’s the Bears. Chicago needs to keep losing because they are a divisional opponent and when Green Bay gets back from its bye week, guess who they play?
Vikings at Jaguars
I’m just going to get right to the point. This one’s effect on the Packers: the Vikings are currently second in the NFC North and are the fifth seed. Green Bay is third in the NFC North and is currently the seventh seed. And, the Packers have already lost to the Vikings. The Vikings need to lose. We can hope Jacksonville can upset the Vikings but it does seem unlikely especially with the Trevor Lawrence injury.
Reports are saying that Lawrence still might try and give it a go while others say he has no chance. Either way, this one seems one-sided. But we Packers fans can hope.
Lions at Texans
Oh, this one has that feeling that it could be a great one! And it’s Sunday Night Football, rightfully so! The Lions have been on a tear this season having only lost one game and have been dominant in all aspects of the game. The Texans are 6-3 and will be coming off of their bye week. They haven’t really had that signature win this season yet but have every capability of upsetting the Lions.
Effect on the Packers
The Packers just lost to these Lions but this game is even more important than just that. The Packers have already beaten the Texans and will have the opportunity to play the Lions again. If the Texans can beat the Lions, and then the Packers beat the Lions later, then the Texans game will be used in the calculation for the tiebreaker. Green Bay will really want the Texans to win and so should you.
Other Games of Note
Falcons at Saints – The NFC South should only have one team make the playoffs out of it’s division and that will be the division winner. This is a good thing for the Packers as it gives them an opportunity to make it as a wildcard team if it breaks that way. Because of this we should hope the current division winner stays that way so we need the Falcons to win.
49ers at Buccaneers – I know, I know that I’m about to contradict myself here. Somewhat. The 49ers are 4-4 and the Buccaneers are 4-5. So, based on my logic from the Falcons at Saints game, then we should hope the 49ers win here. However, we also probably only want one team from the NFC West to make the playoffs too. This gives the Packers an even better shot at making the playoffs. So, for this week let’s cheer for the Buccaneers because honestly, I hate the 49ers. That’s some top notch analysis there! I know!
Steelers at Commanders – Who would have thought that this game would look so interesting at the beginning of the season. The 6-2 Steelers faceoff against the 7-2 Commanders. Crazy. In this case, we need the AFC team to win. No over thinking this one.
Eagles at Cowboys – Because the Eagles beat the Packers in week one, and the fact that the Cowboys don’t have as good of a record this season, the we need to hope that the Cowboys upset the Eagles in this one.
Final Packers Notes
And finally, as a Packers fan, you need to hope that Green Bay gets healthy during this time. Their schedule when they get back doesn’t get any easier. The next quarter of the season, the Packers will play at Chicago, then at home against the 49ers and the Dolphins, and then they go to Detroit to have a rematch against the Lions. That’s a game in which we hope the Packers will be much healthier compared to last time.
The second half of the season is officially here with eight to go!
Go Pack Go!
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Damon is a diehard, fully-immersed cheesehead who currently lives in southern Missouri. He teaches at a local high school and has a family YouTube channel about all things Packers. You can follow him on twitter at @packersfamily and on YouTube at The Packers Family.
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