2011 NFL Predictions: Breaking Down the Green Bay Packers Schedule

The Packers coaching staff has stressed that this 2011 version of the Green Bay Packers is a new team. Leave the Super Bowl in the past and come into this season fighting for another. The approach is that the Packers are not looking to defend the Lombardi trophy, but rather to go get a new one. They are a new team with new challenges.

This season provides the return of very important injured reserve players from last season. Jermichael Finley, Ryan Grant, Morgan Burnett and Brad Jones could all be starters this season after ending last year on IR.

The team didn't make a big splash in free agency as the front office felt the pieces they had in place and were getting back from IR were enough to compete this year. Players selected in the NFL draft will also add a nice compliment to these players. 

This is a preview of all 16 games during the season and predictions for each game. The Packers are in for an exciting season with more potential than most Packers teams before. The offense has the weapons to be truly one of the best in history and the defense is on track to be at the top of the league.   

Week 1: vs. New Orleans Saints

Opening night will surely have Lambeau rocking when the Saints come marching in. 

Pregame headline: The main story going into this matchup revolves around the lockout. These two teams had completely opposite approaches with regard to team workouts during the dark period. Drew Brees gathered a large number of Saints players for workouts while the Packers refrained from any collective team workouts. When the two teams clash on September 8th, it will be seen whether or not the Saints gained a significant advantage by this.

Breakdown: While both teams possess high powered offenses, the biggest difference between the two teams is defense. Each team has the ability to score on every play and every possession. So the matchup rests on which defense will make more plays. The advantage here goes to the Packers who had the second-ranked scoring defense in the NFL last season. McCarthy is also 4-1 in home-openers during this time in Green Bay.  

Prediction: 24-17 Packers 

Both offenses will struggle early and fail to create the fireworks that will be advertised pregame, but the Packers defense comes up big when necessary to stop the Saints. The workout issue will be a non-factor as the game plays out. Packers start the season with a big win at home against a strong NFC contender. 

1-0 

Week 2: at Carolina Panthers

The Packers will be heavily favored as they travel to Carolina to face the Panthers. 

Pregame headline: The league's best team of last year heads down to face the league's worst. The Packers will be favored and expected to man-handle the Panthers. Fans and analysts will give the Panthers no chance in this one. Could this game be a potential trap game?

Breakdown: Even if the Packers come into this game sloppy and unprepared, the chances they still walk away with a victory are very high. Carolina will be a much improved team from last year, but they still have too many holes to compete with one of the league's best. Cam Newton will have the challenge of facing on the league's best and most complex defenses. Good luck rookie. 

Prediction: 34-10 Packers 

With the extra time to prepare for the Panthers, McCarthy will have his Packers ready to go. Rodgers will have his way against the Panthers weak secondary. Newton will struggle against the Packers defense, but may have some success when plays break down if he scrambles. Packers roll into Chicago with two wins. 

2-0

Week 3: at Chicago Bears

The Packers return to Chicago for a rematch of the NFC Championship. 

Pregame headline: The NFL's oldest rivalry will be renewed for the 183rd matchup. The major story will be the Packers return to Chicago after beating the Bears to advance to the Super Bowl. After losing in Chicago during Week 3 last season, the Packers spent the rest of the year unsuccessfully chasing the Packers in the NFC North race.

Breakdown: In the last five matchups between the Packers and Bears, neither team has scored more than 21 points in a game with the largest margin of victory being seven points. The trend will continue as both teams feature great defenses. This game will come down to who takes better care of the football and converts on the limited opportunities they will get.  

Prediction: 17-14 Bears 

The Packers get handed their first loss of the 2011 season. The Bears team will be hungry for revenge against their hated rivals. With more to prove in this game, the Bears defense is able to slow down the Packers' talented offense just enough to escape with a game-winning field goal. Shades of last year's loss to Chicago haunt the Packers.  

2-1

Week 4: vs. Denver Broncos

The Packers return home to Lambeau as they face the lowly Broncos. 

Pregame headline: Another matchup of a league power against an opponent that struggled mightily in 2010. The Packers will once again be heavily favored to beat the Broncos in their second home game of the season. One of the league's best offenses will play host to the worst scoring defense last season. This game should be extremely one-sided but, as we all know, anything can happen. 

Breakdown: To put in nicely, the Broncos defense struggled last season. They gave up 40 points more than any other team in the NFL, surrendering 471 points. The biggest weakness for the Broncos was their run defense. They allowed opposing teams 154.6 rushing yards per game. Rushing the football was the biggest weakness of the 2010 Packers. They should have the opportunity to prove their rushing attack is much improved with a healthy Ryan Grant and up-and-comers James Starks and Alex Green.  

Prediction: 41-7 Packers 

The Packers run all over the Broncos with Grant and Starks each having big days. Coming off a disappointing loss to a division foe, the Packers make the Broncos pay. A heavily mismatched game should lead to the Packers getting back on track. The best way to heal from a loss is getting a bad football team at home.   

3-1

Week 5: at Atlanta Falcons

The Packers return to Atlanta for a rematch of the NFC Divisional Playoffs. 

Pregame headline: Last season, the Atlanta Falcons blew through the regular season to gain home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Little did they know, playing at home inside a dome provided more of an advantage for the pass-happy Packers. Rodgers shredded the Falcons on the way to a 48-21 victory. In the offseason, the Falcons chose to strengthen their offense instead of patching up their exploited defense. The main question here will be whether or not the Falcons have enough fire-power to compete with Rodgers and Green Bay.  

Breakdown: In the last game played between the two, Rodgers proved why he is one of the top quarterbacks in the league. The Falcons defense shouldn't have many changes from last season. Rodgers will have the opportunity for another big showing. Adding Julio Jones and Jacquizz Rodgers in the draft, the Falcons offense should be better than last season, but is it enough to compete with Rodgers and Co.? 

Prediction: 41-21 Packers 

The Packers offense doesn't miss a beat putting up back-to-back 40-point performances. The Falcons will be more competitive than last season, but will struggle to keep up with a superior offense. Looking back, it may have been smarter to address the defensive needs than to give up a ton for another weapon. The Packers offense exploits the Falcons secondary again.   

4-1

Week 6: vs. St. Louis Rams

The Packers return to Green Bay in a matchup of young star quarterbacks. 

Pregame headline: For many, the Rams are an attractive pick to become a consistent competitor in NFC for years to come. Bradford is poised to continue his development towards becoming one the best young talents in the NFC. This Week 6 matchup will provide the Rams a good measuring stick as they try to reach the heights of the NFC. 

Breakdown: The Rams are an extremely talented young team. They have all the pieces to become a very strong football team in the next couple of years. The mid-October showdown will feature a game the Packers should be able to win based on having more depth, talent and maturity. The Rams are growing as a football team, but they haven't quite arrived yet. Although, this is a game they could potentially steal from the Packers.    

Prediction: 27-21 Packers 

The Rams give the Packers all they can handle at Lambeau, but some late magic from Rodgers gives the Packers another win. Not giving their best effort, the Packers are still able to pull out a win at home using their superior athleticism and maturity in a close game late in the fourth quarter. The Packers offense struggles against a defense that is quickly becoming one of the best in the league. 

5-1

Week 7: at Minnesota Vikings

After sweeping the Vikings in 2010, the Packers look for continued success. 

Pregame headline: No Brett Favre this time around as the Packers travel to the Metrodome to face their hated rivals to the West. A haunted house to the Packers during the Favre years, the dome was never kind to Green Bay. Now with Rodgers in charge, the Packers passing game prefers the dome setting. The story here is whether Donovan McNabb's addition makes the Vikings a legitimate threat to the Packers. Does it make them competitive with the rest of the division?

Breakdown: The Packers offense should have their way with a Vikings defense that has not made many improvements following last year. A team with Adrian Peterson is always dangerous, but the Vikings need to have a decent passing attack in order to free up Peterson. This is the only way the Vikings will be able to compete. The Packers still have advantages all over the place when matched up with the Vikings.   

Prediction: 34-13 Packers 

The Packers have too many weapons for the Vikings to stop and will be able to exploit the secondary. Peterson will have some success, but the Vikings settle for field goals instead of touchdowns and only score 13 points. A well balanced attack from Green Bay as they prove they are the better of the two teams. The Packers will find mismatches all over the field against their rivals on the way to improving to 6-1 heading into their bye week. 

6-1

Week 9: at San Diego Chargers

The rested Packers venture to Southern California to face the Chargers. 

Pregame headline: Two quarterbacks looking to become the future of the NFL are set to do battle in this Week 9 matchup. Aaron Rodgers and Phillips Rivers are slowly taking over the league as Brady, Manning and Brees age. The two are set to be the stars of the position for the next five years and hopefully longer. Both gunslingers have a confidence that not many other quarterbacks in the league have.   

Breakdown: Throughout his tenure in Green Bay, Mike McCarthy has been exceptional in games that follow the team's bye week. The extra time to prepare has always done wonders for McCarthy and his Packers. A couple added days for McCarthy and defensive coordinator Dom Capers to prepare is a scary thing for an opponent. This looks to be a slug-it-out type of game that will come down to the last possession. Both quarterbacks are extremely cool under pressure and have what it takes to mount a last minute drive for the win.  

Prediction: 24-21 Packers

The Packers will be extremely prepared and focused early on this game coming off the bye week. The Packers jump out to an early lead, but struggle to put the game away as the run game stalls. Rodgers leads another late fourth-quarter drive that puts the Packers in position to capture their seventh win of the season and reach the halfway point with only one loss.   

7-1

Week 10: vs. Minnesota Vikings

The Packers come home to play at Lambeau after nearly a month. 

Pregame headline: For the second time in three games, the Packers will face the Minnesota Vikings. The headline for this game will rely heavily on the previous meeting a couple weeks before this game takes place. If the Packers win the first matchup, they will be looking for their second consecutive sweep of the Vikings. 

Breakdown: The Packers should be able to find mismatches all over the field against the Vikings. An aging defense will not be able to keep up with the amount of weapons that Rodgers has at his disposal. The Vikings will need a heavy dose of Adrian Peterson in order to steal a victory from the Packers. At this point, the Packers are clearly the better of the two teams.  

Prediction: 34-10 Packers

A quick start for the Rodgers and the offense allows the Packers to take the ball out of Adrian Peterson's hands, and forces the Vikings to throw more than usual. The speed of the Packers receivers will be too much for the Vikings secondary to handle. The ball will be spread around fairly well between the different receivers. Flynn plays in the fourth quarter as the Packers cruise. 

8-1

Week 11: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Packers look to improve upon their spectacular record at home against Tampa Bay. 

Pregame headline: One of the league's powerhouses against one of the league's up-and-comers. Are the young Bucs for real and do they have what it takes to walk into the stadium of the NFC powerhouse and beat them? Josh Freeman is fast-developing into a star in the NFL and look to add an impressive win at Lambeau to his resume. 

Breakdown: In the two matchups between the Packers and the Bucs that have included Aaron Rodgers, the Bucs have been the Packers kryptonite. The Tampa 2-defense has given Rodgers fits. The Buccaneers have successfully transformed from a bottom feeder to a conference contender in the matter of a couple years. Much as to do with a solid defense-minded approach, but even more has to do with the development of QB Josh Freeman. 

Prediction: 31-27 Buccaneers

Once again, the Buccaneers defeat the Rodgers-led Packers. After coming off two big means, the Packers fall at home to a rising young team. Freeman proves why his name is being mentioned as a future star as he finds success against the strong Packers defense.  

8-2

Week 12: at Detroit Lions

The Packers start their holiday triple-header with the Lions on Thanksgiving. 

Pregame headline: The last time the Packers faced the Lions, Rodgers was knocked out with a concussion and the Lions scored late to beat the shorthanded Packers, 7-3. The story this time around will be the renewal of the teams playing on Thanksgiving Day. It was 2007 the last time the two teams did battle in the special holiday game.  

Breakdown: Over the next five seasons, the Lions are the team that posses the biggest threat to the Packers. The team has built an athletic, young defense around defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh. The offense is reliant on the health of Matthew Stafford. If this team can stay healthy, they will compete for second place in the division. In both matchups with the Packers last season, the Lions gave the Packers all they could handle.  

Prediction: 23-21 Packers

A short week, coming off a disappointing home loss, and the Lions most anticipated game of the season, mean trouble for the Packers. The game will be tougher than most on the schedule, but Packers hold off a late rally by the Lions to get back on the winning track. An unimpressive showing against the Lions leads to uneasiness in Green Bay.

9-2

Week 13: at New York Giants

For the second straight year, the Packers are back in the New Meadowlands. 

Pregame headline: Last season, the Packers thrashed the New York Giants at home and stole their playoff spot out from under them. The Giants came into that matchup after one of the most devastating losses in recent memory. They were emotionally defeated before the game even started. This time around the Giants look to show the Packers they are better than last season's matchup indicated. 

Breakdown: Despite their miserable ending to last season, the Giants are a very capable football team. Hakeem Nicks has grown into a great wide receiver and should continue to grow this season. His chemistry with Manning is crucial to the success of the football team. With their physicality, the Giants possess a threat to the visiting Packers.  

 Prediction: 23-17 Giants 

A loss to the Buccaneers in Week 11, a disappointing showing against Detroit in Week 12 and a loss to the Giants in Week 13, officially has the Packers in slump-mode. The Packers struggle to get going early on and end up paying for this in the end. Another undisciplined game leaves the Packers in major need of regrouping.    

9-3

Week 14: vs. Oakland Raiders

The Packers play host to the warm-weather Raiders in a December game at Lambeau. 

Pregame headline: A warm-weather team travels to Lambeau to a play a game in mid-December. Not used to playing in the cold, how the Raiders handle the cold could mean a win or loss. Like most games, the Packers will be favored in this game.   

Breakdown: The Raiders are another team that hopes to be on the way towards consistent playoff runs. The team's pass defense is suspect after losing star Nnamdi Asomugha to the Eagles. Rodgers should be able to exploit this mismatch if the weather is permitting. If wind and snow prevent the Packers from airing it out, the Raiders could have the advantage if the Packers are forced to rely on rushing the ball. 

Prediction: 31-7 Packers 

Rodgers and Co. get back on track with a big home win against the Raiders. Mismatches are found in the passing game and Rodgers dazzles as he leads the Packers to a big lead early. The Raiders are a fast team, but will be playing catch-up most of this one as Rodgers rolls.  

10-3

Week 15: at Kansas City Chiefs

The Packers fly south to Kansas City to do battle with the Chiefs. 

Pregame headline: A rare matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs will provide the Packers with the opportunity to spark another late-season run towards the playoffs. This matchup is only the third time the teams have played since 1996. Arrowhead provides a tough venue for any opposing team regardless of records.   

Breakdown: The Chiefs have one of the best rushing attacks in the league behind Jamaal Charles. If the Chiefs can get Charles going, the Packers could be in trouble, especially if the conditions are not favorable for the Packers passing game. This is another game where it would be very important for the Packers to get a quick start and put some early points on the board. If the Packers can do this and force the Chiefs to mostly throw, this game won't be close.  

Prediction: 27-13 Packers

The Packers are able to score a couple quick touchdowns and put pressure on the Chiefs to throw the ball more than they would like. The Packers' opportunistic defenses takes advantage of this and forces the Chiefs into some turnovers. Back on track, the Pack are getting into form as the playoffs approach.  

11-3

Week 16: vs. Chicago Bears

The Packers continue their holiday journey with a Christmas Day game against Chicago. 

Pregame headline: In a Christmas Day special, the Packers look to beat the Bears at home for the fourth straight time. Regardless of records, the games in this rivalry are always close and hard fought. The headline will surely revolve around the Week 3 matchup. If the Bears pull out the win as predicted, the Packers will be looking to even the score and take the split of the season series.   

Breakdown: In previous matchups with the Bears, Aaron Rodgers has struggled to beat the Cover 2 defense that the Bears rely on heavily. The best counter for this defense is hitting the tight end up the seams. With a healthy Finley, Rodgers should be able to successfully pass against the Bears. On the defensive side of the ball, the Packers have absolutely abused Jay Cutler and should be able to apply pressure and created turnovers.   

Prediction: 20-10 Packers 

The Packers finally beat the Bears by more than four points as the Packers defense completely shuts down Cutler and the Bears. Rodgers will have success passing the ball. Mostly to Finley, who is in store for a big game against the division rivals. The Packers take advantage of the Bears in the fourth quarter of a closely fought game and pull away at the end for a huge win.  

12-3

Week 17: vs. Detroit Lions

The Packers finish the regular season on New Year's Day against the Lions. 

Pregame headline: At this point in the season, the Packers should have the NFC North title wrapped up and may even have home-field advantage wrapped up. The Lions could potentially be fighting for a wild-card spot. The headline here is whether or not McCarthy decides to start his regulars and how long they might go.    

Breakdown: If both teams are at full strength, the biggest mismatch for the Packers to exploit is in the Lions secondary. Rodgers should have plenty of options open down field with this arsenal of weapons. The biggest concern is whether or not the Packers offensive line can provide Rodgers with enough time to connect. If Suh and the rest of that defensive line can get to Rodgers, it could be a long day for the Packers.  

Prediction: 27-7 Packers 

The Packers offensive line comes up big and provides Rodgers with large amounts of time to find his guys in the secondary. Rodgers has a big game spreading the ball around to different players getting everybody involved. The Packers defense should be able to handle the Lions offense and create turnovers that will put the offense in good positions. The Packers roll into the playoffs. 

13-3