GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers will kick off the 2025 NFL season at home against the Detroit Lions and wrap things up at the Minnesota Vikings.

With nine of their 17 games against teams that reached the playoffs last season, getting to the playoffs – let alone winning the NFC North or competing for the No. 1 seed – won’t be easy. Here are our game-by-game predictions following the NFL schedule release.

Week 1: vs. Detroit Lions

On one hand, the Lions are breaking in new coordinators on both sides of the ball and this will be the right time to face a championship-contending team. On the other hand, it’s Dan Campbell against Matt LaFleur. Campbell’s won six of the last seven against Green Bay, including three straight at Lambeau.

Make it four, because the Lions have a killer mentality and the Packers haven’t had much success against Jared Goff.

Prediction: Packers lose (0-1).

Week 2 vs. Washington Commanders

The Commanders reached the NFC Championship Game last year behind Rookie of the Year quarterback Jayden Daniels. Washington’s even better on paper with the additions of left tackle Laremy Tunsil and Deebo Samuel.

On a short week – but with all offseason to study Daniels – the Packers avoid the dreaded 0-2 start.

Prediction: Packers win (1-1).

Week 3: at Cleveland Browns

For all the quarterback drama, Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett figures to be the starter for this early-season game while Shadeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel watch from the bench. The Browns are terrible. They went 3-14 last season, finishing 32nd in points scored and 27th in points allowed.

Their big first-round trade-back with Jacksonville, which allowed the Jaguars to select Travis Hunter at No. 2 overall, should pay off in time. Week 3 is a year or two before that time.

Prediction: Packers win (2-1).

Week 4: at Dallas Cowboys

The Packers always win at Dallas. OK, not always. And Aaron Jones was a big part of that success. The Cowboys have a new coach, with Brian Schottenheimer replacing Mike McCarthy, and a new receiver, with George Pickens joining CeeDee Lamb.

However, the Packers should have the edges in both trenches. So long as Jordan Love doesn’t play catch with Cowboys cornerbacks Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland, the Packers should return from Big D with a Big W.

Prediction: Packers win (3-1).

Week 5: Bye

Week 6: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Over the last five years, teams after the bye are 91-70-1. Last year, they were only 15-17. So, the bonus week really isn’t a giant advantage. But it must mean something, especially in getting ready for Joe Burrow and the high-flying Bengals offense.

Maybe more than anything, Jordan Love might not need an extra week of scheming to shred a defense that ranked 25th in points allowed and used its first-round pick on project pass rusher Shemar Stewart.

Prediction: Packers win (4-1)

Week 7: at Arizona Cardinals

After back-to-back four-win seasons, the Cardinals improved to 8-9. A key was going from 31st to 15th in points allowed. Adding pass rusher Josh Sweat, defensive tackles Walter Nolen, Calais Campbell and Dalvin Tomlinson and cornerback Will Johnson should help build a top-10 unit that will be tough to beat in the October heat.

However, quarterback Kyler Murray needs to take a significant step forward to make the Cardinals a playoff-caliber team.

Prediction: Packers win (5-1)

Week 8: at Pittsburgh Steelers

Let’s make an assumption about who will start at quarterback for the Steelers. Aaron Rodgers hasn’t been Aaron Rodgers since 2021. Is he an old, washed-up has-been who finished 19th in passer rating last season as the Jets finished 5-12? Or is he still Aaron Freaking Rodgers, who is capable of dialing it up against his former team?

Probably the latter.

Prediction: Packers lose (5-2)

Week 9: vs. Carolina Panthers

Quarterback Bryce Young finished last season on a hot streak, and he’s got an additional weapon in first-round receiver Tetairoa McMillan. With an elite ground game with Rico Dowdle joining Chuba Hubbard, Carolina’s going to score some points.

However, the Panthers were last in the NFL in scoring defense, total defense and rushing defense last season. Defensive tackles Derrick Brown and Tershawn Wharton will help, but the Packers should have the edge when they’ve got the ball.

Prediction: Packers win (6-2).

Week 10: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

The Packers have had all offseason to plot their revenge for last year’s sweep. For as terribly as they played in last year’s playoff game, it was a one-score game headed into the fourth quarter. The Packers, on paper, are better than they were last year. The same can’t be said for the Eagles, who lost pass rusher Josh Sweat, defensive tackle Milton Williams and cornerback Darius Slay.

However, the Packers lost defensive tackle TJ Slaton in free agency. Can their front hold up against the Eagles’ powerful offensive line? Ultimately, here’s the difference: The schedule-makers didn’t do the Packers any favors by giving the Eagles a bye to get ready.

Prediction: Packers lose (6-3).

Week 11: at New York Giants

At this point in the season, there’s probably a decent chance the Giants will have gone through Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston and handed the ball to first-round quarterback Jaxson Dart. Coming off a strong debut season, Jeff Hafley vs. a rookie seems like a winning matchup.

Prediction: Packers (7-3).

Week 12: vs. Minnesota Vikings

The schedule-makers did the Packers no favors by scheduling both Vikings games for the second half of the season. By now, new starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy should have settled in to take advantage of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson.

Along with running backs Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason and a powerful offensive line, Minnesota is built to win. So long as the quarterback is competent. Maybe homefield advantage – what little there is with Vikings fans buying so many tickets – will be just enough.

Prediction: Packers win (8-3).

Week 13: at Detroit Lions

Happy Thanksgiving. The schedule-makers didn’t do the Packers any favors in this game, either, with a short week and a road game following a showdown against the rival Vikings. The Lions, meanwhile, will be coming off a home game against the Giants.

That reality might be the difference in an outcome that could relegate the Packers to the wild-card competition ahead of a challenging stretch run to the season.

Prediction: Packers lose (8-4).

Week 14: vs. Chicago Bears

By now, the Bears should have found their groove under first-year coach Ben Johnson. That they won at Lambeau Field last season should give them confidence they can do it again, no different than the Lions beating the Packers in the 2022 finale.

The Bears will be coming off a Black Friday game, which will mitigate Green Bay’s rest advantage, but the Packers will get a critical win.

Prediction: Packers win (9-4).

Week 15: at Denver Broncos

While Bo Nix led the Broncos to the playoffs as a rookie, it was the defense that carried the load for most of the season. A unit that finished third in the NFL in points allowed and second in yards per play added linebacker Dre Greenlaw and safety Talanoa Hufanga in free agency and cornerback Jahdae Barron in the draft.

Denver went 6-2 at home last season. It won its last five at Mile High by an average of 22.2 points.

Prediction: Packers lose (9-5).

Week 16: at Chicago Bears

The Bears are going to be a problem. Caleb Williams has an abundance of offensive weapons, with D.J. Moore, Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III at receiver and Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland at tight end. Their glaring weakness last year was their offensive line, which they fixed by adding three above-average veteran starters.

The Bears have waited forever for this moment, with Williams ripping the ownership deed to Soldier Field out of Jordan Love’s hands.

Prediction: Packers lose (9-6).

Week 17: vs. Baltimore Ravens

Lamar Jackson has won two MVPs and probably should have won a third last year, when he led the NFL in passer rating, touchdown percentage, yards per passing attempt and yards per rushing attempt. He’s a ridiculous 70-24 in the regular season as a starter, even without a great receiver corps. Then again, who needs a great receiver corps when you’ve got Derrick Henry.

The Ravens finished third in points scored and ninth in points allowed. They are a Super Bowl-caliber team.

Prediction: Packers lose (9-7).

Week 18: at Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings are loaded on both sides of the ball. They went 8-1 at home last season, including a 27-25 victory over Green Bay in Week 17. The Packers were destroyed by Sam Darnold in both matchups last year. Will they have better luck with J.J. McCarthy, or is Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell so good that he can turn any quarterback, no matter his level of experience, into a productive winner?

A fourth consecutive loss seems hard to believe because the Packers are a good team. This closing stretch, though, is brutal.

Prediction: Packers lose (9-8).