DETROIT, MICHIGAN – DECEMBER 13: Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers offers a high five during the second half against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on December 13, 2020 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)
The Packers are desperate for the Aaron Rodgers drama to end and the regular season to begin. Here are three massive games for Green Bay in 2021.
No NFL fanbase is more desperate for the regular season to begin than the Packers. Green Bay supporters are already exhausted by the Aaron Rodgers melodrama. They can’t wait to see their beloved Packers back on the field of play.
Assuming the Rodgers situation gets resolved such that he remains the team’s starter, the Packers will once again fancy themselves as legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Having such a prolific quarterback gives them a chance to win every game they play. Green Bay’s coaching staff hopes the defense enjoys enough internal improvement to hold up their end of the bargain this season.
As usual, Green Bay’s season will be defined by a handful of regular season games. Packers fans should focus on the following three contests as potential “make or break” matchups for their favorite team.
1. Week 1 at New Orleans
The NFL schedule makers dialed up a high-profile matchup between the Packers and Saints for Week 1 of the regular season. Drew Brees’ retirement raises serious questions about the quality of Sean Payton’s team moving forward.
The Packers can’t afford to get caught up in the gimmick nature of the Saints offense led by either Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill. The simple truth is that neither player is capable of operating the offense at the high level that Brees did for so long.
No Week 1 game is truly a must-win matchup, but this would be an ugly loss for a Packers team that wants to quiet the noise of a messy offseason as quickly as possible. Green Bay doesn’t need to play perfect football in their opener, but they need to leave New Orleans with a W.