Green Bay Packers: Predicting the five toughest games of the 2017 season
By John Dales
The strain of an NFL season has proven to be difficult for previous Green Bay Packers teams, and this year will be no exception.
Coming off a 10-6 season, and an eighth straight playoff appearance, expectations are sky-high for the Packers., as would be expected for a team from the city nicknamed “Packers News.”
The Green Bay offense finished last season at a high level. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is coming off yet another stellar season. He passed for 4,428 yards, and 40 touchdowns – a career high. With the addition of Martellus Bennett, the Packers’ aerial attack looks like it could be even more dangerous.
The veteran offensive guard, Jahri Evans, also looks to fill the hole in the offensive line caused by T.J. Lang‘s departure. Likewise, Ty Montgomery also headlines a backfield looking to revamp its rushing attack in 2017.
The Packers’ defense, however, is one of the question marks going into next season.
After a lackluster 2016 season, the Green Bay defense also lost key veterans like Micah Hyde, Julius Peppers, and Sam Shields.
New additions to the defensive secondary (i.e., Davon House, Josh Jones, and Kevin King) may be a deciding factor in the defense’s success in 2017.
All that being said, it looks like the Packers are going to have plenty of competitive games this season.
Both their offense and defense will end up being tested in the pivotal games of the regular season.
The following five games will go a long way in determining the Packers’ success and give insight toward their postseason chances as well.
Move on to the following slides for a complete look at these games.