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Green Bay Packers 2017 schedule release: Predicting the Packers’ final season record

By Freddie Boston

Jan 15, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) celebrates a touchdown with head coach Mike McCarthy against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Divisional playoff game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 15, 2017; Arlington, TX, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) celebrates a touchdown with head coach Mike McCarthy against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Divisional playoff game at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /

Ralph Mancini

In terms of overall difficulty, Green Bay’s schedule at first glance falls somewhere between trying to pass your state bar exam and working on a take-home final.

In other words: if the Packers don’t get decimated by injuries (and when was the last time that happened?), they should at the very least be a Wildcard playoff team for a ninth consecutive season.

The games that stand out immediately are road dates versus Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Dallas since all three teams can safely be considered Super-Bowl contenders going into the new season.

While the Packers are expected to place a heavy emphasis on shoring up the defense in this month’s draft, containing any of those three offenses will be a tall task.

Expecting the Boys from Packers News to win two out of those three contests would probably require Aaron Rodgers and the offense to put up a minimum of 28 to 31 points in each game.

As for the home slate, one would have to anticipate Seattle putting up a better effort against Green Bay this year in what should be a thrilling back-and-forth affair that will most likely be decided by less than a touchdown.

Let’s remember that Russell Wilson was never really 100-percent healthy last season and should be primed for a resurgent campaign if he steers clear of any other ankle mishaps.

Home games versus Baltimore, Cincinnati and Tampa Bay should all be wins, but each of those franchises have the type of firepower to win their respective divisions if their offseason changes pay immediate dividends.

And as for the NFC North rivalries, both Minnesota and Detroit will give the Packers all they have given their stability at the quarterback position and their defensive units.

The Bears, on the other hand, are an organization undergoing significant changes with Mike Glennon taking over for Jay Cutler at quarterback and Alshon Jeffery now running routes for the Philadelphia Eagles. Look for the Pack to bag both games.

Without knowing the exact dates and times of the games, my prediction is for the Packers to more more closely resemble the “run-the-table” version that rattled off eight consecutive wins and finish the 2017 regular season with a 12-4 record.

Prediction: 12-4

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