Packers enter a season-defining stretch after bye week

Through the first six weeks of the Green Bay Packers’ season, it has not gone as many had hoped. After the bye week they will be entering a five-game stretch that will define their 2018 season.

The Packers have appeared flat and inconsistent in just about every game this season, and it has cost them a few victories that they probably should have had.

In fact, it is a very real possibility that Green Bay could be 1-5 up to this point. So maybe we should consider ourselves lucky to be 3-2-1.

But because of their slow start the Packers have limited room for error.

Moving forward, in the upcoming five games, Green Bay won’t face a team below .500. The next five weeks in the regular season will determine whether or not the Packers will have a shot at the playoffs or if for the second straight year, their offseason will begin early.

Next five games

This difficult stretch for the Packers will begin on the road against the only undefeated team left in the NFL, the LA Rams. Los Angeles has a dynamic offense and are third in the league with 32.7 points per game, which will prove to be a tough task for the Green Bay defense.

If the Packers fall behind early like they have so many times already, they won’t be coming back against this team.

After LA, the Packers will continue their difficult travel schedule by flying cross-country to face the Patriots. Pats coach Bill Belichick is fantastic at drawing up schemes that will exploit the opponent’s weaknesses, which at this point there are many for Green Bay.

It will take great play from all three phases of this Packers team, which up to this point is yet to happen, in order to pull off the win.

The Packers’ one home game over this stretch will be against the Miami Dolphins. Miami is 4-3 on the season but don’t be fooled, none of their wins have come against teams with a winning record. This game will be an absolute must-win for the Packers as they play an inferior opponent.

After Miami, the Packers will have a quick turnaround and head to Seattle for a Thursday night game. This is not the same Seahawks team that we know from years past. The Legion of Boom is all but gone and the offense ranks 25th in the NFL in total yards.

But it will be a tough environment as always and on a short week.

This five-game stretch will conclude in Minnesota. Similar to the Packers, the Vikings got off to a slow start but have since found their stride over recent weeks.

They aren’t a team that does anything spectacularly well, but they are all-around solid in most areas. This division matchup could be pivotal in determining the NFC North champion.

What must happen over these games?

We know that all of these games will be tough, especially given what we have seen out of the Packers through the first six games.

But Miami and Seattle are games that must be won. Even with their early struggles, Green Bay’s talent is superior to both of these teams and they need to take advantage of that.

If the Packers can win one game out of the three between Los Angeles, New England and Minnesota, I would call it a success. Ideally that win would be against the Vikings since they are a divisional opponent, but I don’t want to get greedy.

Making the assumption that Green Bay can take care of Miami and Seattle and win one of the other three games, the Packers would be 6-4-1 with a much easier five games left on the schedule.

The NFC isn’t as strong as once expected, so holding that record or even being 5-5-1 is not a deal breaker. But what they cannot do is implode over this stretch.

At this point in the season, based on what we have seen, we can’t assume anything is a given for this Packers team. Depending how these next five games go, we may already know their postseason fate by the Thanksgiving holiday.