Packers’ first four games expected to be against AFC opponents

The coronavirus pandemic has had an impact on the NFL offseason, and that will likely continue with the 2020 schedule.

While the season is currently set to go ahead as planned, the NFL is preparing to make adjustments if necessary due to the pandemic. According to John Clayton of 710 ESPN Seattle, while talking to 93.7 The Fan, the first four weeks of the 2020 season will feature NFC vs. AFC matchups.

It’s a smart move by the NFL. If the pandemic means the league has to shorten the season, it would make sense to ensure the first four games on the schedule have the smallest impact on potential playoff scenarios.

Division games carry the most importance and should be saved until later on, while games within the conference have a bigger impact than games against the other conference.

If the league had to shorten the season to 12 games, they could start four weeks later with teams not playing any games against the other conference. That would still allow for a fair competition.

For the Green Bay Packers, this would mean playing games against the Indianapolis Colts (road), Houston Texans (road), Tennessee Titans (home), and Jacksonville Jaguars (home) to start the season.

This would mean a number of big games would take place from Week 5 onwards. That would include all six division games, as well as contests with the San Francisco 49ers, New Orleans Saints, and Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The full 2020 regular season schedule is set to be released at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday, May 7. It will be the full 16-game schedule as normal. However, NFC-AFC matchups in the first month is one example of how things may look a little different this season.

With four months still to go until the season is set to begin, a lot can change. Hopefully, there will be 16 Packers games to enjoy this season. But the NFL is preparing for any necessary schedule changes.