Packers: Revisiting the 16 regular season games in 2020

Week 6 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The first meeting of Rodgers and Tom Brady as a member of an NFC team had been hyped up as a battle of titans, but it would fall short of that title. After jumping out to a 10-0 lead, the wheels would begin to fall off and it was all downhill from there.

A rare Rodgers pick-six opened the door for Tampa Bay, and with Brady on the other side, a slightly opened door was all he needed. Todd Bowles’ defense gave Rodgers and Co. fits after the second quarter forcing seven, SEVEN, punts to end the game and zero points given up.

While no one expected a perfect season, the egg Green Bay laid has now sprouted and started a family of its own. Tampa Bay beat down Green Bay after a 10-0 deficit and this game was over by halftime following a Rob Gronkowski touchdown to end the half, 27-10.

Green Bay 4-1

Week 7 at Houston Texans

One of the feats of LaFleur’s coaching in two seasons that perhaps has gone underrated has been the ability not to lose back-to-back games. After coming off an absolute dud in Tampa Bay, Rodgers and Co. would respond in a huge way against the Houston Texans.

For all the low-balling Houston has done to Deshaun Watson this season, the product of a Texans team had been less than desired in 2020. But with an angry Rodgers coming off a bitter loss, Houston would find out the hard way what Rodgers is capable of.

This would be one of those games where Rodgers and Adams would put the team on their back and go to work. With Rodgers torching the Houston defense in another four-touchdown performance for No. 12, this is the type of response you want out of your franchise quarterback.

At times, the Green Bay offense looked unstoppable as another 30-plus-point win would wash the bad taste from the Tampa loss and put them back on track. LaFleur is a perfect 6-0 following a loss in two seasons.

Green Bay 5-1

Week 8 vs. Minnesota Vikings

If no one saw the beating that Tampa Bay gave them, then the rematch with Minnesota at Lambeau Field was a gut-punch as any. Something of a strange game in the Rodgers-LaFleur game where it was a tale of two different teams taking the field — and both were Green Bay.

Sounds confusing, doesn’t it? But the way the Packers played in Week 8 was like an episode of “Stranger Things”. At one time they were obliterating Viking defenders and the next Dalvin Cook was running wild for four touchdowns.

This would go on to be the lone defeat against an NFC North team in LaFleur’s two years as head coach in Green Bay. And despite all the strangeness from this game, Green Bay still had a chance to win in the waning seconds of the game.

However, a Minnesota rush forced a Rodgers fumble and that was all she wrote. As far as anomaly games go, this one takes the cake. To only have two games where defensive miscues do you in at halfway points is impressive, but they’re two games you’d like to have back.

Green Bay 5-2

Week 9 at San Francisco 49ers

If you don’t think this game was circled once the season schedule came out, then you’ve got another thing coming. However, this San Francisco team would be obliterated by injuries losing a number of stars to either injured reserve or long-time injured reserve. But regardless of how sorry you may have felt for a depleted San Francisco team, Rodgers had no problem beating down a wounded animal exacting his revenge against the team he grew up cheering for.

While the win may not have erased the pain of the 2019 title game defeat, San Francisco had long been a thorn in Green Bay’s side since the Colin Kaepernick days. Where Brett Favre had success against Steve Young’s 49ers, Rodgers had limited success against the modern-day 49ers.

But, as they say, a win is a win. In yet another four-touchdown performance from Rodgers, featuring a touchdown bomb to both Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, San Francisco bowed out early in this one with another win following a loss.

Green Bay 6-2