Packers 2021 schedule: Late bye week comes at perfect time
Last season, the Green Bay Packers‘ bye fell in Week 5, earlier than ideal.
It meant the Packers had to play 12 weeks in a row before earning a first-round bye in the playoffs. In 2021, the opposite is true as the Packers will play in each of the opening 12 weeks before finally getting their week off.
But this is the better end of the schedule for it to fall. Rather than the bye week coming early in the season, the Packers will get a week off when they will need it the most. Immediately following a daunting stretch of games and before the final run to the playoffs.
Considering the opponents the Packers will face before their bye, it’s fair to say they’ll need a week off.
Games surrounding Packers’ bye week
- Week 9: at Kansas City Chiefs
- Week 10: vs. Seattle Seahawks
- Week 11: at Minnesota Vikings
- Week 12: vs. Los Angeles Rams
- BYE WEEK
- Week 13: vs. Chicago Bears
- Week 14: at Baltimore Ravens
Following the Week 14 trip to Baltimore, Green Bay will meet the Cleveland Browns at Lambeau Field on Christmas Day, then divisional games against the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions to close out the regular season.
While having to play 12 weeks in a row to kick off the season will be tough, especially with a number of difficult games on the schedule, in theory the Packers will be fresher earlier in the year compared to later on.
If the Packers make the playoffs but don’t get the top seed and first-round bye, additional weeks would be added to the schedule. Getting a chance to rest in Week 13 will come at the ideal time.
Not only will it give injured players a chance to recover and other players to rest, but it’ll also give the coaching staff a week to self-scout and fix some things before the home stretch of the schedule and, hopefully, the playoffs.
A 17-game schedule presents new challenges for every team. For the Packers, they will have to wait for their bye week. But a Week 13 bye could come at an ideal time.