Packers’ toughest QB matchups come later in 2021 season
Patrick Mahomes. Lamar Jackson. Russell Wilson. Kyler Murray. Matthew Stafford. The Green Bay Packers play against all of these quarterbacks in 2021, but none in the opening seven weeks of the season.
Many of the Packers’ toughest matchups come around midseason or later, highlighting the importance of getting off to a fast start this year.
While the opening seven games on the schedule hardly make for an easy start — four come against 2020 playoff opponents — the Packers avoid many of the superstar quarterbacks on the schedule earlier on.
That means it’s important for Matt LaFleur’s team to get off to a good start and get victories in the bag early, because the games will continue to get tougher as they approach midseason.
In Week 1, the Packers will meet the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome. Jameis Winston or Taysom Hill could be at QB for New Orleans. Or perhaps it will be rookie Ian Book.
Next up are the Detroit Lions, who no longer have Matthew Stafford on the roster, but instead Jared Goff and former Packer Tim Boyle.
Following that is a meeting with the San Francisco 49ers. This will be one of the toughest games of the season for the Packers, but there’s a good chance Jimmy Garoppolo will be at quarterback if third-overall pick Trey Lance is given time to develop. As long as Garoppolo has to throw more than eight passes, the Packers will like that QB matchup.
Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers await in Week 4. Roethlisberger is the most experienced QB they’ll face in the opening seven weeks and he put together a good bounce-back season in 2020 with 33 touchdown passes and 10 interceptions. However, it’s not impossible to think we could see a decline in his play as he enters his age-39 season.
In Week 5, it’s the Cincinnati Bengals and second-year QB Joe Burrow. Burrow has the talent to be a future Pro Bowler, but he’s still inexperienced and coming back from a torn ACL.
A Week 6 matchup with the Chicago Bears will likely see Andy Dalton leading Matt Nagy’s offense, but it’s possible they will have turned to rookie Justin Fields by then.
Finally, in Week 7, the Packers take on the Washington Football Team led by Ryan Fitzpatrick. Again, not an easy game, but Fitzpatrick isn’t on the same level as many of the All-Pro QBs to come later on.
These matchups won’t be determined just by the QB battles, but it plays a part, of course. And with so many tough games to come, the Packers need to get off to a fast start in 2021.