Short of starting the season 0-3, the first three weeks of the 2026 season have been about as bad as possible for the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers are 1-2 to start the year after opening with a devastating blowout loss against the Minnesota Vikings (which could have been avoided), an overtime win against the New York Jets, and a blowout loss at the hands of Michael Penix Jr. and the Atlanta Falcons.
The offensive line has been horrifying. The defense hasn't been able to get stops. But as Harvey Dent once said, "The night is always darkest before the dawn. And I promise you, the dawn is coming."
The Packers' next five games on the schedule offer them a way back into the mix of the ultra-competitive NFC North, as well as the possibility of welcoming star pass rusher Micah Parsons back into the fold. Let's get optimistic again and predict each of the Packers' next five matchups.
Predicting the Green Bay Packers' next five games after dismal 1-2 start
Week 4: Packers at Buccaneers
No opponent in the NFL should ever be underestimated, even an 0-3 opponent starting a backup quarterback.
The Buccaneers lost starting QB Baker Mayfield in Week 3 to a thumb injury, and his backup is undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels. So, not only are the Packers facing a backup quarterback, but they're facing an undrafted rookie quarterback making his NFL debut.
This is about as close to a "gimme" as you're going to find in the NFL. No disrespect to Daniels and all that it took for him to get to this point, but this is a situation that favors the Packers. The oddsmakers aren't giving Green Bay too much credit, though. They are only 3.5-point favorites on the road, and given the circumstances, that speaks volumes about just how horrid their start to the season has been.
The Green Bay defense has to make a statement in this one.
Prediction: Packers win 27-16 (2-2)
Week 5: Packers vs. Bears
The Chicago Bears most likely will not have Caleb Williams for this game, but does it really matter?
Well, yes and no...
It does matter to a degree, because Williams is obviously one of the best quarterbacks in the league when healthy.
It doesn't matter to a degree because the Bears just proved to the entire NFL world on a national stage that they can dominate with Case Keenum under center. The way the Bears executed Ben Johnson's offensive gameplan against the Philadelphia Eagles was a sight to behold.
Needless to say, the Packers can't take this game lightly. Even if it's Tyson Bagent or Case Keenum starting, you can't be missing tackles or finding yourself out of position defensively. But there is an obvious "honeymoon" phase when a team needs a backup QB to work extensively, and that phase ultimately fades.
Prediction: Packers win 24-20 (3-2)
Week 6: Packers vs. Cowboys
This is a game everyone has had circled for quite some time. Although the Packers have yet to open up his 21-day practice window, this was the unofficial game in which -- optimistically -- many have been expecting Micah Parsons to return.
And you have to think Parsons would love nothing more than to stick it to his old team, in front of the Packers' fan base.
Even though we can't make any sort of guarantees for this game, it would be extremely fun to see this be the season debut of Parsons, with the possibility of winning three straight games on the line.
The Cowboys obviously have one of the best offenses in the NFL, but they are much better playing at home than on the road. And under the lights of primetime, if Parsons can return here, I like the Packers' chances of winning and No. 1 making some big plays.
Prediction: Packers win 31-27 (4-2)
Week 7: Packers at Lions
Even though the Packers could keep this hypothetical winning streak going, we're going to try to keep it "realistic" and throw a loss in somewhere.
This is where it makes the most logical sense, although when does the NFL really ever just happen as we all expect it to?
Going on the road to face the Lions, the Packers need to be ready to score a lot of points yet again. Facing Dallas and Detroit in consecutive weeks, even with Micah Parsons potentially in the lineup, is a difficult task for any defense.
I'm predicting this to be a bit of a letdown game after the emotional win against Dallas the week prior.
Prediction: Lions win 31-24 (4-3)
Week 8: Packers vs. Panthers (TNF)
And here we have the possibility of yet another shootout.
Bryce Young leads the NFL in passing yards through three games, but the Panthers' defense is badly banged up. This will be the first week that cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson are eligible to come off injured reserve, but the Panthers' defense has been really banged up (and bad) so far this season.
The Panthers gave up 59 points to the Chicago Bears in Week 1 and couldn't find a way to stop Deshaun Watson and the Browns late in Week 2. Even though their offense is capable of putting on a show, their defense will have a tough time dealing with Jordan Love, Matthew Golden, and Christian Watson.
Hopefully, the Packers' running game can show some improvement by this point, so they can shorten the game against the Panthers and take advantage of that rough defense.
Prediction: Packers win 34-23 (5-3)
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