Even though nearly half the 2026 season has flown by, there's still a ton of football yet to be played for the Green Bay Packers.
And that's great news, because the Packers are fresh off a disappointing loss against the Detroit Lions on the road. Unfortunately, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't expected, at least to a degree.
Considering the fact that the season started off with the Packers in a 1-2 hole, to be 4-3 at this point is not bad news for this team. They have a short week to get ready for a matchup against the Carolina Panthers, and from this point forward, the countdown feels like it's ticking toward a Micah Parsons return to the field.
There should be brighter days ahead for the Packers, who had a difficult pill to swallow in Detroit, but now have some huge chances in front of them. Let's take a look at the next five games for Green Bay and try to predict what's going to happen.
Predicting the Packers' games from Week 8 through Week 13
Week 8: Packers vs. Panthers (Thursday night)
The Packers seem to be catching the Panthers at exactly the right time.
The Panthers were absolutely decimated by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7, and the Buccaneers almost filled out the entire BINGO card with different ways they scored their 43 points. It was Carolina's worst offensive output of the season, with just 15 first downs, four giveaways, and 266 yards through the air.
Carolina could be the "get-right" game the Packers need for their running game this season. This is a matchup between the stoppable force (Green Bay's 32nd-ranked rushing attack) and the movable object (Carolina's 32nd-ranked run defense).
Something's got to give, and with the threat Jordan Love poses at the QB position, you can't help but feel like the Packers are going to have their way with the Carolina defense.
I'm sticking with my initial prediction on this one.
Prediction: Packers win 34-23 (5-3)
Week 9: Packers at Patriots
This is going to be a really tough matchup for the Packers, just like it would be for anyone going to New England in the month of November.
The benefit the Packers have in their favor here is that they will have a mini-bye coming off that game against the Panthers, and it wouldn't be shocking if this ended up being the debut of Micah Parsons.
I'm not trying to make promises I can't keep, but the signs have been there. Parsons wasn't going to come back on a short week, of course, but with some additional time after Week 8, this could be the game he returns.
And that would be a huge rallying point for the Packers, if it happens.
We've seen Drake Maye really struggle with pressure this season, so I actually like the Packers on the road here.
Prediction: Packers win 24-22 (6-3)
Week 10: Packers vs. Vikings
The Vikings got the better of the Packers back in Week 1, in what was honestly one of the weirdest games of the entire season.
The Packers had that game well in hand before deciding to accept a penalty, wiping a made field goal off the board, and going for it on fourth down. The failure of that sequence by the Packers led to a series of extremely unfortunate events, making the final score of 39-22 even more staggering when you think about what that game looked like up until that particular point.
At any rate, this is Green Bay's shot at revenge against the Vikings. And I'm taking the home team here.
Prediction: Packers win 23-19 (7-3)
Week 12: Packers at Rams (Wednesday night game)
It's kind of unfortunate for the Packers to not only have less time coming out of their bye week than a normal team, but also to have to come out of their bye week and play on the road against the Los Angeles Rams.
And this is a tough draw for anyone, no matter what the Rams' record is. It's still going to take all four quarters and one of your best efforts of the season to beat this team.
Sadly, I think this is going to be one of the next losses by the Packers. They absolutely can win this game, but there is bound to be some more adversity as the season progresses. How soon does Toyotathon begin, again?
Prediction: Rams win 29-26 (7-4)
Week 13: Packers at Saints
After going on the road to face the Rams during the week of Thanksgiving, the Packers have to go on the road once again in Week 13 to face off against the Saints.
New Orleans has not been a consistent team this season, by any stretch, but they have been one of the most dangerous offensively. And they have to be considered extremely dangerous here, because the more time that offense gets on task, the better they can be.
If the Packers end up losing to the Rams as I've predicted here, I think it's going to refocus them for this matchup against the Saints. You've got to get one back from another NFC opponent, and I think the Packers bounce back to open up the month of December.
Prediction: Packers win 34-20 (8-4)
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