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The Green Bay Packers will kick off the 2025 NFL season at home against the Detroit Lions and wrap things up at the Minnesota Vikings.
With nine of their 17 games against teams that reached the playoffs last season, getting to the playoffs – let alone winning the NFC North or competing for the No. 1 seed – won’t be easy. Here are our game-by-game predictions following the NFL schedule release.
Week 1: vs. Detroit Lions
On one hand, the Lions are breaking in new coordinators on both sides of the ball and this will be the right time to face a championship-contending team. On the other hand, it’s Dan Campbell against Matt LaFleur. Campbell’s won six of the last seven against Green Bay, including three straight at Lambeau.
Make it four, because the Lions have a killer mentality and the Packers haven’t had much success against Jared Goff.
Prediction: Packers lose (0-1).
Week 2 vs. Washington Commanders
The Commanders reached the NFC Championship Game last year behind Rookie of the Year quarterback Jayden Daniels. Washington’s even better on paper with the additions of left tackle Laremy Tunsil and Deebo Samuel.
On a short week – but with all offseason to study Daniels – the Packers avoid the dreaded 0-2 start.
Prediction: Packers win (1-1).
Week 3: at Cleveland Browns
For all the quarterback drama, Joe Flacco or Kenny Pickett figures to be the starter for this early-season game while Shadeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel watch from the bench. The Browns are terrible. They went 3-14 last season, finishing 32nd in points scored and 27th in points allowed.
Their big first-round trade-back with Jacksonville, which allowed the Jaguars to select Travis Hunter at No. 2 overall, should pay off in time. Week 3 is a year or two before that time.
Prediction: Packers win (2-1).
Week 4: at Dallas Cowboys
The Packers always win at Dallas. OK, not always. And Aaron Jones was a big part of that success. The Cowboys have a new coach, with Brian Schottenheimer replacing Mike McCarthy, and a new receiver, with George Pickens joining CeeDee Lamb.
However, the Packers should have the edges in both trenches. So long as Jordan Love doesn’t play catch with Cowboys cornerbacks Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland, the Packers should return from Big D with a Big W.
Prediction: Packers win (3-1).
Week 5: Bye
Week 6: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Over the last five years, teams after the bye are 91-70-1. Last year, they were only 15-17. So, the bonus week really isn’t a giant advantage. But it must mean something, especially in getting ready for Joe Burrow and the high-flying Bengals offense.
More must-reads:
- Another positive update emerges on Lions player who was hospitalized
- Cowboys QB Dak Prescott makes big proclamation he probably can't keep
- The 'NFL Defensive Players of the Year ' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
Packers' Josh Jacobs speaks out on Matt LaFleur’s unclear plan
There is no denying who the alpha is in the Green Bay Packers running back room. After burning rubber for 1,329 rushing yards to go with 15 rushing touchdowns on 301 carries in the 2024 NFL season, Jacobs is expected to carry most of the load again in the Packers’ ground attack in 2025. Besides being a reliable and effective weapon on offense for the Packers, Jacobs was also durable in his first season with the team, having appeared in all of Green Bay’s 17 games in the regular season and in the lone contest in the NFL playoffs. Look for the 27-year-old former Alabama Crimson Tide star running back to be there starting in the backfield along with quarterback Jordan Love in Week 1 of the 2025 NFL regular season against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field. But as for his availability and usage in this coming Saturday’s preseason opener at home versus the New York Jets, it won’t be surprising if he gets zero snaps at all, considering that there’s really nothing important on the line. Jacobs is ready whenever he’s called upon by the Green Bay Packers Jacobs said on Thursday that Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has yet to convey a concrete plan for the Jets game. Nevertheless, he’ll be ready. Via Wes Hodkiewicz of the Packers’ official website: Jacobs is on board with whatever direction LaFleur and the coaches decide to go but said wouldn’t mind getting “a couple series” to reacclimate to tackling. “We’ll see how it’ll play out,” Jacobs said. “(LaFleur) hasn’t really told us what we’re gonna do. But I think I’ll get a couple hits, get a little feel of it and be cool.” The Packers will also play the Indianapolis Colts on the road in Week 2 of the preseason before meeting the Seattle Seahawks for their final assignment before the regular season starts.
Aaron Judge Had Strong Words After Yankees’ Loss to Astros
The New York Yankees have lost three straight series, and their playoff positioning is getting weaker by the day. They're now just a half-game ahead of the Cleveland Guardians for the AL's third and final Wild Card spot after Sunday's 7-1 loss to the Houston Astros. The bright side is that generational superstar Aaron Judge returned on Tuesday after missing 10 games with an elbow injury. However, the 33-year-old has been in the designated hitter slot since then, as he's still not ready to play the outfield. That's caused fellow slugger and regular designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton to be partially phased out of the lineup, since he's almost solely an offensive player at this point in his career. He hadn't played the field since 2023 before starting in right field on Saturday. Additionally, New York has been inconsistent on both sides of the ball. For example, two-time All-Star relief pitcher Devin Williams is 0-2 with a blown save since Monday, and the offense has averaged just 2.83 runs per game in that period. Judge opened up to the media about the situation after Sunday's loss, via SNY. "It's tough, but there's no excuses. We're getting paid to go out there, perform at our best, and win baseball games," he said. "The fans are still packing out and showing support for us, and we gotta show up for them. We've got to go out there and do our job. " "That's what it comes down to...We're not doing our job, we're not doing the little things that put ourselves in position to win baseball games," he continued. "It's going to take all of us...I wouldn't say the confidence has really changed." Aaron Judge Health Update Provides Silver Lining for Yankees New York is having a brutal stretch, as its 201 runs allowed since July 1 is the third-most in MLB. While the team must improve its pitching and defense, it has a pathway to quickly improve its offense. Once Judge is ready to throw again, the Yankees can go back to starting him in right field with Stanton at designated hitter. If they both play to their full potential, then the team could shoot back up the standings. Stanton was the ALCS MVP last season, and Judge leads baseball with a .337 batting average and 1.137 OPS. Judge admitted on Sunday that he doesn't know when he'll be able to play the field again, but his throwing program is going well so far, via SNY. If the future Hall of Famer continues to avoid setbacks, it increases the chances that he'll return to the outfield before the playoffs.
Jhoan Duran is showing he's everything the Phillies needed
Despite appearing in just four games for the Philadelphia Phillies, closer Jhoan Duran has already made an impact. Duran slammed the door shut again on Sunday afternoon, notching his fourth save in as many games as he closed out the Phillies' 4-2 victory over the Rangers. He has allowed just one hit over four scoreless innings, striking out three as he has retired 12 of the 13 batters he has faced since he was acquired at the trade deadline. The ninth inning had been a revolving door yet again for the Phillies this season. Closer Jose Alvarado had performed well, posting a 2.70 ERA and a 1.200 WHiP over his 20 innings, but was suspended for 80 games for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Jordan Romano has been inconsistent at best, moving in and out of the closer role as he has posted a 6.64 ERA and a 1.347 WHiP over 39.1 innings entering Monday, striking out 41 batters with 15 walks. Although relievers Orion Kerkering and Matt Strahm have pitched well, the Phillies have been reluctant to hand either the closer role. The Phillies paid handsomely to bring Duran on board. Pitcher Mick Abel and catcher Eduardo Tait are both top-100 prospects and could be building blocks in Minnesota for years to come. Moving Duran could pay long-term dividends for the Twins. Meanwhile, the Phillies have a different goal in mind — winning the third World Series in franchise history. A constant revolving door in the ninth inning has kept that goal out of reach. While it is just a four-game sample size, Duran has been everything that the Phillies could have hoped for in their closer.
£40m Chelsea prospect compared to Saka and Yamal prepares for huge season before Premier League move
Jaguars' Travis Hunter plays both sides of ball in preseason debut
Jacksonville Jaguars rookie Travis Hunter is going to be one of the must-see stories in the NFL this season as he attempts to play both sides of the ball. It's going to be a daunting task in the NFL, but he got his first taste of it on Saturday night in the team's preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Hunter lined up as both a wide receiver and cornerback — just as he did throughout his college career — and produced some mixed results. Offensively, he lined up for nine snaps on the team's opening drive and caught two passes (on two targets) for nine yards, including a six-yard catch that came up just one yard short of the first-down line on a third-down play. The Jaguars' first-team offense was going up against a lineup featuring mostly Steelers backups, and their game plan seemed to focus more on short-quick passes than anything that would allow Hunter to get downfield or make any big plays. Defensively, Hunter lined up for five snaps at cornerback and did not have any passes go in his direction, while he also missed a potential tackle on a running play. Hunter was one of the best players in college football over the previous two seasons, playing both cornerback and wide receiver at an exceptionally high level. It was not uncommon for him to play over 100 snaps in a game. That performance resulted in him being the No. 2 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft class (with Jacksonville trading up to get him). He has every intention of playing both sides of the ball in the NFL, and the Jaguars seem inclined to let him try. It's not going to be easy, though. There is a massive difference in speed and physicality (not to mention quality of play) between college football and the NFL, and just because he was able to excel at both positions (and have the durability to play both) in the former does not mean he will be able to do so as effectively in the latter. He may have to limit himself on one side of the ball a little as the grind of a season wears on. If he does not have to limit himself, and if he is able to pull it off, it would make him one of the most valuable players in the NFL just based on the fact that he is two premium positions in one player.
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