NFL Screws Packers in Terms of Bye Weeks, Scheduling Differences

The Green Bay Packers got a Week 11 bye week. That’s great, especially compared to Week 5 last year.

Overall, though, the Packers will have a negative rest differential in three of six NFC North games, including both games against a chief contender for the NFC North.

Here’s the breakdown of how a game is scheduled one week impacts the next week.

Week 1: Packers at Vikings (Sunday).

It’s Week 1, so there is no advantage.

Advantage: None.

Week 2: Packers at Jets (Sunday)

The Packers will be coming off a Sunday afternoon game at Minnesota while the Jets will be coming off a Sunday game at the Titans.

Advantage: None.

Week 3: Falcons at Packers (Thursday night)

The Packers will be coming off a Sunday game at the Jets while the Falcons will be coming off a Sunday home game against the Panthers.

Advantage: None, though you’d rather be home on a short week.

Week 4: Packers at Buccaneers (Sunday)

The Packers will be coming off a Thursday night home game against the Falcons while the Buccaneers will be coming off a Sunday afternoon home game against the Vikings.

Advantage: Packers (by three days).

Week 5: Bears at Packers (Sunday)

The Packers will be coming off a Sunday game at the Buccaneers while the Bears will be coming off a Sunday home game against the Jets.

Advantage: None.

Week 6: Packers at Cowboys (Sunday night)

The Packers will be coming off a Sunday afternoon home game against the Bears while the Cowboys will be coming off a Thursday night home game against the Buccaneers.

Advantage: Cowboys (by three days).

Week 7: Packers at Lions (Sunday)

The Packers will be coming off a Sunday night home game against the Cowboys while the Lions will be coming off their bye. If the NFL truly cared about putting teams on a level playing field, a huge division game wouldn’t come with one giant scheduling disadvantage.

Advantage: Lions (by one week).

Week 8: Panthers at Packers (Thursday night)

The Packers will be coming off a Sunday afternoon rivalry showdown against the Lions while the Panthers will be coming off a Sunday home game against the Buccaneers.

Advantage: None.

Week 9: Packers at Patriots (Sunday)

The Packers will be coming off a Thursday night game against the Panthers, meaning they’ll have a mini-bye. The Patriots will be coming off a Sunday afternoon game at the Dolphins.

Advantage: Packers (by three days).

Week 10: Vikings at Packers (Sunday)

The Packers will be coming off a Sunday afternoon game at the Patriots while the Vikings will be coming off a Monday night home game against the Bills.

Advantage: Packers (by one day).

Week 11: Bye

This should be an advantage for the Packers. Instead …

Week 12: Packers at Rams (Wednesday night)

To shoehorn a game into Thanksgiving Eve, the Packers and Rams will both be coming off their bye.

Advantage: None.

Week 13: Packers at Saints (Sunday)

The Packers essentially will be coming off another mini-bye while the Saints will be coming off a Sunday game at the Bengals.

Advantage: Packers (by four days).

Week 14: Bills at Packers (Sunday night)

The Packers will be coming off a Sunday game at the Saints and the Bills will be coming off a Sunday game at the Patriots.

Advantage: None, though Buffalo will be in the middle of this brutal five-game stretch: home vs. the Chiefs, at the Patriots and Packers, home vs. the Bears and at the Broncos.

Week 15: Dolphins at Packers (Sunday)

The Packers will be coming off a Sunday night home game against the Bills while the Dolphins will be coming off a Sunday home game against the Bears.

Advantage: None.

Week 16: Packers at Bears (Friday)

The Packers will be coming off a Sunday home game against the Dolphins while the Bears will be coming off a Saturday game at the Bills.

Advantage: Bears (by one day).

Week 17: Texans at Packers (Monday night)

The Packers will be coming off a Friday home game against Chicago, meaning an additional three days of rest. But the Texans will be coming off a Thursday night home game against the Texans.

Advantage: Texans (by one day).

Week 18: Lions at Packers (Date TBA)

The Packers will be coming off a Monday night home game against Houston while Detroit will be coming off a Sunday afternoon game at Chicago.

Advantage: Detroit (one day).

The Bottom Line

Overall, the difference is rather minimal. Green Bay is minus-2 in rest differential. It got the advantage with the equivalent of three mini-bye, but the Lions got the full bye before Round 1 against the Packers, and Green Bay will be a day short for Week 16 against the Bears, Week 17 against the Texans and Week 18 against the Lions.

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