On Thursday, the NFL released the 2018 regular-season schedule for all 32 teams. With the Green Bay Packers celebrating their 100th season, the league scheduled them to kick off the year against their oldest rival, the Chicago Bears, on Sunday Night Football.
The Packers took the lead in the most-played rivalry in NFL history last season, sweeping the Bears to go ahead 96-94-6 all-time (including playoff games). That gave Green Bay the head-to-head lead for the first time since 1933. The Packers make their return trip to Chicago in week 15. Two weeks later, they will host the Detroit Lions to close the 2018 season.
The schedule features a heavy dose of home games in September and December, with three contests in each month at Lambeau Field. All three December home games will come against teams whose home stadiums are domes: the Arizona Cardinals, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Lions.
Although judging any schedule generally proves difficult at the outset, the location of the bye week can sometimes make or break a season. In 2018, the Packers get their breather in Week 7. The team’s bye fell on Week 8 last season, and Week 4 the year before that.
All teams must play at least once on Thursday Night Football, and the Packers make their appearance on the controversial game package in Week 11 against the Seattle Seahawks. While the short week to recover and prepare has garnered criticism from all corners, Green Bay benefits by getting a “mini-bye” heading into Week 12.
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Due to the Packers’ immense popularity and the presence of All-Pro talents such as Aaron Rodgers, the team has annually landed multiple prime-time slots. 2018 continues that trend, with Green Bay scheduled to appear in five such games this season. That number falls more or less in line with past years. The Packers played in five prime-time games in 2017 and six in 2016. Flex scheduling could alter the final tally for this season, however.
Check out the Packers’ full 2018 regular-season schedule below (note that games after week five may be subject to flex scheduling):
Packers 2018 Schedule
Week | Opponent | Date | Time (CT) | Venue | TV Network |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Week | Opponent | Date | Time (CT) | Venue | TV Network |
1 | vs. Bears | Sunday, Sept. 9 | 7:20 PM | Lambeau Field | NBC |
2 | vs. Vikings | Sunday, Sept. 16 | 12:00 PM | Lambeau Field | FOX |
3 | @ Washington | Sunday, Sept. 23 | 12:00 PM | FedEx Field | FOX |
4 | vs. Bills | Sunday, Sept. 30 | 12:00 PM | Lambeau Field | CBS |
5 | @ Lions | Sunday, Oct. 7 | 12:00 PM | Ford Field | FOX |
6 | vs. 49ers | Monday, Oct. 15 | 7:15 PM | Lambeau Field | ESPN |
7 | Bye | - | - | - | - |
8 | @ Rams | Sunday, Oct. 28 | 3:25 PM | LA Coliseum | FOX |
9 | @ Patriots | Sunday, Nov. 4 | 7:20 PM | Gillette Stadium | NBC |
10 | vs. Dolphins | Sunday, Nov. 11 | 12:00 PM | Lambeau Field | CBS |
11 | @ Seahawks | Thursday, Nov. 15 | 7:20 PM | CenturyLink Field | FOX |
12 | @ Vikings | Sunday, November 25 | 7:20 PM | US Bank Stadium | NBC |
13 | vs. Cardinals | Sunday, Dec. 2 | 12:00 PM | Lambeau Field | FOX |
14 | vs. Falcons | Sunday, Dec. 9 | 12:00 PM | Lambeau Field | FOX |
15 | @ Bears | Sunday, Dec 16 | 12:00 PM | Soldier Field | FOX |
16 | @ Jets | Sunday, Dec. 23 | 12:00 PM | MetLife Stadium | FOX |
17 | vs. Lions | Sunday, Dec. 30 | 12:00 PM | Lambeau Field | FOX |