Start planning your fall and winter weekends accordingly: The Green Bay Packers' 2012 regular-season schedule is now available.
And once the season does begin, there's going to be a lot of football at Lambeau Field in a short amount of time. That's because the Packers will play two games at home in five days. Starting its season Sunday, Sept. 9 in Green Bay against the San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay will then host the division-rival Chicago Bears on Thursday, Sept. 13.
"We go right into a short week, which is a challenge," coach Mike McCarthy said in a statement released by the team. "I think it is definitely going to be a test for our football team from a preparation standpoint. But our guys are up to the challenge. We're a mature football team, and anytime we play the Bears it is a lot of fun."
Adding to the uniqueness of their early-season schedule, the Packers then have 11 days off before playing in Seattle on Monday, Sept. 24.
For the first time since the 1998 season, the Packers will be on the road for three consecutive games. That stretch will begin in Week 5 at Indianapolis before the team heads to Houston and then St. Louis.
"As far as playing three on the road, I don't look at that as an extraordinary challenge," McCarthy said. "It is always challenging, period, when you go on the road. We just happen to have three of them in a row."
The Packers won't get a bye until Week 10 this season. Last year, Green Bay had its bye in Week 8. However, the Packers had a Week 10 bye in 2010, the season in which Green Bay went on to win the Super Bowl.
"I don't mind the late bye," McCarthy said. "I think it gives you a chance to regroup and get ready for the stretch run."
After playing the Bears in Week 2, the Packers won't face another divisional opponent until Week 11 at Detroit. Green Bay will later play three consecutive games against NFC North teams between Weeks 13 and 15.
"That's unusual," McCarthy said of the scheduling of division games. "That's something that we'll look at from a planning standpoint because division games are obviously the most important. There is more planning and preparation that goes into those games from the offseason up until the point that you play them, and those games take a lot out of you physically. Those are all the variables that we will look at."
A more in-depth look:
MUST-SEE MATCHUP: Green Bay at New York Giants, Week 12, 7:20 p.m. (NBC)
It will only be an opportunity for a small measure of revenge, but after the Packers were dominated by the Giants in last year's playoffs, this will be the game many players (and fans) will have circled on their calendars. In a matter of three hours on Jan. 15, the Giants came into Lambeau Field and made the Packers' 15-1 regular-season record relatively meaningless. Any hopes of becoming back-to-back Super Bowl champions were destroyed that day. After Green Bay's season ended unexpectedly, the players watched from their televisions as the Giants went all the way to the Super Bowl and ripped the Lombardi Trophy out of Titletown. Though a Week 12 win in New York wouldn't make up for that, it could be a good start toward setting the stage for a run back to the Super Bowl.
UPSET SPECIAL? Green Bay at Minnesota, Week 17, noon, (FOX)
If both team's records play out anything like they did last season -- and there's little reason to believe they won't -- the Vikings could be the beneficiaries of a resting Packers team in Week 17. In 2011, it was the Detroit Lions who had an opportunity to play against a depleted Green Bay roster that was without Aaron Rodgers and many other notable starters. While the Lions failed in their opportunity to get a late-season win when the Packers' focus was on the playoffs, the Vikings could get a similar opportunity. Fortunately for the Vikings, if this situation plays out, Matt Flynn won't be around to embarrass them on his way to rewriting the Packers' single-game record book.
FIVE THINGS YOU MAY NOT HAVE NOTICED
1. Primetime: This year's schedule will likely set a franchise record with five games played in primetime. Due to flex scheduling, it's possible that it won't happen. However, if the schedule stays as planned, the five primetime games will top the team's previous high mark of four (reached in each of the past two seasons).
2. Home, sweet home: For the sixth time in coach Mike McCarthy's seven years in Green Bay, the Packers are opening the season with a home game.
3. A case of the Mondays: Green Bay's Week 3 matchup in Seattle will mark the 20th consecutive season in which the Packers will play on Monday Night Football. That is the second-longest streak in the NFL behind only the Denver Broncos, who have been on MNF for 21 straight years.
4. A roof overhead: It's possible that five of the Packers' eight road games in their 2012 regular season will be played indoors. That would be the most in franchise history. Indianapolis and Houston have retractable-roof stadiums, which could get in the Packers' way of making history. Playing indoors has been a great thing for Green Bay, which holds an NFL-best 13-5 record since 2006 when playing with a roof overhead. That's a far cry from the team's dome struggles during most of the Brett Favre era.
5. Homecoming: After 13 seasons with the Colts, new Packers center Jeff Saturday will return to Indianapolis in Week 5. The team he once helped win a Super Bowl will look quite different, though, now that Peyton Manning is with Denver.
EARLY FORECAST (all times Central): 13-3
WIN--Sunday, Sept. 9, vs. San Francisco, 3:15 p.m. (FOX): In the first game of the season, Green Bay's top-ranked offense should be closer to midseason form than San Francisco's top-ranked defense.
WIN--Thursday, Sept. 13, vs. Chicago, 7:20 p.m. (NFLN): The four days of preparation won't be great for either team, especially this early in the season, but home-field advantage should give the Packers the edge.
WIN--Monday, Sept. 24, at Seattle, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN): Matt Flynn will be motivated to beat his old team -- assuming he wins the Seahawks' starting QB job -- but the Packers are simply a superior team.
WIN--Sunday, Sept. 30, vs. New Orleans, 3:15 p.m. (FOX): In Week 4, the Saints will still be with their interim head coach's interim head coach. Yes, Joe Vitt will still be suspended and it's unlikely they'll have their house in order enough to beat the Packers at Lambeau Field, no matter how good of a day Drew Brees may have.
WIN--Sunday, Oct. 7, at Indianapolis, noon (FOX): The Packers will get their first look at Andrew Luck -- assuming Luck goes No. 1 in the draft -- but, much like they did against 2011's No. 1 overall pick, Cam Newton, Green Bay should come out with a win.
LOSS--Sunday, Oct. 14, at Houston, 7:20 p.m. (NBC): With the Packers on the road, the stingy Texans defense could slow down Green Bay's offense enough to come out with a big win.
WIN--Sunday, Oct. 21, at St. Louis, noon (FOX): The Rams won't be as bad as they were in 2011, but even at home, St. Louis shouldn't be able to beat the Packers.
WIN--Sunday, Oct. 28, vs. Jacksonville, noon (CBS): Considering the Jaguars could likely be the worst team in the NFL this season, this should be an easy win for the Packers at Lambeau.
WIN--Sunday, Nov. 4, vs. Arizona, noon (FOX): The Cardinals were 8-8 in 2011, but any team led by Kevin Kolb is unlikely to beat any team led by Aaron Rodgers.
**WEEK 10 BYE**
LOSS--Sunday, Nov. 18, at Detroit, noon (FOX): Green Bay's defense struggled coming out of its bye week in 2011, and heading to Detroit to play a very high-powered Lions offense could spell trouble.
WIN--Sunday, Nov. 25, at NY Giants, 7:20 p.m. (NBC): The Giants got hot at the right time last season in the playoffs, but they're unlikely to have a full season playing that well, given the Packers their ounce of revenge with a win here.
WIN--Sunday, Dec. 2, vs. Minnesota, noon (FOX): The Vikings were destroyed, 45-7, in Green Bay last season. Through this one should be closer, it will result in a Packers win.
WIN--Sunday, Dec. 9, vs. Detroit, 7:20 p.m. (NBC): After losing in Detroit, the Packers will split the season series against the Lions with a home win in Week 14.
LOSS--Sunday, Dec. 16, at Chicago, noon (FOX): Playing in Chicago in mid-December is not an ideal situation for a pass-first offense like the Packers'. Unless Green Bay's running game is significantly improved from last season, this will be a very tough game for the Packers.
WIN--Sunday, Dec. 23, vs. Tennessee, noon (CBS): Unless Chris Johnson returns to playing like he did in 2010, this shouldn't be an overly difficult win for the Packers.
WIN--Sunday, Dec. 30, at Minnesota, noon (FOX): With the Packers' predicted record being 12-3 entering their final game, that won't be good enough to rest their starters. Therefore, the Vikings won't benefit from facing Graham Harrell and the Green Bay backups and will lose to Rodgers and the first-stringers.
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