The NFL released their 2023 schedule on Thursday night and the Green Bay Packers will have some very exciting games coming up this season as they make the transition from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love as their starting quarterback.
This season, the Packers will be facing teams from the AFC West and the NFC South along with other key matchups.
The release of the schedule allows Packers fans to look forward to the 2023 season and make plans to attend the game(s) they want to see both at home and on the road.
Here are 10 takeaways from the Packers 2023 schedule:
- The Packers Open on the Road Again
The Packers will open the season on September 10th on the road in Chicago. This marks the fifth consecutive year the Pack has started the season on the road.
In fact, the team has never opened a season at home under head coach Matt LaFleur. They are 2-2 in the first four road openers under LaFleur having won their first two and then lost two straight in 2021 and 2022.
The last time the Packers opened the season at home was 2018 when they scored a dramatic 24-23 comeback win over the Bears on Sunday Night Football in Mike McCarthy’s final season as coach.
- The Packers Will Face Davante Adams for the First Time in Week 5
The Packers will face an old friend in Week 5 when they travel to Las Vegas to face the Raiders on Monday night. For the first time since he was traded prior to the 2022 season, Davante Adams will play against the Packers.
Adams spent eight seasons with the Packers and was named to five Pro Bowls and earned All-Pro honors twice in a Packers uniform.
In eight seasons, Adams caught 669 passes. The game won’t be at Lambeau, but it will provide for some extra drama.
Will the Packers have Jaire Alexander try to slow down Adams? That will be a matchup to look forward to.
- The Packers Will Still Play Plenty of Games in Prime Time
There was concern that the Packers wouldn’t get many games in prime time or on national TV after Rodgers’ departure. That didn’t happen.
For the tenth straight season, the Packers have five prime time games on their schedule. They have one Thursday Night game, two Monday Night games and two appearances on Sunday night.
There is a catch, however. Three of the appearances (two Sunday nights and a Monday night game) are in December which means the NFL could flex out of these games if the Packers are struggling.
The season finale against the Bears has a time to be determined later so that could be flexed to prime time if the game is meaningful.
- The Packers Will Face the Lions on Thanksgiving
The Packers will face the Detroit Lions in the early game on Thanksgiving in Week 12.
This will be the Packers first appearance on Thanksgiving since 2015 and their first against the Lions since 2013.
Overall, the Packers are 14-20-2 on Thanksgiving.
The team used to play Detroit every year on Turkey Day between 1951 and 1963 until Vince Lombardi complained to the league and the visiting team started rotating in 1964.
- The Bye Week Is Early
The bye week hurt the Packers last season. They were reportedly offered a bye after their trip to London in Week 5 but told the league they preferred a late-season bye week. They had to wait until Week 14.
This year, the bye comes much earlier, in Week 6, which will give the team a chance to regroup and self-scout after the first five games of the season.
- Another Holiday Game
The last two seasons, the Packers have played on Christmas Day. They avoid that in 2023, playing at noon CT on December 24.
But in addition to playing on Thanksgiving, the Pack will play New Year’s Eve with their Week 17 game in Minnesota scheduled for 7:20 PM CT on Sunday Night Football.
- The Schedule Is Easier on Paper
The Packers have a third-place schedule this year which means they have fewer tough opponents at least based on last year’s records.
In 2023, the Packers have eight games against teams with 10 or more losses in 2022 and they won’t face an opponent who made the playoffs last year until Week 8 when they host the Vikings.
In 17 games, only six opponents made the playoffs last season, and they had a record of 137-151-1 for a .476 winning percentage.
- No Long Road Trips or Home Stands
Last season, the Pack had a three-game road trip from Week 7 until Week 9 and that came after a trip to London followed by a home game the following week.
This year, there are no three-game road trips or home stands, and the travel schedule is not so tough.
- Cold Weather Advantage
Green Bay will have a few games against warm-weather or dome teams on the Frozen Tundra in November and December and that usually gives the team an advantage.
The Los Angeles Rams come to Lambeau Field November 5 and two weeks later, the Los Angeles Chargers visit Titletown.
On December 17, the Tampa Bay Bucs visit Green Bay, and the temperature is certain to be at least 40 degrees below what it is in Florida that time of year.
- The NFL’s Oldest Rivalry Continues
The Packers will open and close this season against their oldest and most traditional rivals, the Chicago Bears. Week 1 will be in Chicago and Week 18 at Lambeau Field.
Rodgers owned the Bears and now they hope Love continues to keep them at bay. The Packers now lead the all-time regular-season series between the two teams 104-94-6 and have won eight straight games and 13 of the last 14.
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