"GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Eleven weeks ago, an eternity in an NFL season, the Green Bay Packers slayed one of their demons from 2024. They beat the Detroit Lions to open the regular season -- an important victory, not only because it was the season opener but also because it came against an NFC North team they could not beat last season. After a year in which they won one measly division game -- needing a blocked field goal on the final play to top the Chicago Bears -- they matched their 2024 NFC North win total in Week 1."
"Had they not scored that season-opening 27-13 win over the reigning division champion Lions, they would have had to wait more than two-and-half months to see if they could finally win another division game. A quirk of the Packers' 2025 schedule is having one NFC North game before Week 12. It makes the Packers' next three weeks -- back-to-back-to-back division games beginning with the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday at Lambeau Field ( 1 p.m. ET, Fox) -- a potential season-defining stretch that could make or break their chances of winning the NFC North and having at least one home playoff game."
The Packers opened the season by beating the Detroit Lions, matching their 2024 NFC North win total after a year with only one division victory. A schedule quirk left the team with only one NFC North matchup before Week 12, creating a long gap between division games. The team now faces three consecutive NFC North contests beginning with the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field, a stretch that could determine the NFC North champion and whether the Packers secure at least one home playoff game. Quarterback Jordan Love described the schedule as strange and emphasized the need to take advantage of the upcoming stretch.
Read at ESPN.com
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