Packers’ 2015 opponents set

The Green Bay Packers’ opponents for 2015 are as follows:

• HOME: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Dallas Cowboys, Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Rams, San Diego Chargers, Seattle Seahawks
            
• AWAY: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, San Francisco 49ers
       

The NFL expanded to 32 teams in 2002 with the addition of the Houston Texans. In addition, the NFL realigned for the first time since 1970—into eight divisions of four teams each—and the scheduling formula that was introduced guarantees for the first time that all teams play each other on a regular, rotating basis. Although the number of teams has increased to 32, the number of playoff teams remains the same at 12.

Under the NFL scheduling formula, every team within a division plays 16 games as follows:

• – Home and away against its three division opponents (6 games).
• – The four teams from another division within its conference on a rotating three-year cycle (4 games).
• – The four teams from a division in the other conference on a rotating four-year cycle (4 games).
• – Two intraconference games based on the prior year’s standings (2 games). These games will match a first-place team against the first-place teams in the two same-conference divisions the team is not scheduled to play that season. The second-place, third-place, and fourth-place teams in a conference will be matched in the same way each year.

The schedule format takes each team through a cycle of games—home and away—against every other team in the league. From 2002-2009, every team played every other team at least twice—once home and once away. After the 2008 season, a decision was made to continue with the same rotation in 2010 and beyond.

In determining how to begin the divisional rotation in 2002, the displacement of teams from their old divisions in the new alignment was taken into account. Preference was given to scheduling games with former division rivals and other regional opponents for clubs realigned from otherwise intact divisions.

Source: 2014 NFL Record & Fact Book

Philadelphia game moved to 3:25 p.m. CT

The Packers-Eagles game on Sunday, Nov. 16, at Lambeau Field will kick off at 3:25 p.m. CT. The game had originally been scheduled for noon.

The game will be televised by FOX.

Packers’ 2014 opponents are finalized

The Green Bay Packers’ opponents for next season have been determined. The official 2014 NFL schedule, with playing dates and times, will be announced in spring.

The Packers’ opponents for 2014 are as follows:

• HOME: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles
        
• AWAY: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks
                      

Mike McCarthy on the 2013 schedule release

(on opening the season at San Francisco)
“Opening day is always exciting. Playing the San Francisco 49ers is obviously a challenge that we look forward to.”

(on not having back-to-back road games)
“I like it. It gives you a chance to get into a routine of playing at home and then on the road, to get into a flow. Winning on the road is so important.”

(on playing on Thanksgiving Day)
“It’s an incredible tradition, playing on Thanksgiving Day. It’s a blessing for everyone involved. We’re fortunate enough to still be home in time to share in the importance of the day.”

(on the long week leading into Week 14 after playing on Thanksgiving)
“That will serve as a second bye week for us, which you appreciate with the early bye we have in Week 4.”

(on the final month of the schedule following Thanksgiving)
“I think we have a really tough finish on paper with the teams we’re playing down the stretch.”

(on the schedule)
“We’ve known since the end of the season who we’re playing, and now we’ve found out where we’re playing them. Frankly, I’ve never looked past the first four weeks, and that will be the same as far as how we prepare our team.”

Packers’ 2013 opponents are set

With the San Francisco 49ers’ division-clinching victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, the Green Bay Packers’ opponents for the 2013 regular season have been set. The official 2013 NFL schedule, with playing dates and times, will be announced in the spring.

The Packers’ opponents for 2013 are as follows:

• HOME: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, Washington Redskins
        
• AWAY: Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers
                       

Murphy against expanding schedule to 18 games

In his remarks to the media following Tuesday’s shareholders meeting, Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy said he has changed his stance on the possibility of the league expanding the regular-season schedule to 18 games.

Murphy said during negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement with the players in 2011, he was in favor of converting two preseason games into regular-season games, making the 20-game season a 2-18 split, rather than the current 4-16. But he’s no longer in favor of such a change.

“I couldn’t support a move to 2-and-18 now,” Murphy said. “With all the focus on player health and safety, it would be really hard to do that.”

Murphy suggested he would support eliminating two preseason games and keeping the regular season at 16, but he acknowledged the challenge there is the lost revenue for the league. He added that it’s debatable whether reducing the preseason by two games would have any impact on player health and safety, because he said a team’s starters might play the same amount of preseason snaps in those two games that they do now in four. Also, that type of reduced preseason might not provide enough time for teams to develop and evaluate their young talent, particularly if starters would then cram their four games of preseason snaps into those two contests.

“But those are the things we have to look at,” Murphy said, “what we can do to make the game as safe as possible for our players.”

Packers’ 2012 schedule coming at 6 p.m. CT Tuesday

The Green Bay Packers’ 2012 schedule will be released, and posted on packers.com, at 6 p.m. CT on Tuesday. The NFL is releasing the league-wide schedule at that time, and packers.com will have the complete schedule for you as soon as it is available.

The 2012 opponents already are known. In addition to the usual home and away NFC North games against Minnesota, Chicago and Detroit, the Packers will play the following teams:

Home: Arizona, San Francisco, New Orleans, Jacksonville and Tennessee

Away: St. Louis, Seattle, N.Y. Giants, Houston and Indianapolis

All of the dates and kickoff times (pending late-season flex scheduling) will be known on Tuesday.

Jan. 1 Packers-Lions game stays at noon

The Packers’ regular-season finale on Jan. 1 against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field will remain as a noon (CT) kickoff. The NFL has decided to flex the Giants-Cowboys matchup, which is a winner-take-all affair for the NFC East title, to prime time.

The Lions already have clinched a Wild Card playoff berth, their first postseason bid since 1999. The Packers could have the NFC’s No. 1 playoff seed wrapped up before next week, if they win tonight against the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field.