Now that the dust is beginning to settle on another NFL season, the Packers players, management, and fans will be looking forward to the preparations for the 2025 campaign. There will be plenty of decisions to make in the offseason, to such an extent that the team might look markedly different (on and off the field) by the time the 2025 season gets underway in September.
Of course, the fact that the Packers won’t be alone in making changes, whether that’s through signing new players or what they do in April’s Draft, means that it is perhaps a little too early to be thinking about the strength of schedule (SOS) in 2025. Teams that were good in the 2024 season may not be up to scratch next season, just as teams that were considered poor might surprise. We’d probably cite the San Francisco 49ers in the former category last season. The Niners (12-5 in 2023) would have counted as a tough team in SOS rankings – it’s not just the stats, as they made the Super Bowl – yet they endured a miserable 2024 campaign.
The impact of SOS is debatable
Nonetheless, it’s worth noting that the Packers’ SOS is at the upper end of the spectrum for 2025, just as it was in 2024. Last season, the Packers had the fourth toughest schedule (on paper), whereas next season, it’s tied for 5th. Some are skeptical about the impact of the SOS, doubtful whether it should truly impact things like betting markets preseason. Nonetheless, who you play in the regular season does matter, and things might have been a little different this season had the Packers managed to put a few more Ws on the board and had a more favorable seeing for the Playoffs.
The Packers’ 2025 opponents had a combined record of 161-128 in 2024. If you were wondering, it’s the New York Giants who are perceived to have the toughest opponents (166-123). The 49ers have the easiest at 120-169. Due to the symmetry of the schedules of divisional rivals, the Lions, Vikings, and Bears also have tough schedules.
Indeed, the impact of the NFC North is important. It is one of three divisions with three teams (Lions, Vikings, Packers) with winning records. And no two top teams in any division won more games than the Lions and Vikings last season (29 combined), so that filters through to the average, particularly as the Packers play each NFC North team twice.
Some winnable away games for Packers
The other determining factor is that the Packers will face teams from the NFC East (Conference opponents) and AFC North (Interconference opponents). These two divisions have a smattering of strong teams – the Eagles, Ravens, Steelers, and Commanders, notably. Three of those four teams will be played at home, which should at least offer a small advantage. Indeed, when we are looking at the home and away schedule, the Packers will face the Cowboys, Giants, Cardinals, Browns, Steelers, and Broncos, as well as the NFC North teams away from home. In short, they have the majority of the tougher teams at home.
Of course, none of this really matters right now. Any team mentioned above may make some big moves in the offseason. Even minor tweaks for a team might transform a losing franchise into a dominant one. The Packers fans should simply be concentrating on their own team, hoping that whatever happens in the offseason, come September, Green Bay becomes the team that nobody else in the NFL wants to play.