Packers week-by-week 2024 season preview, part two
By Jalen Maki
Last week, we took a look at a few matchups in the first half of the upcoming Packers season.
Let’s keep the preview rolling this week with part two.
Vs. the Houston Texans
This is one of my most anticipated NFL games of the year. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud Went the Heck Off in his rookie year, and now he’s leading a fun, ascending team. Packers quarterback Jordan Love, similarly, is at the helm of a young offense that probably hasn’t peaked yet. These are two youthful teams in new eras, and they’re hungry. Love vs. Stroud should be circled on every football fan’s calendar.
Houston’s front office deserves a sincere tip of the cap. They’ve nailed a few recent drafts, and that’s been borne out on the field. It might be easy to focus on the Texans’ offense — Stroud’s going to be throwing to standout youngsters Nico Collins and Tank Dell, along with the newly-acquired veteran Stefon Diggs — but their defense was among the best in the league last year. Houston should be a force to be reckoned with in the AFC.
This game could very well be a highlight of the 2024 NFL season — and maybe even a future Super Bowl matchup. I think Green Bay wins in a Love vs. Stroud shootout. MY PREDICTION: Packers 34, Texans 31.
@ the Jacksonville Jaguars
As I mentioned last week, the Jaguars’ Trevor Lawrence is one of the three highest-paid quarterbacks on an annual basis in NFL history, joining Love and the Cincinnati Bengals’ Joe Burrow. This is a record likely to be broken by current Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, and subsequently broken again and again by a few other good-to-great QBs due a contract in the near future. Don’t be surprised if the Chicago Bears are eventually paying Caleb Williams $60 million-plus a year.
Anyway, the Jags have a respectable receiving corps of Christian Kirk, Gabe Davis, and rookie Brian Thomas Jr., tight end Evan Engram is a solid option for Lawrence in the passing game, and running back Travis Etienne Jr. is coming off two solid seasons, but the Jaguars’ defense presents a pretty favorable matchup for Green Bay’s offense. None of Jacksonville’s defensive units look like they’re going to be too particularly dangerous, which should allow for the Packers to move the ball with relative ease. MY PREDICTION: Packers 31, Jaguars 21.
Vs. the Detroit Lions; @ Detroit Week 14
I am 30 years old, which means that for pretty much my entire life, the Detroit Lions have stunk on ice.
This is no longer the case. The Lions are one of the best teams in the NFL, and they’re coming off a season in which they made the NFC Championship game. Expectations are deservedly high in Detroit.
It’s basically impossible not to like this team to some degree. Every time I hear head coach Dan Campbell speak, I could kick a door off its hinges. Jared Goff has proven himself as the franchise quarterback, Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the league’s most fun wide receivers to watch, second year tight end Sam LaPorta is a Dawg, and Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery are a top running back tandem. Oh, and their offensive line is arguably the best in the NFL. On the other side of the ball, they have regular shop-wrecker Aidan Hutchinson on the defensive line, and to fill one of their few roster holes, they drafted a pair of corners in Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. this spring.
The sky is the limit for the Lions, and I cannot convince myself that the Packers will beat them twice this year. But once? That’s certainly possible. Expect some of the best divisional action of the season when these two teams square off. MY PREDICITONS: Week 9 — Packers 28, Lions 27; Week 14, Lions 34, Packers 24.
@ the Chicago Bears; vs. Chicago Week 18
The Packers will come off their Week 10 bye with a trip to Chicago.
I think there will be a lot of positive energy around the Bears by the time the Packers face them for the first time this season. From a skill level, Caleb Williams is probably as close to a lock for a successful rookie quarterback as you can get, and the Bears’ front office made sure they’d have pieces around their guy: wide receivers DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, and rookie Rome Odunze, tight end Cole Kmet, and running back D’Andre Swift are all in the building, which means Williams is in a position to succeed early. Also, Chicago’s defense could be a top unit this year.
Look, when it comes to professional football, the vibes in the Windy City have not been good for a long while. The Packers have owned the Bears for years, as one quarterback once said, and what is considered one of sports’ greatest rivalries has felt like anything but. Alas, a new day has presumably dawned for the Bears. I think they’ll be riding a wave of positivity and hype unseen since the mid-1980s, and they’ll take one of two games against Green Bay this year. The Week 18 matchup could be crucial: both teams may be fighting for the playoffs in the final week of the season. MY PREDICTIONS: Week 11 — Bears 27, Packers 24; Week 18 — Packers 34, Bears 28.
Vs. San Francisco 49ers
Dare I say the San Francisco 49ers will regress this year? Eh, not quite. But hey, if you want proof that it’s possible, look no further than last year’s Eagles and their post-Super Bowl hangover. I feel like a team can only get *this close* and come up short so many times before the positive atmosphere within the organization starts to deteriorate. But at the end of the day, they still have quarterback Brock Purdy leading an offense run by head coach Kyle Shanahan and featuring running back Christian McCaffrey, wide receivers Deebo Samuel and Brandon Aiyuk, and tight end George Kittle. On the other side of the ball, their defensive front features veterans Nick Bosa and Fred Warner.
Are the 49ers headed for decline? Probably not. But there’s a chance that they could be a little more vulnerable than in years past, which gives the Packers a shot. The game will be in Green Bay in late November, but ultimately, I think the Packers’ run of tough beats against the 49ers will continue in Week 12, giving them consecutive losses for the first time in the season. MY PREDICTION: 49ers 34, Packers 21.
Vs. the Miami Dolphins
The Packers will enter their Week 13 matchup with the Dolphins in a particularly brutal stretch of games, sandwiched between the 49ers and the Lions.
Miami’s offense was a blast to watch last year. Their main threat on that side of the ball is wide receiver Tyreek Hill — the man’s got wheels, and he can take the top off a defense without breaking a sweat. But the Dolphins’ running back duo is worth keeping an eye on: De’Von Achane had an insane year in 2023, notably racking up 518 yards from scrimmage and seven touchdowns across his first three games. Meanwhile, Raheem Mostert led the league in rushing touchdowns. There’s a chance that both Achane and Mostert, who at 32 years old is the league’s oldest starting running back, will collectively come back down to earth this season, but if they maintain even roughly close to the level of production they saw last year, Miami’s offense will still be one the league’s most dangerous.
The thing is, the Dolphins struggled against good teams in 2023, and the Packers will presumably be a good team at this point in the 2024 season. And, they’ll be in Green Bay in late November; it could get a little chilly. I think the Packers make a statement and right the ship against Miami. MY PREDICTION: Packers 28, Dolphins 24.
@ the Seattle Seahawks
Looking up and down Seattle’s roster, there’s one player that truly stands out: wide receiver DK Metcalf. The dude is incredibly fast; a few years back, Seattle was playing Arizona, and Cardinals defensive back Budda Baker picked off a pass from Russell Wilson near the goal line in Cardinals territory. Baker proceeded to return what probably would have been a pick six on any other night — but not this night, because Metcalf was on the field. Metcalf chased Baker down and saved a touchdown. It’s truly one of the most insane displays of speed I’ve ever seen.
By the time they face the Seahawks in Week 15, the Packers will optimally be making a playoff push. With Seattle also being in the NFC, it’s not crazy to think that they, too, will be at a critical juncture in their season and needing a win to stay in the postseason hunt. With 2022 Comeback Player of the Year Geno Smith at quarterback, a nice wideout trio of Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Tyler Lockett, and a few new pieces added to the defense through the draft, the Seahawks could be pretty frisky this year. But, even though they’ll have the advantage of having the 12th Man in their home stadium, they’ll likely be outmatched by the Packers. MY PREDICTION: Packers 27, Seahawks 17.
Vs. the New Orleans Saints
I gotta say, I do not envy Saints fans. They’re in a tough spot in the post-Drew Brees era, with a lot of older, expensive players and some serious concerns regarding their salary cap, meaning they might be headed for a “blow it all up” season sooner rather than later. New Orleans is likely tied to quarterback Derek Carr for at least a few more seasons, which is probably not great, and their shaky offensive line almost certainly won’t be doing him any favors this year.
Although the NFC South could be football’s worst division, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are coming off their third-straight division title, the Atlanta Falcons might be on the come-up, and the Carolina Panthers may see some improvement this year. The Saints could be a mess, which would give the Packers an opportunity to get a pivotal late-season win at Lambeau. MY PREDICTION: Packers 38, Saints 16.
Summary
So, I’m predicting the Packers will finish the 2024 season with a 12–5 record. I’ll admit this could be a tad optimistic; there’s a chance they lose to the Texans and/or the Dolphins, and one of the Minnesota games could be in play for the Vikings. And who knows, maybe they’ll put up an absolute stinker against a team like the Titans or the Cardinals. Weirder things have happened.
Look, I know this might sound dumb, but I think that a significant part of success in professional sports is about vibes, and the energy in Green Bay seems to be as good right now as it’s been in years, which leads me to believe the Packers are headed for a big year. This is a young team forging its own era, and I don’t think they’ve reached their limitations. Don’t be surprised if this Packers team brings the Lombardi Trophy home.
Jalen’s columns, “The Free Play” and “Movies You Gotta See,” can be found online at www.medium.com/@jalenmaki.
