After winning 39 regular-season games over the last three seasons, can the Green Bay Packers finally get over the hump and reach the Super Bowl in Year 4 of the Matt LaFleur era? The franchise might only have Aaron Rodgers for one more season; he’s year-to-year on whether or not he wants to keep playing, so every opportunity with No. 12 still under center has heightened importance.
Some key pieces, including Davante Adams, are gone from last year’s team, but many national pundits still like the Packers as a top Super Bowl contender.
Here are the predictions for the 2022 season from the staff at Packers Wire:
Zach Kruse, managing editor
12-5. Winning 12 games just feels right for this team. The new-look offense may need time to get rolling and the early schedule isn’t exactly forgiving. Still, the Packers are loaded with high-end talent and anything other than double-digit wins and another NFC North crown would be a massively disappointing regular season. Trust Aaron Rodgers and Matt LaFleur to figure out ways to score points, trust a dominant defense on paper to take a big step on the field, and trust Rich Bisaccia to start fixing some of the roughest edges on special teams. The goal here isn’t to win 13 or more regular-season games; it’s to be playing the best possible football come December and January and then go on a long run in the NFC playoffs. There might be a rocky stretch early, but I think the Packers are constructed in a way that should play well come postseason time. The one caveat: LaFleur’s team has to stay healthy. This team probably isn’t as prepared to take on injuries at key positions as the last few seasons. Then again, we probably said that about the 2010 team, too. The final guess: this Packers team finally gets past the NFC title game and plays in a Super Bowl.
Brandon Carwile, contributor
12-5. 12 wins will be enough to win the NFC North but not enough to secure the first round bye. Naturally, the defense will carry the load for the first part of season as Aaron Rodgers and the Packers’ offense adjust to life without Davante Adams. Green Bay’s defense will finish in the top 10 for the second straight year and the offense will be hitting its stride as they enter the playoffs. I think this Packers team is good enough to reach the NFC Championship Game and even win it if special teams and the offense don’t have massive meltdowns. This doesn’t feel like a Super Bowl team as much as it did the last two years but crazier things have happened.
Paul Bretl, contributor
12-5. The defense will have to lead the way early on as the offense gets acclimated to operating without Davante Adams and healthy along the offensive line. Hopefully, as the season progresses, so does the offense. The Packers have a tough few weeks to begin the season and a long road stretch in the middle, but they should be able to play catch up – if needed – during the latter portion of the schedule to get to 12 wins, which will be enough to win the NFC North. In each of the past two seasons, I have predicted the Packers to win the Super Bowl; however, I can’t get myself to do that at this point. First off, I need to see how the offense progresses as well as how improved this special teams unit actually is.
Brennen Rupp, contributor
13-4. Death, taxes and the Green Bay Packers winning 13 games under Matt LaFleur. The Packers may have lost the best wide receiver in football and it will be a challenge to replace Davante Adams and his 123 receptions, 1,553 yards and 11 touchdowns, but the cupboard isn’t bare. With Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon, the Packers have the best running back duo in the NFL. If David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins stay healthy the Packers have a top 10 offensive line. At wide receiver, the top dog will likely change week to week. It could be Sammy Watkins Week 1. The next week it could be Randall Cobb, as he continues to torment the Chicago Bears. Oh, and they still have Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. That guy has won back-to-back MVPs. The offense will be fine. The defense on the other hand could be a problem. A problem for opposing teams. That defense is a big reason why I think the Packers finish with another 13-win season and finally get over the hump and get back to the Super Bowl (only to lose to the Los Angeles Chargers).
