The Packers schedule doesn’t start off easy. On September 9, Packers tickets will sell out fast when they face San Francisco. The game is in Green Bay, but the 49ers are also coming off of a tough playoff loss to the Giants. They looked especially tough in that game, and their offense was clicking. It came down to the wire, and realizing that they could have been in the Super Bowl if things had just gone in a slightly different way probably makes the 49ers very hungry in 2012-2013. The game could end up being a shoot-out, as both offenses have proven their ability to be explosive.

On September 13, the Packers start divisional play by facing the brutal defense of Chicago. The Bears will travel to Lambeau in a rivalry that is as old as the league itself. This game is almost guaranteed to sell out of Packer tickets quickly and never disappoints, especially in year like 2012-2013 when both teams are expected to be tough.

On September 30th, the Packers will face a reeling New Orleans team at home. The Saints’ head coach Sean Payton was suspended for the season after allowing financial rewards to be offered for injuring players on opposing teams. It will be interesting to see if the Saints can pull themselves together by their week 4 match up with the Packers.

Another potential offensive shoot-out looms on October 14th, when the Packers travel to Houston to face the Texans. The Texans had one of the best teams in the league in 2011-2012 before quarterback Matt Schaub went down with an injury. He is back and healthy for 2012-2013, however, so this game will pit two of the best quarterbacks in the league against one another.

On November 25th, the Packers will get a chance to avenge last year’s playoff loss to the Giants when they travel to the Meadowlands. Surely, this game will be circled on the Packers’ calendar at the beginning of the season. Make sure you buy your Packers tickets to show your support at this game.

The Detroit Lions come to Lambeau Field on December 8th in what could be a meaningful divisional game. The Lions are a young, talented team, and hope to be contending for the division title in 2012.

Another important division rivalry follows on December 16, when the Packers must travel to Soldier Field to battle the Bears. For any other team, Chicago’s cold weather might be daunting, but of course the Packers are as cold-tested as they come. This could be a game that determines first place in the division.

2012-2013 Green Bay Packers Schedule

September 9 – Packers vs. 49res

September 13 – Packers vs. Bears

September 24 – Packers vs. Seahawks

September 30 – Packers vs. Saints

October 7 – Packers vs. Colts

October 14 – Packers vs. Texans

October 21 – Packers vs. Rams

October 28 – Packers vs. Jaguars

November 4 – Packers vs. Cardinals

Bye

November 18 – Packers vs. Lions

November 25 – Packers vs. Giants

December 2 – Packers vs. Vikings

December 8 – Packers vs. Lions

December 16 – Packers vs. Bears

December 23 – Packers vs. Titans

December 30 – Packers vs. Vikings

They have managed to pull off a small victory by retaining cornerback and special teams ace Jarrett Bush on a three year deal after the then free agent was pursued by the Cowboys. Having appeared in 94 regular season games for the packers since 2006, they will be glad they could retain his services when he became a free agent. Bush became a free agent as he wanted to dip his float in the water and see if any huge offers would bite with offers of a starting role, offers did come in, but they were pretty much the same as the role he already had with the Packers.

The Packers did have to up their offer for him to meet the competition that came in for him, so it may have been a shrewd move on the part of Jarrett Bush and his agent Derrick Fox. It was a win win situation for them, as he was a valuable member of the team without really being a star, he had nothing to lose by testing the water to see if someone could offer him the really big money or guaranteed starts. Although his plan didn’t really pay off as the offers weren’t quite what he had wanted, he did manage to increase his salary and perhaps make his coach think about taking him for granted.

Bush has 130 tackles in the 94 games he’s played for the Packers, 2 forced fumbles, 2 fumbles, 3 interceptions, 22 passes defended and 1.5 sacks. I was happy to hear that the Packers will have almost the same dominating team as last year. More than likely, I will be getting my Packers tickets this year.

They’ve also made some acquisitions of other players that may turn out to be quite shrewd in the 2012 season. Most of the players they’ve bought in so far though will go straight to the practice squad.

The Packers have lost promising quarterback Matt Flynn to the Seahawks, that may or may not prove to be a bad thing, the free agent Flynn is of now unproven, after the last game he had for the Packers though, you wouldn’t bet against him becoming something special. He threw 480 yards and 6 touchdowns in his final Packers game, setting an all time team record for both touchdown passes and yards thrown.

So long as the Packers still have Aaron Rodgers, the loss of Flynn shouldn’t effect my decision to buy packers tickets. Even thought he seemed to be very promising backup to have. The Seahawks, concerned at his lack of action invited him in for a training session to see what he good do, they were very impressed with what they saw and decided to sign him up straight away.

The Packers have been showing a lot of interest in free agent defensive end Dave Tollefson, Tollefson is being pursued by the Seahawks though and is widely expected by some to sign a deal with them. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have also shown an interest according to an anonymous source who has knowledge of his travel schedule. Hopefully the Packers will start making larger moves during this off season, so that fans can get excited about using their Packers tickets again. I look forward to seeing how everything plays out in the end.

Rematch

The Packers played a road game against the Giants in a sold out Packers tickets Week 13 match up, only a little more than a month ago. Green Bay prevailed in that game 38-35 on a field goal as time expired. With this game at the fabled Lambeau Field, the Packers are favored by 7.5 point with an over/under of 52. The Packers are undefeated in their last 13 homes games and are expecting the cold temperatures one usually sees this year in the area.

Packers Tragedy

The Packers suffered a huge tragedy this past week when the 21 year old son of offensive coordinator Joe Philbin died in a drowning accident. Philbin has taken a leave of absence from the team. Well liked by the players, fans that bought Packer tickets wonder if his loss will have an impact on the offensive side of this match. Most people feel that it will have a minimal effect because  head coach Mike McCarthy has long been calling the plays during games, so the offense shouldn’t skip a beat. Therefore, anyone that bought Packers tickets for this playoff game shouldn’t worry about offense being at 100%!

Packers Strength

Make no mistake about it, the Packers win or lose with their offense. Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the game and his collection of wide receivers are excellent. Receiver Greg Jennings will be returning to the receiving corps after an injury. The offensive line should get beefy after tackles Chad Clifton and Bryan Bulaga come back to help with the ferocious Giants defensive line. All indications point to the offense being ready to hum, which is good news for fans that bought Packers tickets.

Packers Weaknesses

Let’s be frank. The Packers defense is a big potential weakness. The team has the worst ranked passing defense in the league. The run defense has better numbers, but mostly because opponents will just keep passing. All is not lost, Packer tickets holder should breath a sign of relief to know that the defense is number one in the league when it comes to interceptions, averaging just below two a game. If the Packers can just get a few turnovers, it is hard to see how the Giants can pull off the upset.

Giants Strength

The Giants biggest strength is its defensive line. It has really rounded into form the last few weeks. Many are comparing the line to the one the team had when it upset the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LXII. The Packers offensive line is average at best, so it seems to be a good analogy. If the Giants keep pressure on Aaron Rodgers with just four linemen rushing, the defense stands a chance on holding the Packers to between 21 and 28 points. That should be enough for the win given the shaky Packers defense and the surprisingly high quality of play by Eli Manning. Green Bay Packers ticket holders will hope that this is not the case as they cheer on their team to victory.

Giants Weakness

The Giants don’t really have a huge weakness coming into this game. There biggest problem is not on their team. While the defensive line is playing at a very high level, they have a problem in that Aaron Rodgers is a very mobile quarterback. If they can’t get him onto the ground in a couple of seconds, there is no way for the Giants defensive backs can cover all the talented wide receivers of the Packers. This should be some good news for Packers tickets holder!

A second potential problem is turnovers. Eli Manning has really limited his turnovers this year, but the once potent Giants running game has issues. Although the team has started running the ball better the last few weeks, running backs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw have a habit of fumbling at inopportune times. Look for the Packers to try to strip the ball on every rush attempt.

Approaches

For the Packers to win this game, they need to perform at their usual high level on offense. On defense, expect the team to give up yard and points, but also focus on trying to generate turnovers. If they can get a couple of turnovers, the offense will take care of the rest of the game.

The Giants strategy for winning is also fairly obvious. On offense, they want to control the ball. Grinding out long drives will run down the clock and keep the ball away from the Packers offense. On defense, they need to get pressure on Rodgers with just four linemen rushing and hope he throws a few interceptions. In short, the Giants will use the same strategy they used to beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

Prediction

The Giants are going to give the Packers all they can handle this weekend. That being said, it is hard to see Aaron Rodgers letting the Packers lose at home even with all the team has gone through this week. Those that bought Green Bay Packers tickets should expect to see their team win a high scoring game.

Rodgers immediately took to the air with an incomplete pass followed by a 5-yard completion before hitting Greg Jennings in stride for a 43-yard gain who was finally stopped by Jonathan Wilhite at the Bronco’s 21-yard line,. After a 9-yard pass to Jordy Nelson the Pack ended up with a second and 1 at the Denver 12. Two failed pass attempts later and a failed rush attempt by James Starks forced the Packers to give up the ball on downs.Kyle Orton wasted no time and with Willis McGahee rushing and Brandon Lloyd catching, marched the Bronco’s down to the Packer 9yard line before being stopped. Matt Prater’s 27-yard Field Goal made it 3-0 Denver with 5 minutes 30 seconds left in the first quarter.

Matt Prater kicked off for Denver and the Packers were in business again at the GB 21. Rodgers went immediately to work, completing several short passes and with one 16-yard rush by James Starks up the middle were set up with a first and 10 at the 50-yard line. On the very next play, Rodgers connected with Jordy Nelson for 50 yards and the first of many Packer Touchdowns of the night. Mason Crosby kicked the extra point and the Green Bay Packers were ahead 7-3.

After the kick-off and a 2-yard running play Kyle Orton’s pass intended for Eric Decker is intercepted by Charles Woodson and returned for 30 yards and a touchdown. Green Bay 14 and Denver 3.

On the ensuing kickoff the Packers caught Denver completely off guard with an onside kick and recovered it easily. First and ten Packers on the GB 47.A couple short passes and a short run later finds Aaron Rodgers running into the end zone from the Denver 11 yard line making it 21-3 after a Mason Crosby extra point.

Mason Crosby kicked off and Cassius Vaughn runs it back to the Denver 31 yard line, 1st and 10 for Kyle Orton and crew. After a short run and consecutive passes of 18 and 44 to Brandon Lloyd, Orton has his Broncos 1st and goal at the Packer 5 yard line. A quick pass to Eric Decker and Prater’s extra point help the Bronco’s close the score to 21-10.

After the kick-off the Packers begin at there own 25. A couple short runs and a costly sack of Aaron Rodgers and the Packers punt to Denver who begin again at their own 19. Some short to medium passes and some good rushing by Willis McGahee sets up a 33 yard TD pass from Orton to Eric Decker help the Bronco’s close the gap again and make it Denver 17, Green Bay Packers 21.

In the next 3 minutes Aaron Rodgers uses James Starks, James Jones and Greg Jennings to take the Packers 80 yards for a touchdown. Finishing the drive with a 17-yard pass to Jennings and an extra point made by Crosby to extend the lead again to 28-17 at the half.

The Packers got the ball first in the 2nd half and quickly moved down the field with passes to Jordy Nelson, Jermichael Finley, James Jones and yards on the ground from James Starks and John Kuhn before Rodger’s finished himself with an 11 yard TD run. Packers 35-Denver 17.

Mason Crosby kicked off and Bronco’s Quan Cosby brought the ball back 37 yards to give Denver a 1st and 10 on their 34.Once again Denver marched down the field with passes to Brandon Lloyd and good rushing from Willis McGahee only to fumble on the Green Bay 4 yard line after a 22 yard catch by Daniel Fells who is tackled hard by Desmond Bishop.Green Bay Packers ball on the GB 4 yard line. Passes to Randall Cobb and James Starks set up a Aaron Rodgers 16 yard TD pass to James Jones. Packers 42…Denver 17 Incomplete passes and a sack force the Bronco’s to punt again.

After a completion to Greg Jennings for 11 yards, Aaron Rodgers pass, intended for James Jones, is intercepted by Jonathan Wilhite.

Then a timeout by the Packers, Kyle Orton’s pass, intended for Brandon Lloyd is intercepted by Sam Shields and returned for 60 yards. An 8 yard pass from Rodgers to Donald Driver makes the score 49-17.After an impressive last drive, Orton connects with Daniel Fells for a 7-yard TD score. The 2-point attempt is unsuccessful.

Matt Flynn comes in for Rodgers and throws a last minute interception to the Bronco’s Rahim Moore. Kyle Orton returns the favor seconds later and throws a pick to GB’s Charlie Peprah.

The Packers then run out the last minute on the clock. That makes the final score, a very memorable, Green Bay 49—Denver 23. If the Packers continue to play this well all season, they should have problems selling Packers tickets this year.

Ironically, even though it’s the oldest, it also has some of the most modern amenities throughout various portions of it, due to the constant updating and renovation that the city and franchise keep doing to Lambeau Field. It is named after Curly Lambeau, the original player-coach and team co-founder.

A term that is often associated with Lambeau Field, is, frozen tundra. That was coined by journalist Tex Maule, writing in Sports Illustrated about the Ice Bowl of December 31, 1967, when the Dallas Cowboys played the Packers when it was extremely windy and temperatures dropped to minus fifteen degrees Fahrenheit.  (That is the actual temperature without the wind chill which would have made it a lot colder.)

The stadium opened in 1957, originally as, City Stadium. It replaced the previous City Stadium, so many people referred to it as New City Stadium. When Curly Lambeau died in 1965, it was renamed Lambeau Field. It is said there are only three things you can count on in life; death, taxes and the renovation of Lambeau Field.

It was originally built in 1957 because the owners of other NFL teams were trying to force the Packers to move to Milwaukee, due to the fact that the old City Stadium was outdated and only held 25,000 people. Strangely enough, the new stadium only increased capacity by 7,500 seats (32,500.)

It was the first NFL stadium built exclusively for football. At the time, all the other stadiums accommodated football and  baseball teams. Within four years of opening, they added another 6,000 + seat, bringing capacity to 38,669 in 1961. In 1963, close to 4,000 more seats were added and then three years after that, capacity was increased by more than 8,000 more, making the 1966 capacity, 50,860.

It wasn’t until 1970 that the field had both end zones filled in with the bleachers connected to the rest of the stadium, making for a continuous oval all around the field, and a seating capacity of 56,263.  Then fifteen years went by before any more major renovations.

The mid 1980s brought the addition of 72 modern, private boxes, although seating capacity only increased by a few hundred. Thirty six more boxes were added in 1990 and 1,920 theater style club seats were created, bring capacity to 59,543. Five years later capacity increased about 1,300 more, but the big change was 90 more private boxes that went in the north end zone.

In 2001 construction began on a massive redevelopment plan that would prevent the need for building a new stadium. There was talk of enclosing the stadium, but in the end, they decided to keep the tradition of the harsh winter elements and the “frozen tundra” of Lambeau Field.

It took 2 years to complete and disrupted the fans almost not at all during those two football seasons. In 2003 the modernized stadium holds an impressive Packers tickets capacity of 73,128 raving “cheese heads.” Plans for next season include a big expansion of the south end zone and an additional 7,500 seats, as well as high definition score boards, Diamond Vision video boards, some heated bleachers that melt snow and a club seat holder rooftop terrace.

QB Aaron Rodgers was a key reason for this victory, as he completed 28 of 38 passes (73.7% completion rate) for 297 yards.  Rodgers said that he feels more comfortable playing this season, probably due to the way he played during the postseason last year, helping lead the Green Bay Packers to a Super Bowl Championship.

Along with Rodgers’ solid play, TE Jermichael Finley was another key reason for the Packers’ victory, as he caught 7 passes for 85 yards and 3 TDs.  Additionally, WR Greg Jennings caught 9 passes for 119 yards, RB Ryan Grant ran 17 times for 92 yards, and S Morgan Burnett intercepted Bears QB Jay Cutler twice on passes that were intended for WR Roy Williams.

Rodgers hit Jennings for a 6-yard TD on the game’s first drive to get the Green Bay Packers out to the quick 7-0 lead.  Rodgers found Jennings again early in the second quarter on a 7-yard pass to make it 14-0.  The Chicago Bears got on the board with 8:12 left in the first half, as Cutler found WR Dane Sanzenbacher for a 4-yard TD pass, making the score 14-7.  The two teams traded field goals to give the Packers a 17-10 lead at the half.

With a lone 28-yard field goal by Packers kicker Mason Crosby accounting for all of the third quarter scoring, Rodgers found Finley again for a 10-yard TD pass and a 27-10 Green Bay lead early in the fourth quarter.  The Bears cut the lead to 27-17 when Cutler threw a touchdown pass to TE Kellen Davis.

The Bears had a chance to get much closer after LB Brian Urlacher intercepted Rodgers, the first interception Rodgers has thrown in the 2011 season.  However, despite starting at their own 45, two penalties on the Bears – a holding call on C Chris Spencer and an unnecessary roughness penalty against WR Devin Hester for getting into a confrontation with Packers’ CB Sam Shields – prevented any further comeback.

For the second straight week, the Bears’ running attack was non-existent, as RB Matt Forte was held to just 2 yards on 9 carries (0.2 yard average).  The passing game was hardly stellar either, as Cutler was 21 of 37 for 302 yards with 2 TDs and 2 INTs.  In addition, Cutler threw 6 straight incompletions to begin the second half.

This is even more discouraging to Bears’ fans because the Packers’ defense had given up back-to-back 400-yard passing performances against New Orleans’ QB Drew Brees and Carolina Rookie QB Cam Newton the past 2 weeks.  Additionally, Packers’ Pro Bowl S Nick Collins was not playing, and won’t be playing the rest of this season, as he suffered a season-ending neck injury during the win at Carolina last week.

With the win, the Green Bay Packers improve to 3-0 and stay tied atop the NFC Central Division with the surprising Detroit Lions, who also moved to 3-0 with a 26-23 overtime win at Minnesota earlier Sunday.  The loss drops the Chicago Bears to just 1-2 on the season, keeping them in third place in the NFC Central.

The Packers head home to Lambeau Field to host the 1-2 Denver Broncos at 4:15 P.M. EDT/3:15 P.M. CDT next Sunday, October 2, 2011. Buy your Packers tickets today.

The Green Bay Packers’ defense, on the other hand, has not been as solid, as they gave up another 400+ yard passing performance, this time to rookie QB Cam Newton after giving up 419 yards to New Orleans Saints’ QB Drew Brees last week.  However, the defense again came up with the key stop when they needed it, just as they did to preserve the 42-34 victory against the Saints last week.

The Packers’ defense didn’t get off to a great start in this one, though, giving up 10 first quarter points, as the Panthers built up a 13-0 lead.  With 9:58 left in the first half, RB John Kuhn rushed up the middle for a 1-yard TD run to cut the deficit to 13-7 at the half.

Early in the second half, Rodgers found WR Greg Jennings for a 49-yard touchdown pass to put the Green Bay Packers ahead 14-13.  The Packers added three field goals off of the foot of K Mason Crosby to make the score 23-13 Packers after three quarters.

After the Panthers closed the gap to 23-16 early in the fourth quarter, the Panthers were driving to tie the game, but the defense came up big to stop Carolina.  LB Clay Matthews was able to stop Newton a yard short on 4th and 1 to give the ball back to the Packers’ offense.

Two plays later, Rodgers found WR Jordy Nelson for an 84-yard touchdown pass that extended the lead to 30-16.  Green Bay did not have the victory locked up yet, however.  Newton rushed up the middle for a 4-yard TD run with 0:37 seconds left to narrow the lead to 30-23.  The Green Bay Packers were able to recover the onside kick, however, ending Carolina’s comeback hopes.

Despite the Packers’ defense allowing 432 passing yards and 53 rushing yards on 10 carries to Newton, the defense did cause Newton to throw 3 interceptions, two of them to CB Charles Woodson.  Still, the defense knows that it needs to improve in order to continue their winning ways, as they cannot keep allowing opposing quarterbacks to throw for over 400 yards each week and expect to win.  To this point, it has not hurt their record, and the defense hopes that this rough stretch will help to build their character and make the defense that much stronger as the season goes along.

On a positive note, Green Bay Packers’ WR Donald Driver caught a 10-yard pass from Rodgers to become the Packers’ career leader in receiving yards with 9,666.  On a negative note, Packers’ S Nick Collins was taken off the field on a stretcher after sustaining a neck injury while trying to tackle Panthers’ RB Jonathan Stewart during the fourth quarter.  The Packers issued a statement after the game that Collins had “normal feeling and complete movement” in his extremities, but would be hospitalized overnight for observation.

With the win, the Green Bay Packers improve to 2-0, staying tied atop the NFC Central with the Detroit Lions, who crushed the Kansas City Chiefs earlier Sunday 48-3.  The Carolina Panthers suffered their second straight 7-point defeat to fall to 0-2 on the season and stay in last place in the NFC South.

Coming up next week, the Packers head to Soldier Field to take on the arch-rival Chicago Bears, who are 1-1 on the season.  Game time is at 4:15 P.M. EDT/3:15 P.M. CDT. Buy your Packer tickets for this game today!

If there is one early concern for the defending Super Bowl Champion Packers, it has to be their defense.  They allowed Saints QB Drew Brees to throw for 419 yards and 3 TDs, though the defense did make a nice goalline stand on the final play of the game, stopping rookie RB Mark Ingram from gaining the yard needed for the potential tying touchdown.

The Green Bay Packers got out of the gate quickly, as Rodgers threw touchdown passes to WR Greg Jennings and WR Jordy Nelson to make it 14-0 around halfway through the first quarter.  The New Orleans Saints got on the board with 3:31 left in the quarter thanks to a Brees touchdown pass to WR Robert Meachem.  The Packers finished off the first quarter with another touchdown pass from Rodgers, this time to rookie WR Randall Cobb on a 32-yard pass, making it 21-7 Packers after one quarter.

New Orleans got closer thanks to K John Kasay’s 30-yard field goal and RB Darren Sproles’ 72-yard punt return for a touchdown, making the score 21-17 Packers.  The Packers’ offense came alive again, scoring a touchdown on a 17-yard run by RB James Sparks with 1:59 left in the first half, making the halftime score 28-17 Packers.

After Kasay’s second field goal made it 28-20 Packers, Cobb returned the ensuing kickoff a record-tying 108 yards for a touchdown and a 35-20 Packers’ lead.  The kickoff return tied the mark set by New England Patriots’ Ellis Hobbs in September 2007, and was the first kickoff return for a touchdown for the Green Bay Packers since Allen Rossum’s kickoff return in 2000.  The Saints responded with a 29-yard touchdown pass from Brees to WR Devery Henderson, cutting the Green Bay Packers’ lead to 35-27 through three quarters.

Early in the fourth quarter, Packers’ RB John Kuhn rushed up the middle for a 1-yard touchdown run and a 42-27 Packers’ lead.  The Saints’ final score occurred when Drew Brees hooked up with TE Jimmy Graham for a 5-yard touchdown pass, making the score 42-34 Packers.  The Saints had one final drive in an attempt to tie the ballgame, but Ingram was stuffed at the 1-yard line on the final play to preserve the win for the Packers.

Packers’ WR Donald Driver tied the all-time Green Bay franchise mark of career yards of 9,656, now sharing the mark with former WR James Lofton.  Packers’ S Nick Collins seemed to sustain a left arm injury in this game, but stayed in the game and finished it.  Packers’ CB Tramon Williams was taken out after sustaining a hard hit on his right shoulder during the fourth quarter.

The Packers begin the season 1-0 as they head out on the road next week to take on the Carolina Panthers.  Game time is at 1:00 P.M. EDT/12:00 P.M. CDT on Sunday, September 18. Packers tickets are available now!

The 2011 Packers schedule kicks off with a home game against the New Orleans Saints. Packers tickets are anticipated to sell out quick.  The Saints were the Super Bowl Champions in 2009 but made an early exit from the playoffs last year after being upset by the Seattle Seahawks. Beating the Packers in Green Bay would help to remove the bad taste of that playoff loss from their mouths.

In week 3, the Packers travel to Chicago, to play another team that was disappointed to leave the playoffs early last year. The Bears always play hard against the Packers, and they’ll hope to disrupt the Packers high-powered offense with their swarming, hard-hitting defense.

In week 5, Green Bay plays in Atlanta against the team that finished with the best record in the league last year. Atlanta had Super Bowl aspirations before being trounced by Green Bay in the Divisional Playoffs 48-21. Atlanta would like nothing more than to avenge that playoff loss in front of their home crowd.

After a bye in week 8, the Pack must then travel to San Diego to play the Chargers. The Chargers have a high-scoring offense with Philip Rivers at the helm. When Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers leads the Packers into San Diego, it could be an offensive display for the ages.

In week 12, the Packers tickets should sell out fast when the face the Detroit Lions in Detroit. Detroit is a young, up-and-coming team led by second year quarterback Matthew Stafford. While the Packers play many games in 2011 against playoff teams from last year, the Lions haven’t been to the playoffs since 2000. They have a supremely talented offense, though, and 2011 could be the year they break their drought. The Lions are currently undefeated  and a win against them could really spark a Packer tickets buyout frenzy.

The Packers host the Oakland Raiders in week 14. The Raiders are another team with little playoff success as of late. They also, however, have a great deal of young talent. Darren McFadden is emerging as one of the best running backs in the league, and he hopes to open the Raiders vertical passing game back up. This game could be of significance for both teams as the Raiders fight for a playoff spot and the Packers play for playoff seating.

The Packers finish the season against two perennial NFC Central rivals. In week 16, they host the Chicago Bears in a classic cold weather game at Lambeau Field. In week 17, they play host to the Detroit Lions.

Week 1: New Orleans Saints

Week 2: at Carolina Panthers

Week 3: at Chicago Bears

Week 4: Denver Broncos

Week 5: at Atlanta Falcons

Week 6: St. Louis Rams

Week 7: at Minnesota Vikings

Week 8: Bye week

Week 9: at San Diego Chargers

Week 10: Minnesota Vikings

Week 11: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 12: at Detroit Lions

Week 13: at New York Giants

Week 14: Oakland Raiders

Week 15: at Kansas City Chiefs

Week 16: Chicago Bears

Week 17: Detroit Lions

McCarthy started working for the Kansas City Chiefs, as the offensive quality control assistant. After two years he became their quarterbacks coach, overseeing great quarter backs such as Steve Bono. In the 1999 season he moved to the Green Bay Packers, as a quarterbacks coach, and worked with Brett Farve. In the same season Farve threw for his fourth best year totaling 4,091 yards. However, the Packers released him at the end of the season.

In 2000 McCarthy went to the New Orleans Saints, and became their offensive coordinator. He would remain in this position for five years where in 2000, USA Today would name him “NFC Assistant Coach of the Year.” In 2005, he went to the San Francisco 49ers and served as the offensive coordinator, however his team riddled with injuries, and led by a rookie quarterback, would finish in last place in points and yardage.

In 2006 McCarthy headed back to Green Bay, and interviewed with Ted Thompson, the General Manager, and within three days he became the new head coach of the Packers. That year the packers started off with a 4-8 record, but ended with 8-8 just missing the playoffs. This would mark the second season where they came close but were unable to make it.

McCarthy achieved his best regular season record in 2007 with the Packers as they obtained a 13-3 record. He was also able to obtain and hold the record for the best coaching start in Packers history, beating out Vince Lombardi’s record of 15-10 and tying the record of Joe Gibbs. That same year McCarthy led the Packers to the NFC Championship, though they lost to the soon to be Super Bowl winners, the New York Giants. He finished in second place, behind the Patriots Bill Belichick, that year for The Associated Press Coach of The Year award. Green Bay extended his contract by five years and he also earned himself a raise, thus bringing his salary to 3.4 million a year.

From 2008 started the rumors of Bret Farve coming out of retirement, and controversy started among the coaches, McCarthy included, and the GM Thompson. Ultimately the decision was made to trade Farve, and to start the young Aaron Rodgers. The season ended up being McCarthy’s worst to date with the Packers, ending in 6-10 record, finishing 3rd in the NFC North. The Packers did not make the playoffs that season. His 2009 season would see a vast improvement, ending the season with an 11-5, and obtaining a wild card slot. However, they lost the wild card game to the Arizona Cardinals.

In 2010, McCarthy led the Packers through a whirlwind season with a 10-6 regular season record, but never loosing a game by more than four points, and finishing second in the NFC North. His Packers were the underdogs in every playoff game, and one by one under his superior coaching, they defeated better ranked teams thus earning their spot in Super Bowl XLV. With being only the second time in history facing the Pittsburgh Steelers in post season, Green Bay defeated them with a score of 31-25 marking their fourth Superbowl victory.

With the 2011 season already underway the Packers are playing as if they never stopped. With a 5-0 record, and only loosing one game in preseason, it appears as if they may be contenders yet again. Fans have certainly jumped on the band wagon and purchased their Packers tickets for the next game. If the way the team is performing is any indication of how McCarthy feels about his team’s future than, one can only assume he feels they are in for another great year..