NFL schedule offers the odd and interesting

fpadmin | 04/18/2016

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By CHRIS HAVEL
Early Four Straight at home plus a bye in between could help Packers take control early
Say hello to the Green Bay Packers’ 2016 NFL schedule.
It is chock full of oddities, irregularities and head scratchers.
Fortunately for the Packers it also is replete with opportunity.
For instance, their opponents’ collective winning percentage of .457 ranked dead last a year ago. What the schedule offers in the way of strange, it more than makes up for in potential W’s.
After two straight road games to open, the schedule features four straight home games, sandwiched around a Week 4 bye (one before the bye and three straight after it).
That is prime time for Packers fans to sit outside, soak in the atmosphere and root for their team. Day or night, nothing says NFL football like September and October in Green Bay.
As an aside, the Week 4 bye can’t come too early for a team that played a five-game preseason schedule. The early bye should give McCarthy and his staff a chance to enable their players to rest, regroup and return refreshed to take charge in October.
The schedule also is highlighted by three December home games, and it concludes on New Year’s Day at Detroit, where the Packers should be popping the cork on champagne to celebrate a first-round bye and return as NFC North champions.
The December games are when McCarthy’s teams tend to peak. That and the cold weather should forge a home-field advantage that turns up the heat on J.J. Watt’s Houston Texans (Dec. 4), Seattle’s recently reassembled “Legion of Boom” (Dec. 11) and the currently but inevitably formerly NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings (Dec. 24).
The stretch affords a chance for a strong stretch run. The Texans are only one great player away from having no great players. The Seahawks are looking to their past to solve problems of the present. That’s never good.
Bringing back the “Legion of Boom” may work out for them, but if they haven’t noticed lately – and I hate to break the news to Seattle coach Pete Carroll – it’s the offense that has been the weak link and requires an upgrade.
Then it’ll be the Vikings coming to Lambeau Field on Christmas Eve day. The scheduled Saturday noon kickoff figures to be among the most anticipated starts of any game.
Here are several of the schedule’s quirks, curiosities and advantages:

QUIRKY:

This is the first time in 92 years that the Packers kick off the season with back-to-back road games.
They open against the perpetually, allegedly and often erroneously “new-and-improved” Jacksonville Jaguars Sept. 11. The heat, humidity and the Two Allens – Jacksonville receivers Hurd and Robinson – pose considerable challenges.
That said, there is absolutely zero chance Green Bay’s head coach, Mike McCarthy, and his team takes anyone lightly, not even the Jags, in the season opener.
It doesn’t hurt that the Packers will be flying to Florida straight off a hot training camp and five preseason games. If they aren’t ready and well-hydrated then they’ll never be.

OPPORTUNITY:

The Packers’ Week 2 game is a dandy.
The Packers travel to Minnesota in hopes of ruining the Vikings’ grand opening of U.S. Bank Stadium. The Sept. 18 game will be a nationally televised Sunday night affair featuring Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth and a whole lot of hopefully disappointed Vikings fans.
The Packers saw their celebration of Brett Favre’s induction into the Packer Hall of Fame, and Ron Wolf’s in commemoration of his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction, diluted by bad losses to the Bears and Lions. Also the new improved Lambeau Field twelve years ago opened with a loss to the Northmen from Minnesota.
Revenge is a dish best served in prime time on national TV.
Eat up, Vikings.

CHALLENGE:

The Packers play three straight road games in November. They are at Tennessee (Nov. 13), at Washington (Nov. 20) and at Philadelphia (Nov. 28).
Remember the Titans? They’re the team that was constantly on the clock in rounds one through eight. While Tennessee may own the draft, the Packers should own the Titans.
Clearly, the Packers should be better with Jordy Nelson’s return, etc., than the Green Bay team that went to Washington and romped the Redskins in last season’s NFC wild-card round.
Then they travel to Philadelphia for a night game, a team that should be better under first-year head coach Doug Pederson. Then again, it’s never easy for any first-year coach, and the Packers should get out of there unscathed.

VERDICT:

I see 13-3, a first-round bye and a divisional playoff game at Lambeau Field. Beyond that, anything’s possible.
If the Packers don’t get to Super Bowl 51 in Houston I am certain of this: It won’t be because of their schedule.
Chris Havel is a national best-selling author and his latest book is Lombardi: An Illustrated Life. Havel can be heard Monday through Friday from 4-6 p.m. CDT on WDUZ FM 107.5 The Fan, or on AM-1400, as well as Fan Internet Radio (www.thefan1075.com). Havel also hosts Event USA’s MVP Parties the evening before home games.

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Kudos to Amy for making sure that the tickets to the tailgate party were waiting for me at the reception desk! Your personal phone call and text messages went above and beyond customer satisfaction! I can't wait for the 2024 season, rest assured that my go-to Packer's game supplier will be Event USA for a long time.
"

-Jean-Pierre Mallette, Montréal, Canada

"Thank you so much Cathy, greatly appreciate your help. As always, EventUSA has been awesome to deal with in booking the Lodge Kohler package for the Tampa Bay Game, particularly for me traveling from Sydney, Australia, it takes the stress out of the booking process. "

-Kayle

"Good Morning, Nicole - Everything you did turned out great. The seats were great. Access to the air conditioned club lounge was great. Lots of Packers fans in the club lounge and overall at the stadium. The tailgate party at the fancy restaurant in the hotel was fabulous. The servers just kept on bringing out different sliders and desserts. Good thing that I got in a 30-minute run along the river in the morning. So, thank you! You may be speaking with me in November if I can work out getting up to Green Bay for a game. It's been too long since my last time. One of the best aspects of this weekend was interacting with so many people from Wisconsin and learning their personal stories of things Packers. And we even met a couple from St. Petersburg, Florida (my home county) and were able to tell them about the Varsity Club tavern and Packers bar in Clearwater where Mark Murphy's mother is in attendance -- very nice lady whose retirement home is in Clearwater, which borders my little city of Dunedin. Pre-COVID, I always went to the Varsity when the Packers games weren't televised locally -- lots of Wisconsin natives there, too + they serve brats and sauerkraut during Packers games. I'm glad that you are working for Event USA. "

-- Martin Lawyer, Dunedin, Florida

"Dennis - I was blessed to join Amy and some of your customers at the Morton's tailgate as well as after the game. She does an amazing job for you. Every single customer I met praised Event USA for being able to arrange the hotel and tickets and fabulous tailgate party in such a quick time. Having been to some great tour tailgate parties in Jacksonville and Kansas City and old San Francisco, a lot can be said of the long-term benefit of having really great tailgate parties. Morton's was probably one of the best - amazing food, patio sitting on the riverfront, walk to stadium, open bar!!! It was first class fun!!!"

-Matt

"Hi Amy- Just wanted to say thank you for making Jacksonville happen! We had a wonderful time and looking forward to more Packers games with Event USA in the future! Even though the game was not what we expected- we are packers fans for life-lol! Go pack go!!"

-Julie Mastrianni

"I want to thank Event USA and in particular Amy Flores for the Jacksonville trip. We have used you before and always were very pleased with the packages you have set up and your service. My son who lives in Charleston, SC and myself who lives in Minnesota, decided we needed to do a guys trip and decided to go through your company to see the opener in New Orleans. I initially called and talked with Amy about some questions I had and booked our trip. After itinerary and info was emailed to us, it soon became apparent that the trip to New Orleans wouldn’t happen. In steps Amy, wondering if we would be interested in Dallas if the game was moved there and a package was set up. Then finally the move to Jacksonville and continued communication from Amy on our interest. It was getting late at that point and I was wondering if she would be able to pull off setting up a package in Jacksonville. She did it. We went to Jacksonville and had a great time. The accommodations and the tail gate were fabulous. If only the Packer team we were hoping for had made the trip. Thank you Event USA and in particular Amy Flores."

-Tom Sohrweide, White Bear Lake, MN

"Thank you for all your help. I had a great time at the Packer-Raider game opening day. I have already begun telling interested Packer fans in Sacramento about your service. The next time I come to Green Bay for a game, I’ll be sure to ask for your help. God bless you and God bless the Green Bay Packers."

-Frank Chavez, Sacramento

"I just wanted to say that I had such a great time. The whole weekend was so much fun. I enjoyed the Player Autograph Party and the tailgate party was just the best. After coming from a country that loves soccer, it was nice to mix with people who have the same interests as me. Thank you once again, Green Bay is one very special place."

-Beverley Moore, Lancaster

"My accommodations at the Best Western Midway were excellent. I was picked up at the airport and returned promptly. No problems at all. Your representative at the hotel on game day was very pleasant and helpful. The tailgate party was super, great food, great drinks and lots of fun. Obviously, Lambeau Field and the game itself was great. I will continue to use Event USA in the future, and I will definitely tell anyone who I come across to give you a call. One last thing, the hospitality I experienced in Green Bay was incredible. I have traveled to many places, and I don’t think there are more friendly people than the people of Green Bay. Thank you again and see you next year!"

-David Anastas, Worchester

"My wife and I booked the tour to Tampa. The trip was so well organized from start to finish. It started with the people in the office with their friendly help over the phone, to receiving the tickets in the mail, and meeting the tour guides with their upbeat personalities. Signs guided us in the airport and information was posted in our motel lobbies to keep us posted. Your people had everything in order. Talk about organization, you had it. Event USA made this a most memorable trip. Thanks for all involved."

-Dick Koerner, Neenah

"I wish to convey my sincere thanks and gratitude for providing my husband and I with, what he refers to as the greatest experience of my life, apart from my wedding day."

-Lara and Matt Appleton, Thornhill, Ontario

"Thanks for all your help, the great tickets and service, and the chance to help me make one of my son’s dreams come true, seeing the Packers playing at home in Lambeau Field."

-Sam Jones, Sedalia

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-Kim Ewing and Bruce DeMaine, Ann Arbor

"Thanks so much for the best weekend ever! You not only got us in all the Magazines, TV, WWW pages and even the big screen at Lambeau Field, but Disney World on the side? Nice job – You and your family are top notch – we were on the best tour for the Super Bowl! Seeing the Green Bay Packers win back the Lombardi Trophy was a life long dream of this Packer fan, and you all were so dedicated to the job of taking care of us that, like the Packers, we were a winning team! Keep me on your list."

-William D Lorge, Representative to the Wisconsin State Assembly