After wheezing past the 49ers, the Packers now have to worry about the toughest part of their schedule

First off, it was a good Sunday for Wisconsin sports fans, following the Brewers’ late-game meltdown in Game 2 of the NLCS on Friday, and the Badgers noncompetitive showing against Michigan on Saturday (recall that the Badgers were ranked #4 in the preseason polling). However, in Game 3 on Sunday the Brewers survived another “oh God no” performance by relief pitcher Jeremy Jeffress, who was the “goat” in the Game 2 loss to the Dodgers. In what was supposed to be a move to summon lost confidence, Jeffress was put back out in an “safe” situation, only to see him load the bases after just a few battings of the eye with one out in the ninth before somehow summoning the willpower to strike out the final two batters to preserve a 4-0 win in Los Angeles. 

Meanwhile, the Packers were supposed to handily dispatch the 1-4 49ers on MNF, who were starting a backup quarterback who did little to inspire confidence in the previous two games. Instead, the Packers’ supposed revamped defense gave up lots of yards and lots of points again, while Aaron Rodgers was under pressure all day and it showed in his 54 percent completion rate; there has been the suggestion that Rodgers is not “seeing” the field like he used to, but in an effort to “open-up” the playbook, he has for the past two games thrown a few more passes downfield than usual, and the result is two consecutive 400-yard passing games, the first time a Packer quarterback has done so; as a matter of comparison, Brett Favre in 16 years and 253 starts had only one 400-yard game for the Packers, and that barely (401 yards). This was looking like another shameful defeat for the Packers as the 49ers were driving for a late game field goal try with the game tied at 30, but an interception deep in Packer territory and horrible secondary play allowed the Packers to glide down the field in the final minute, where Mason Crosby kicked his fourth field goal in four tries to win the game

If the Packers had lost this game as it appeared they would have, it very likely have spelled the end of any playoff hopes. However, with a 3-2-1 record they are still right in the thick of things in an untidy NFC North. So what do Packer fans have to think about during the bye-week? Hope that Rodgers can heal himself at least physically? Or recall why NFL “experts” declared that the Packers had the toughest schedule of any team? Four of their next five games are on the road, against the Rams, Patriots, Seahawks and the Vikings. Even their one home game against 4-2 Miami isn’t exactly a “gimme” either. This is why it was essential for the Packers to come out of the first six games 6-0 or 5-1, which on paper was more than doable, and in hindsight the Viking and Lions games should have been victories, even if ugly ones.  If Rodgers can get it together somewhere near 100 percent, four of these next five games are in play—or all five, given the Patriots’ defensive susceptibilities when up against competent passing offenses. But with a not completely healthy Rodgers, 2-3 might be considered a fortunate outcome, 3-2 a not completely implausible but also not a very likely possibility. In any event winning the division is the only road to the playoffs, and fortunately for the Packers no team in the NFC North seems particularly eager take it at the moment.