The Green Bay Packers went into the 2026 regular season believing they were a true Super Bowl contender. A 1-2 start, featuring a fourth quarter meltdown in Week 1, a comeback from 10 points down in Week 2 and a 21-point home loss in primetime in Week 3, has given the 2026 season a much different feel. Can Matt LaFleur's team figure out the offensive line in time to save the season?
Going into the season, all four staff members at Packers Wire predicted the Packers would win at least 10 games. Has the 1-2 start changed any of the predictions?
Updated win-loss predictions from the Packers Wire staff following the 1-2 start:
Zach Kruse
- Preseason prediction: 10-7
- Updated prediction: 7-10
My trepidations about this Packers team entering the year -- mostly regarding the offensive line and the difficulty of the schedule
down the stretch -- led to a somewhat "pessimistic" 10-win prediction to start the season. But no one could have predicted the offensive line to be this bad, and teams that can't block are pretty much dead. The Packers can't run the ball or pass protect, and the quarterback is almost certain to get injured if he keeps getting hit at the current rate. I don't see an obvious way out of this predicament along the offensive line, even with veteran help coming, and any kind of injury to Jordan Love would put the Packers in danger of one of the worst seasons in the franchise's last 30 years. Remember, this is the easy part of the schedule. Micah Parsons will eventually return, but can a pass-rusher save the season? Staying in the playoff hunt into December would be a big win for this team. I just don't see it. The NFC North is tough and the schedule from Week 5 on looks brutal. One thing is certain: the Packers HAVE to win Sunday against an 0-3 Bucs team starting a rookie quarterback because finding obvious wins the rest of the way isn't easy.
Brandon Carwile
- Preseason prediction: 12-5
- Updated prediction: 10-7
This isn’t the start any of us expected with the Packers looking more like a team destined for a top-10 draft pick—even though they don’t have a first-rounder in 2027—than a legit Super Bowl contender. The offensive line has been a complete disaster and injuries haven’t helped, but fortunately, reinforcements are on the way. Green Bay has signed veteran guards Laken Tomlinson and Mekhi Becton, who will hopefully help the offense go from borderline inept to functional. The defense played poorly against the Falcons, but they aren’t going to face Bijan Robinson every week. Micah Parsons is also going to return at some point, so I’m not ready to give up on the Packers’ season when the best player hasn’t played a snap.
Mark Oldacres
- Preseason prediction: 11-6
- Updated prediction: 9-8
It would be understandable to completely lose faith in the Packers based on the product they’ve put out so far and predict a losing record. However, there is still only one truly concerning issue with Green Bay right now, which is of course the offensive line. Early on, it looks like a fatal problem capable of sinking the season, but at least they have made attempts to rectify the situation recently with some veteran signings. If the O-line can clear the bar of "not the worst in the NFL by a mile," the offense still has enough parts to be successful, and the defense has shown signs — Thursday night aside — of being a winning unit, and that’s before Micah Parsons returns. I believe by the end of the season the Packers will look more like the team we expected. Their ultimate win total may be determined by how quickly they can get themselves together on offense and if they can cash in on potentially facing two backup quarterbacks in the next two games before their schedule stiffens up.
Brennen Rupp
- Preseason prediction: 11-6
- Updated prediction: 10-7
After watching Thursday night’s debacle during the home opener, it's hard to see a path forward where the Packers win 10 games. However, they are likely going to be playing teams that will be rolling out backup quarterbacks the next two weeks and even though Case Keenum carved up the Philadelphia defense like a Thanksgiving Turkey, I think the Packers will get back in the win column to build momentum as the return of Micah Parsons draws closer. On top of that the Packers have made moves that may launch their offensive line group from historically bad to just bad.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Updated win-loss predictions for Packers following disastrous start to 2026
