What are the three most challenging games on the Green Bay Packers’ 2020 schedule?

The Green Bay Packers will have a tough task to retain their NFC North crown in 2020. But what will be their most difficult games to play this season?

Most years, the NFL schedule is released around mid-April. But it wouldn’t be a surprise if this gets delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Time will tell.

While it remains unclear whether the season will begin on time and go ahead as planned, for this article we’ll assume that it does. Here are the three toughest games scheduled for the Packers in 2020:

3. At Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It looked likely we’d never get to see another showdown between Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady, but Brady’s move to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this spring changes that.

The two future Hall-of-Fame quarterbacks only have two head-to-head starts. The Packers won the first, a 26-21 thriller at Lambeau Field in 2014. The New England Patriots won the rematch four years later, 31-17 at Gillette Stadium.

The Packers defense will need to be up to the challenge in this game. It’s not only Brady they will need to worry about, but also All-Pro wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Arguably the league’s top receiving tandem, the duo combined for 2,490 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2019, despite missing a combined five games. And that was without Brady.

2. At New Orleans Saints

The Mercedes-Benz Superdome is always one of the toughest venues to win at for a visiting team. The Packers lost on their last trip back in 2014.

Despite falling short of expectations last season, the Saints are still one of the best teams in football. Drew Brees is back for another year and they have an elite running back-wide receiver tandem of Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas. They’ve now also signed two-time Pro Bowler Emmanuel Sanders.

On the road in a tough environment against one of the league’s best teams, this will be a daunting challenge for the Packers.

1. At San Francisco 49ers

Of course, first position goes to the San Francisco 49ers, a team that beat the Packers by a combined 74-28 in two meetings last season. While the 49ers have lost Sanders and DeForest Buckner, they own two first-round picks including the 13th overall selection. With that pick, they could add one of the best receivers in the draft class.

San Francisco still has the NFC’s best roster and could be set for another dominant season.

The Packers had no answer for the 49ers’ ground game last year and, so far, they’ve not done anywhere near enough to fix that in the offseason.

Visiting Levi’s Stadium will be a big challenge for any team, and it’s the Packers’ toughest game on the schedule.