I divide the season, like a game, into quarters. FIRST QTR: Chicago, Cincinnati, at St.Louis, at Minnesota. If the Packers are for real as a playoff team this year they should go at least 3-1 here. The Monday nighter at Minny will be the tough one. If they lose, it'll be because of the Metrodome and the other Vikings not Bratt Faver. SECOND QTR: Detroit, at Cleveland, Minnesota, at Tampa Bay. Coming out of their bye the Packers can really make some hay and help themselves migtily by sweeping this period. This includes the Favre return as a traitor to Lambeau; a game the Packers will not allow themselves to lose. Midseason record 7-1. THIRD QTR: Dallas, San Fran., at Detroit (Thanksgiving), Baltimore (MNF.) This quarter will be the one on which the division and playoff race turns. Three home games and a weak sister on the road present definite opportunity for the Pack. But there are potential pitfalls. Two of the home games bring in elite NFL teams and Thanksgiving history at Detroit has had more than one upset loss on the Green Bay record. The 49ers can't be taken for granted either. A 4-0 sweep gets the Packers to 11 wins, 3-1 puts them at 10. Those would be virtual locks on the playoffs and maybe the division as well. A 2-2 split puts the Pack in a scratch to the wire at 9-3 heading into the final month. FOURTH QTR: at Chicago, at Pittsburgh, Seattle, at Arizona. Soldier Field isn't a particularly impossible venue for the Packers to win in; as long as they don't find ways to beat themselves as they have in their last two trips there.The Steelers will be dealing with the "year after" a Super Bowl win. The Packers have dominated Seattle. The Cardinals may have incentive to play to win or may not; may or may not be having a great season by the time that game comes around. There's a lot of contingencies that make predicting the last quarter this far out impossible. Injuries. Motivations for the division or wild card, for a first round bye or home field for the postseason. The Packers could go 1-3 or 2-2. In either case it gets them to at least a 10-6 or 11-5 record on the season which should keep them playing in January.