The Green Bay Packers are headed back to the postseason - again. That’s six playoff appearances in seven years under Matt LaFleur.
Say what you will about the ups and downs, but that kind of consistency? That’s rare air in today’s NFL.
Just ask fans of the Falcons or Jets, who’ve been waiting 8 and 15 years, respectively, for a taste of January football. In Green Bay, playoff football isn’t a hope - it’s an expectation.
But expectations can be a double-edged sword. For a franchise with 13 championships and a fanbase that bleeds green and gold, simply making the playoffs isn’t enough.
Not anymore. LaFleur is 3-5 in postseason play.
Two NFC Championship losses still sting, and the Packers haven’t been back to that stage since 2020. So, as the team punches its ticket to the dance once again - thanks in part to the Vikings’ Christmas Day upset of the Lions - the big question looms: is this the year they finally make a run?
The odds say they’ll be road warriors again. Winning the NFC North is technically still on the table, but it would take a perfect storm - two Green Bay wins, two Chicago losses - and that’s a tough ask.
More likely, they’ll slide in as the No. 7 seed, staring down a brutal road matchup against the No. 2 seed in the Wild Card round. Sound familiar?
It should. That was the path last year too.
But hey, once you're in the tournament, anything can happen. Just ask the 2010 Packers - the last Green Bay team to sneak in as the lowest seed and then rip off three straight road wins en route to a Super Bowl title. The question is, does this team have that same kind of magic?
So far, it hasn’t looked like it. At least, not consistently.
This season has been a rollercoaster of near-misses and what-ifs. Let’s take a look at some of the gut-punch moments that have defined the year:
- Week 3 at Cleveland: All they needed was a 43-yard field goal to win it. Instead, the kick was blocked.
Five plays later, the Browns walked it off. A game that should’ve been in the win column slipped away.
- Week 9 vs. Carolina: The Packers clawed back with a 12-play, 71-yard drive to tie the game with just over two minutes left.
But the defense, solid all day, cracked at the worst possible time. Another walk-off loss.
- Week 10 vs. Philadelphia: Down 10-7 late, the Packers were driving.
Fourth-and-one. Josh Jacobs fumbles behind the line.
Drive dead. Game over.
- Week 15 at Denver: Up nine in the third quarter, defense gets a stop, momentum is theirs. Then Jordan Love throws a deep ball that gets picked.
Christian Watson gets hurt on the play. And just like that, the wheels fall off.
Denver scores 20 unanswered and hands the Packers a 34-26 loss - and a bruising one at that.
- Week 16 vs. Chicago: Despite losing Love early to concussion protocol, the Packers had the Bears on the ropes.
But they botch an onside kick, fail to close in regulation, and can’t get it done in overtime. Another winnable game, gone.
That’s the theme here - winnable games slipping through their fingers. All five of their losses have come by one score.
Three ended on walk-off plays. This team has talent.
They’ve proven they can hang with - and beat - some of the league’s best. They swept the Lions.
They dominated Washington early in the season when the Commanders were still a trendy Super Bowl pick. They went into Pittsburgh and pounded the Steelers.
They handled the Bears at Lambeau and had them beat in Chicago… until they didn’t.
So what’s missing?
It’s not the roster. Brian Gutekunst has built a deep, athletic team.
He even made a splash by bringing in Micah Parsons - a move that signaled the front office believes this team is ready to contend. His additions of Malik Willis and Derek Kinnard have proven to be savvy depth moves that paid off when injuries hit.
It’s not the coaching. LaFleur and his staff have kept this team competitive despite a laundry list of injuries.
Micah Parsons, DeVonte Wyatt, Elgton Jenkins, Tucker Kraft - all missed time. Christian Watson’s been on a pitch count.
Josh Jacobs has battled knee issues. Even the kicker’s been banged up.
Still, the Packers have stayed in games, often controlling them for long stretches. That’s not by accident.
It’s not the injuries. Every team deals with them.
The Bears were without their top two receivers last week. Green Bay was on the road, in prime time, in a hostile environment, with their backup quarterback under center - and they still should’ve won.
It’s not youth, either. Sure, the Packers are one of the youngest teams in the league again, but the core contributors?
They’ve been through the fire. Most of them are seasoned vets.
Only one rookie, guard Anthony Belton, is making a major impact.
And it’s definitely not culture. This is Titletown.
The standard is clear. The expectations are sky-high.
The history is rich. These players know what it means to wear the G.
So we’re left with this: something’s missing. That intangible edge.
The killer instinct to close out tight games. The confidence to finish.
The magic that separates contenders from pretenders. Right now, the Packers are a team that can outplay anyone for 55 minutes - but hasn’t figured out how to seal the deal in the final five.
The good news? There’s still time.
Two regular season games left. Two chances to find that missing spark before the playoffs begin.
It starts Saturday night against the Ravens. If the Packers want to be more than just another early exit, they’ll need to finish strong - and finally prove they can win the games that matter most.