The Green Bay Packers are staring down a golden opportunity in Week 16 - and the path to the playoffs is right in front of them. It’s not overly complicated either.
If Green Bay takes care of business on Saturday with a win, and the Detroit Lions stumble on Sunday, the Packers are officially playoff-bound. Even if the Packers tie (yes, again), a Lions loss would still punch their ticket to the postseason.
But that’s just the beginning.
A win on Saturday doesn’t just keep the Packers alive - it vaults them into first place in the NFC North and all the way up to the No. 2 seed in the NFC overall. That’s a massive swing for a team that’s currently sitting seventh in the playoff picture.
Right now, the Packers are behind a trio of NFC West powers, with the fifth and sixth seeds held by the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers. But even with a loss this week, Green Bay’s playoff position remains intact - they’d stay seventh, and the team behind them can’t leapfrog them just yet.
Let’s talk about how the NFC landscape shifted Thursday night. The Seattle Seahawks took down the Rams and, with that win, claimed the top spot in the conference.
That result dropped the Rams into a wild card spot, but both teams have already clinched playoff berths. The Niners round out the NFC West’s trio of playoff teams, holding the final wild card slot.
Now back to the NFC North - where things are getting tight.
Here’s how the division stacks up heading into the weekend:
- Chicago Bears: 10-4
- Green Bay Packers: 9-4-1
- Detroit Lions: 8-6
- Minnesota Vikings: 6-8
Green Bay is just a half-game behind the Bears, and they’ve already beaten Chicago once this season. That matters.
If the Packers win this weekend - and remember, they’re playing the Bears - they’ll leap into first place in the division. The head-to-head tiebreaker favors Green Bay, but the tie on their record makes the math a little trickier.
Still, a win would be a major step forward.
They can’t clinch the division this week, but they can crank up the pressure. Looking ahead, the Bears finish their season with tough matchups against the 49ers and the Lions.
Green Bay, meanwhile, will face the Baltimore Ravens and the Minnesota Vikings. If the Packers win out, they’ll lock up the NFC North.
Here’s how the NFC playoff picture stands right now:
- Seattle Seahawks: 12-3 * (clinched)
- Chicago Bears: 10-4
- Philadelphia Eagles: 9-5
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7-7
- Los Angeles Rams: 11-4 * (clinched)
- San Francisco 49ers: 10-4
- Green Bay Packers: 9-4-1
- Detroit Lions: 8-6
- Carolina Panthers: 7-7
- Dallas Cowboys: 6-6-1
(* = clinched playoff berth)
As it stands, the Packers are holding onto the final playoff spot, but they’re in striking distance of something much bigger. A division title.
A top-two seed. Maybe even a first-round bye, depending on how things shake out.
A lot has to go right, but it starts with a win on Saturday. Handle that, and Green Bay keeps control of its own destiny.
On the flip side, the playoff dream is officially over for a handful of NFC squads. The Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, Arizona Cardinals, New Orleans Saints, Washington Commanders, and New York Giants have all been eliminated. If the Eagles beat the Commanders, Washington will join that group.
But in Green Bay, the focus is clear: win, and the postseason door swings open. Win out, and the Packers might just walk into January as one of the most dangerous teams in the league.