The Packers Made the Playoffs, so Now What?
The Green Bay Packers clinched a playoff berth with their win over the New Orleans Saints, making them the third NFC North team this season officially in the Super Bowl sweepstakes. While they’ve secured a spot in the postseason, they still need to focus on playoff seeding and matchups. With no chance of winning the NFC North, the Packers are now fighting for one of the favorable NFC Wild Card spots. With just two games left in the regular season, they’re looking at three possible outcomes: the fifth, sixth, or seventh seed.
Fifth Seed Scenario: Packers Win Out and Vikings Lose Out
The Vikings’ next two matchups are against the Packers and the Lions. If it brings any comfort, Minnesota has yet to beat Detroit in their last meeting, much like the Packers to the Vikings. Funnily enough, both scores were 31-29. Earlier in the season, Green Bay lost a close game to Minnesota on their home field. With that, today’s matchup against the Minnesota Vikings holds a lot of importance, both literally and symbolically. Although the rematch is set in the Vikings’ territory, the Packers simply are not the same team they were 13 weeks ago. The pieces have started to come together, and the growing pains are starting to lessen, but this game provides a good sample size with a playoff-caliber team.
Sixth Seed Scenario: Packers Win and Commanders Lose
The sixth seed is actually where the Packers are currently sitting. Truthfully, entering the playoffs as the sixth seed is not too bad at all as far as the first-round matchups go. In fact, the last season the Packers won the Super Bowl, they entered the playoffs as the sixth seed. The third seed and the fourth seed are less scary than the teams sitting at one and two. While a win against the Vikings would be cathartic, it is not the end of the world if the Commanders lose to the Falcons today. It would just put extra pressure on the Packers to beat the Bears, an opponent who seems to inherently just lose against the Packers. If the Packers lose their final two games, the Commanders can overtake them for the sixth seed, leaving the Packers sliding to the seventh seed.
Seventh Seed Scenario: Packers Lose One Game, and Commanders Win Out
While it is not an end-all-be-all if the Packers end up with the seventh seed, it would be a lie to say that any soul with a beating heart wants to face the Eagles on the road in the first round. The Packers have the talent to hold their own against them, but why choose the struggle so early on? Let someone else have that battle. However, if one is superstitious, let it be known the last time the Packers took home the Lombardi Trophy, they beat the Eagles in the first round.
Enough of the fortune guessing. Green Bay is currently sitting at the sixth seed, still with room to climb and slide. Long story short, root for the Vikings and the Commanders to both lose, not that Packers fans needed to be told not to root for the Vikings. The fifth and sixth seeds will face the winners of the NFC West and NFC South. While teams are relying on not only their own success but others as well to make their way, those still fighting for division titles are the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Some teams have an easier path than others, but all of these opponents scream winnable matchups. None of these games are out of reach. In fact, the Packers have beaten both the Rams and the Seahawks this season. While the Packers have a spot in the playoffs with their name on it, they need to finish out strong so they can put themselves in the best position entering the postseason.
