The Green Bay Packers have a playoff clinching scenario in Week 15, but it requires three different results — including one uncommon result — and has to be considered unlikely.
Per the NFL, the Packers can clinch a playoff spot if they beat the Seattle Seahawks, get a loss or tie from the Atlanta Falcons AND get a tie between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers in Week 15.
The first two are possible — the Packers are favored to win in Seattle, and the Falcons (who have lost four straight games) are going on the road to play the Las Vegas Raiders. But a tie between the Rams and 49ers (or any two teams) is highly unlikely. Hitting all three results probably isn’t going to happen.
While the Packers might not clinch this week, the scenario does confirm that if Matt LaFleur’s team beats the Seahawks on Sunday night, they’ll be on the verge of clinching a playoff spot with even one or two more results over the final three weeks. That’s a great spot to be at this point in the season.
Per the playoff simulator at the New York Times, the Packers have a 98 percent chance of making the postseason and would improve their standing to over 99 percent with a win over the Seahawks.
Just win, baby. Beat the Seahawks in Seattle in primetime and the Packers would probably need the end of the world to miss out on the postseason, even if it isn’t clinched this weekend.
In other clinching news, the Minnesota Vikings can clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Chicago Bears, and the Philadelphia Eagles have a chance to clinch the NFC East title. The Eagles and Detroit Lions have already clinched a playoff spot in the NFC.