Don’t look now, but the Green Bay Packers are in the thick of the NFC playoff race following two wins in their last three games.
The Packers currently sit at 5-6 on the season, just one game behind the Seattle Seahawks for the final wildcard spot in the NFC. Here are the up to date complete standings, ahead of Minnesota’s Monday night matchup with Chicago.
1. Philadelphia 10-1
2. San Francisco 8-3
3. Detroit 8-3
4. Atlanta 5-6
5. Dallas 8-3
6. Minnesota 6-5
7. Seattle 6-5
8. Green Bay 5-6
9. Los Angeles 5-6
10. New Orleans 5-6
11. Tampa Bay 4-7
12. New York 4-8
13. Washington 4-8
14. Chicago 3-8
15. Arizona 2-10
16. Carolina 1-10
Out of the teams on the outside looking in at the playoffs at the moment, the Packers are positioned well, having the head-to-head tie-breaker over Los Angeles and New Orleans, having beaten both teams earlier in the season. They’ll also have the opportunity to have that same tie-breaker over Tampa Bay, as they play them at home in December.
As far as the teams currently in the playoffs, given where the Packers sit, all eyes should be on Minnesota and Seattle, with Dallas as the five seed out of reach. Green Bay still plays the Vikings once more, while Minnesota still has both of their matchups with Detroit to be played. Minnesota owns the head-to-head matchup with the Packers and is 2-0 in the NFC North with the Packers sitting at 2-2. The Vikings remaining schedule has a total record of 34-33.
Seattle, meanwhile, has a very difficult stretch to finish up their season, with games against Dallas, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh still upcoming. The combined record of the Seahawks’ remaining opponents is 39-28, with four of their final six games taking place on the road.
The Packers will have a challenging matchup this coming Sunday Night with the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs—although the 2023 Chiefs have looked more beatable this season compared to previous ones. However, after that game, Green Bay has a very favorable schedule to finish up the year with. In the Packers’ final five games, only Minnesota at 6-5 has a winning record. Including that game, Green Bay’s opponent record to finish out the last five weeks of the season is 18-38.
At this moment, the New York Times have the Packers current playoff odds at 45 percent. If they finish the season 4-2, with a 9-8 record overall, their playoff odds sit at 79 percent. If they finish the year 3-3, Green Bay’s playoff odds drop to just 13 percent. Basically, if the Packers win the games that they are likely to be favored in – at New York, vs. Tampa Bay, at Carolina, vs. Chicago – they have a pretty good chance of being in the postseason.
It’s not just the fact that Green Bay has won two of three to put them on the cusp of being a playoff team that has generated excitement, but it’s how this team has performed over the last month, specifically on offense, that has provided hope. Jordan Love has looked better each week since the Rams’ game and put together a masterful performance in Detroit, sparked by much improved offensive line play and the continued growth of the Packers’ young pass catchers, all of which has contributed to the offense being much better at creating chunk plays.
For us on the outside looking in, we can take a peak at what lies ahead for the Green Bay Packers to try to get an idea of where this team could finish in regards to the rest of the NFC. But for Matt LaFleur and those within 1265 Lombardi Avenue, that is not an option. With areas still to improve upon, it’s about the process, and taking things day-by-day to make sure that the progress they’ve made becomes the norm and not the outlier. Looking ahead is not an option.
”While I don’t own a periscope, first of all,” said Matt LaFleur when asked about looking ahead at the NFC playoff picture. “I think we always try to keep it one game at a time. I don’t want to go Jim Mora on you, but we’ve got a hell of an opponent (Detroit) staring us on a short week, and that’s our sole focus, and we will worry about that other stuff down the road. I think we’re a long way from even thinking about that. Our focus is on getting better each and every day.”