If the Green Bay Packers go on to win the NFC North and secure the No. 1 seed in the conference, the results of the past week might end up looking like the turning point for Matt LaFleur’s team.
Week 8 was nothing but great for the Packers.
Not only did the Packers beat the previously undefeated Arizona Cardinals, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers also lost and so did the three other teams in the NFC North.
Going into Week 9, the Packers are now in possession of the No. 1 seed in the NFC and a commanding lead in the division.
How good of a spot are the Packers in? After eight weeks, Green Bay is 7-1. The rest of the NFC North combines for only six total wins.
NFC North standings
| Team | W/L | Division | |
| 1. | Green Bay Packers | 7-1 | 2-0 |
| 2. | Minnesota Vikings | 3-4 | 1-0 |
| 3. | Chicago Bears | 3-5 | 1-1 |
| 4. | Detroit Lions | 0-8 | 0-3 |
The Vikings lost at home on Sunday night despite the Dallas Cowboys not having Dak Prescott, the Bears lost at home to the 49ers, and the Lions were blown out at home by the Eagles. It’s only Week 9, and a lot of football is left to be played, but the Packers are already up four wins on the Vikings and Bears in the division.
The division crown is only one step of the journey. In the current playoff format, earning the top seed and a week off is worth its weight in gold. And if the season ended today, the Packers would get the No. 1 seed and the only bye in the NFC playoffs.
The current NFC playoff picture
1. Green Bay Packers (7-1)
2. Arizona Cardinals (7-1)
3. Dallas Cowboys (6-1)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2)
5. Los Angeles Rams (7-1)
6. New Orleans Saints (5-2)
7. Carolina Panthers (4-4)
No rest for the weary. The Packers go back on the road this week to play Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday. Can LaFleur’s team win an eighth straight game and keep marching along as the hottest team in football? After a disastrous start in Week 1, the Packers are surging, and all the regular season goals – win the division, get the top seed – are very much in play. In fact, the Packers are overwhelming favorites to win the NFC North, and thanks to a signature win in Arizona, they’ll enter Week 9 as the favorite to be the NFC’s top seed.
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