Fans react to Green Bay Packers’ win over 49ers at Lambeau Field
Green Bay Packers fans react to team’s 38-10 victory over the San Francisco 49ers at Lambeau Field.
At 8-3 after their 38-10 victory Sunday over the San Francisco 49ers, the Green Bay Packers would have the No. 6 seed in the NFL playoffs if the season ended today.
They have a two-game lead over the first team on the outside looking in — the Arizona Cardinals at 6-5 — and a 1½-game lead over the No. 7-seeded Washington Commanders.
It’s a good spot to occupy with six games left in the regular season. Here’s a look at the playoff picture:
What are the Green Bay Packers’ odds of making the playoffs?
The New York Times gives the Packers a 96% chance to make the playoffs. If Green Bay defeats Miami on Thanksgiving — or gets any additional win — that number is going to increase to 98% or 99%.
What is the Green Bay Packers’ playoff picture if the season ended today?
Division champions: No. 1 seed Detroit (10-1), No. 2 Philadelphia (9-2), No. 3 Seattle (6-5), No. 4 Atlanta (6-5)Wild-card teams: No. 5 Minnesota (9-2), No. 6 Green Bay (8-3), No. 7 Washington (7-5)Who would the Packers play in the first round if the season ended today? Seattle, which holds a head-to-head tiebreaker over Atlanta and would get the No. 3 seed
Green Bay Packers remaining 2024 schedule
Nov. 28: vs. Miami (5-6), 7:20 p.m.Dec. 5: at Detroit (10-1), 7:15 p.m.Dec. 15: at Seattle (6-5), 7:20 p.m.Dec. 23: vs. New Orleans (4-7), 7:15 p.m.Dec. 29: at Minnesota (9-2), noonTBD: vs. Chicago (4-7), TBD
Three teams that had losing records at this time last year (including the Packers) made the playoffs
As an illustration of how everything is too early to forecast, last year’s playoffs featured three NFC teams that had losing records after Week 12 (the Packers, Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers) and one 6-5 team (Seattle) that did not make the playoffs. The Bucs were 4-7 at this point last year and wound up winning their division.
This year’s Buccaneers are 5-6 and possess a remarkably kind schedule — the Carolina Panthers twice (3-8), Las Vegas Raiders (2-9), Los Angeles Chargers (7-3), Dallas Cowboys (4-6) and New Orleans Saints (4-7). The Bucs are just one game out of the NFC South lead.
The other 5-6 teams are the Rams and the 49ers, just one game behind Seattle and Arizona in the tight NFC West.
The Packers have beaten three of the four NFC West teams, so if Seattle holds on to the West, Green Bay knows it will hold a tiebreaker over any other team in the division vying for a wild-card berth. Green Bay will face Seattle in December.
Could the Packers get home-field advantage in the playoffs?
Only teams that win the division will get home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs, so that hinges on the Packers catching the Lions, still two games ahead of the Packers with one head-to-head clash remaining.
Even if the Packers have a better record than a first-round opponent (such as Atlanta or Seattle), Green Bay would have to play that game on the road as a wild-card team.
Could the Packers get tiebreakers over Detroit and Minnesota?
The Packers must beat Detroit and Minnesota in their next meetings to even have a chance at getting a tiebreaker over them. With the head-to-head meetings split under that scenario, the next tiebreaker criteria is divisional record.
Detroit is 2-0 (with wins over Minnesota and Green Bay) in the division, and Minnesota is 2-1, while the Packers are 1-2. That means Detroit would also need to lose once more against Chicago or Minnesota for the Packers to survive that tiebreaker.
The next tiebreaker would be record against common opponents. At the moment, Green Bay has a slight edge on Minnesota, having beaten the Rams (a team to which Minnesota lost).
Big games in Week 12 for the playoff picture (besides Miami at Green Bay)
Chicago at Detroit. The Thanksgiving clash will give Detroit another opportunity to get one step closer to clinching the division.Los Angeles Chargers at Atlanta. The Falcons have a one-game lead over Tampa Bay in the NFC South, plus a tiebreaker because they swept the Bucs.Arizona at Minnesota. Both teams could use the win to keep their hopes of a divisional title alive. A Minnesota loss would help Green Bay’s attempt to move past the Vikings.Seattle at New York Jets. The Seahawks have a favorable matchup, albeit one on the road, to try to maintain its hold on the NFC South.Tennessee at Washington. The Commanders are still in the playoff picture but are trying to stop their three-game losing streak, all by one score each.Tampa Bay at Carolina. The Bucs remain a compelling competitor and have a matchup on the road against the 3-8 Panthers.Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans. Both teams are fighting for their playoff lives.Philadelphia at Baltimore. It’s a top-flight clash between two heavyweights from each conference, and the Eagles are looking to keep pace with the Lions in pursuit of the top seed in the NFC.
A bit more about where the Packers stand
Green Bay is situated as the No. 6 seed, and right now, there’s not much difference between the fifth seed (currently the Vikings) and sixth. Either team will play a division winner (Seattle from the NFC West or Atlanta from the NFC South) that has a lesser record. Unless the Packers catch Detroit, the fifth seed is the highest Green Bay can possess.
Matchup preferences might cause a Packers fan to lean one way or the other, but there’s presently no noticeable advantage between No. 5 and No. 6. It’ll be ideal to avoid No. 7 (currently Washington), because a matchup with No. 2 right now means facing one of the two clear powerhouses of the NFC, Detroit or Philadelphia.
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