Packers face multiple battles at once, and the next stretch could define the team’s season in a very intense way
Green Bay kicked off the NFC North tour by beating the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field, but bigger games are coming.
It’s going to be an intense rest of the regular season for the Green Bay Packers. The battle for the NFC North title has been electric — right now, the Chicago Bears lead the division at 8-3 but have a difficult schedule ahead, the Packers are at 7-3-1, and the Detroit Lions come right behind at 7-4.
Packers and Bears will face off twice in a three-week span, and Green Bay plays the Lions on Thanksgiving before that. Detroit and Chicago also play in the regular season finale, so there are several rivalry games to round out the competition.
But that’s not the only fight the Packers are in.
Packers’ playoff chances
Before the “Monday Night Football” game between the San Francisco 49ers and Carolina Panthers, the Packers have a 77 percent chance of reaching the playoffs, behind the Lions (80 percent) and ahead of the Bears (54 percent). Green Bay has a 39 percent chance of winning the division. The numbers come from The Athletic‘s playoff picture tool.
That means the Packers also have a big battle against NFC opponents from other divisions in the wild card race.
Right now, the Lions are projected to win the division. The Packers are slated to be the seventh seed for the third straight season, behind the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers. In the hunt are the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, and Carolina Panthers.
But the biggest challengers are the Bears and whoever doesn’t win the NFC West between the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and San Francisco 49ers. There are three wild card spots, and four teams truly fighting for them — six if the Cowboys and Panthers make a run, which is far from impossible.
Monster sequence
The Packers are in the middle of a huge divisional streak. After beating the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, Green Bay plays the Detroit Lions on Thursday and the Chicago Bears the following week.
If the Packers win on Thanksgiving, their playoff chances jump to 91 percent. But a loss would put them at 68 percent. Projecting the Bears game, a win puts them at 85 percent, and the loss drops them to 53 percent.
Until the end of the season, the Packers will only play two non-divisional games — and both are against AFC teams, the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens. Green Bay closes out the regular season with the second game against the Vikings.
Especially after losses to the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers, there’s little margin for error left for the Packers. It’s time to put everything together for the final sequence and to secure a postseason spot.
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