The Green Bay Packers currently have an 88% chance of making the playoffs, which is good for a team that is third in their division. With that being said, Green Bay also has better odds of being the representative for the NFC in the Super Bowl (11%) than NFC North champions (5%). This is thanks to the division leader Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings, who both beat the Packers earlier in the season and remain frontrunners for the division title.
While Green Bay is certainly not out of contention for the division, it will be an uphill battle with seven games left in the regular season. Taking the NFC North would work wonders for Green Bay, ultimately giving them better odds against weaker opponents on the Packers path to the playoffs and the Super Bowl. However, there are crucial steps that this team needs to take if they are to have an optimal chance at seeing the Lombardi Trophy return home.
Green Bay Packers Path to the 2025 NFL Playoffs
Step 1: Run The Table
If the Packers are to have any hope at clinching the division, they need to win out. This is especially necessary in their next matchups against the Vikings and Lions, who are 1.0 and 2.0 games ahead of Green Bay, respectively. Unless both Minnesota and Detroit drop more games than expected, the Packers do not have the option to lose if they want to keep the division within reach and earn a higher seed heading into the playoffs.
While this team is in a much more advantageous position in the season than in 2016, the team should feel like they can run the table as Aaron Rodgers did. Facing the Lions at Ford Field in Week 14 and the Vikings in Minnesota Week 17 are by far the most important matchups for the rest of the season. Losses in these games would effectively put Green Bay out of contention for the division and would have the team settling for a lower seed and tougher road to the promise land.
The Lions and Vikings are undoubtedly the main focus of Green Bay’s path to the playoffs. However, Green Bay’s matchups against the struggling 49ers in Week 12 and the revamped Miami Dolphins in Week 13 also pose threats to the Packers chances at playoff freedom.
Step 2: Pray on the Downfall of the North
The NFC North might be the mightiest it has been since 2012, when the Packers, Vikings, and Chicago Bears ended the regular season with at least 10 wins. In that three-team race for the North, Green Bay came out on top. If that is to happen this year, Titletown is going to need all the help they can get, even if it is out of their control.
Detroit Lions
The Lions have matchups against the Colts (5-6), Bears (4-6) twice, Packers (7-3), Bills (9-2), 49ers (5-5), and Vikings (8-2), which is a relatively difficult schedule. With the way the Colts and Bears seasons are going, Detroit will most likely come out victorious, adding three more wins to their standing. As for the 49ers, a late-season surge could potentially surprise Detroit. The Packers and Vikings are also good enough to give the Lions a run for their money.
Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota faces the Bears twice, Cardinals (6-4), Falcons (6-5), Seahawks (5-5), Packers, and Lions to round out the regular season, which is certainly more competitive than their last three matchups against the bottom of the barrel in the AFC South. Outside of the Bears, each one of these teams can compete with the Vikings and do some damage.
If the Lions and Vikings can lose a few of their matchups over the next month and a half and Green Bay finds a way to do what Rodgers did in 2016, a 22nd NFC North title could be in the making for Titletown.
Main Photo: Mark Hoffman – USA Today Sports
