Simple, reasonable paths for Packers to make playoffs with 2 weeks left.
The Green Bay Packers are 7-8 and currently outside the NFC playoff field with two weeks to go, but Matt LaFleur’s team has a few rather simple paths to qualifying for the postseason as a wildcard team. In fact, the Packers can clinch a spot with only four specific results mixed in different ways.
No other result is required. The Packers would be in regardless of what happens with any other NFC team because of a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Rams. And the great part of this scenario is all four results look reasonable; the Rams will be favored over the Giants, and the 49ers — who will be fighting for positioning in the season finale — will almost certainly be favored over the Rams.
Not as likely, but still possible. Packers finishing 2-0 and Rams 1-1 is the way. The Rams losing out (0-2) actually complicates the scenario.
Need another path? Here’s one that would set up a win-and-in scenario in the season finale.
If any combination of two losses by the Falcons (vs. Bears), Rams (vs. Giants) and Seahawks (vs. Steelers), and the Packers beat the Vikings, it would set up a win-and-in scenario over the Bears in Week 18.
And then beat the Vikings to set up a win-and-in season finale vs. the Bears.
The Rams wouldn’t need to factor into this scenario. The Bears beating the Falcons and Steelers beating Seahawks (two reasonable results) would be all the Packers need to set up a clinching two-game scenario vs. the Vikings and Bears.
Long story short: the Packers need to win out against two division rivals and get a little bit of help. Not an unreasonable amount of help requiring big upsets and a string of losses, but just a few possible results.
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