Green Bay Packers

Playoff Scenarios: Packers Eye Two Seeds and Three Potential Opponents

Posted on by newssite

GREEN BAY – With the loss to Minnesota last week, the Packers’ playoff scenarios have simplified somewhat.

Green Bay will get either the No. 6 or 7 seed in the NFC and will travel to play one of three possible opponents in the wild-card round: Philadelphia if the Packers are the No. 7 seed, and either the Los Angeles Rams or Tampa Bay if the Packers are the No. 6 seed.

In order for the Packers (11-5) to get the No. 6 seed, they’ll need to beat the Bears (4-12) on Sunday at Lambeau Field and have the Cowboys (7-9) beat the Commanders (11-5) in their Week 18 matchup, which will be going on at the same time (noon CT kickoff).

Washington wins the tiebreaker (conference record) for the No. 6 seed if the Packers and Commanders finish with the same record. So if the Packers lose, or if the Commanders win, Green Bay is the No. 7.

Therefore, if you want the Packers to get the No. 6 seed, cheer for Dallas to beat Washington.

Philadelphia is locked into the No. 2 seed, so if the Packers get the No. 7, they will travel to face the Eagles.

If the Packers get the No. 6 seed, they would travel to face the No. 3 seed, which could be the Rams or Buccaneers, depending on how their Week 18 games go. Los Angeles (10-6) has already clinched the NFC West and hosts Seattle (9-7). Tampa Bay (9-7) is still fighting for the NFC South title and hosts New Orleans (5-11).

Atlanta (8-8), which could take the NFC South with a win over Carolina (4-12) coupled with a Tampa Bay loss, can only get the No. 4 seed and therefore is not a possible first-round opponent for Green Bay.

So here are all the potential scenarios as they relate to the Packers and the upcoming wild-card round.

Green Bay gets the No. 6 seed and plays at L.A. Rams if:

  • Packers win AND
  • Commanders lose AND
  • Rams win OR Buccaneers lose

Green Bay gets the No. 6 seed and plays at Tampa Bay if:

  • Packers win AND
  • Commanders lose AND
  • Rams lose AND
  • Buccaneers win

Green Bay gets the No. 7 seed and plays at Philadelphia if:

  • Commanders win OR Packers lose

The other seeds to be determined in the conference are the No. 1 and 5, which will come down to the Sunday night game pitting Minnesota (14-2) at Detroit (14-2) for the NFC North crown.

The Vikings-Lions winner gets the top seed and first-round bye that goes with it, while the loser drops to the No. 5 seed and would travel to face the No. 4, which could be the Buccaneers, Falcons or Rams.

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