Packers: Four teams to root for in Week 14 as playoff race heats up

San Francisco 49ers (at Saints)

It’s not ideal that these two teams are playing each other, as it means one of the Packers’ NFC rivals has to win. However, the most favorable outcome is a win for the San Francisco 49ers. As Lombardi Ave’s Kevin Culligan noted earlier this week using the FiveThirtyEight win probability calculator, a 49ers win actually improves the Packers’ chances of a first-round bye by 14 percent. A New Orleans Saints win would swing it the other way, however.

Also, the Packers’ path to the number one seed requires the Saints to lose one game to an NFC team. If New Orleans wins this week, it’s only remaining game against an NFC opponent comes in Week 17 on the road against the Carolina Panthers. If they are going to lose one, it likely has to be to San Francisco.

Again, a 49ers win wouldn’t be perfect, as the Packers would then need them to lose two games out of their final three to have a chance of the number one seed. They’d have games against the Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks to come.

But in this interesting matchup between two of the NFC’s top teams, a 49ers win is slightly more favorable for the Packers.