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

Either the Los Angeles Rams or the Seattle Seahawks

The Los Angeles Rams take on the Seattle Seahawks this weekend, and Packers fans could make a case for either team winning. I’d go with the Rams personally, but rooting for the Seahawks is also understandable.

Let’s cover that first. The Rams are 7-5 and are only two games behind the Packers. If the Rams win, the Packers’ playoff chances would decrease slightly (nothing to worry about just yet, however), but their chances of earning a first-round bye would only increase from 20 percent to 22 percent, according to FiveThirtyEight.

If your main focus is the Packers making the playoffs, a Seahawks win would help. Green Bay’s playoff chances would jump up to 97 percent with a Seattle win.

However, I’ll be rooting for the Rams this week. For the Packers to have a chance of earning the NFC’s top seed, they’ll need the Seahawks to lose twice. This is a divisional game, and they’re never easy.

As for the Rams remaining in the NFC playoff picture, this shouldn’t be a huge concern. The Packers will guarantee their playoff berth and division victory with wins over Washington, Chicago and Detroit. They may not even need to win all three to finish in the wild-card positions.

The Packers control their destiny when it comes to earning a playoff berth, but a Rams win would give them a better chance of a first-round bye.