Packers can clinch the No. 1 seed as early as this week

How the Packers can clinch the No. 1 seed in Week 16.

If the Green Bay Packers close out the season strong, the postseason will run through Lambeau Field. It’s been almost a decade since we could last say that.

Christian Borman wrote an excellent breakdown of how the Packers can secure the NFC’s top seed in the final two weeks of the season, looking at each scenario.

The simplest path is to defeat the Chicago Bears in Week 17. That doesn’t require any help from any other team, or even mean the Packers need to win out. Take care of that game and tiebreakers will ensure the top seed belongs to Green Bay.

However, that game isn’t until next week. Wouldn’t it be great if Matt LaFleur had the luxury of being able to give starters two weeks of rest if he wanted to (including the bye in the first round of the playoffs)?

Well, it’s possible he will have that choice.

Packers’ path to the No. 1 seed this week

It’s not the simplest route because the Packers will need some help to wrap up the top seed this week.

But thanks to the New York Jets’ stunning upset over the Los Angeles Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs beating the New Orleans Saints, it’s now a possibility. And it only requires two steps:

1. Los Angeles defeats Seattle
2. Green Bay defeats Tennessee

That’s it. The Seattle Seahawks host the Rams in the afternoon. If Los Angeles wins that game, Green Bay would be guaranteed the number one seed with victory over Tennessee on Sunday Night Football.

Here’s why.

The Rams are two games behind the Packers. As long as Green Bay wins, Los Angeles would be too far behind to overtake Matt LaFleur’s team. But by defeating Seattle, the Seahawks would also fall two games behind with one week to go.

That leaves only the Packers and Saints. As Green Bay holds the head-to-head tiebreaker, a win on Sunday night would ensure New Orleans can’t get the top seed.

It’s important that the Rams also win for it to happen this week. While the Saints can’t jump ahead of the Packers in a two-way tie, if the Seahawks also finish on the same record, a three-way tie becomes more complicated.

So for Green Bay to be the NFC’s top seed with a week to spare, root for a Los Angeles win over Seattle and then for the Packers to get the job done later in the day.