Why Packers’ playoff hopes are more alive than people might think

Yes, the Green Bay Packers are 4-8. Yes, Aaron Rodgers has a broken thumb and injured ribs. Yes, Green Bay has lost seven of its past eight games. It looks as though all hope is lost for 2022, right?

Wrong.

Believe it or not, Matt LaFleur’s team is still alive for the postseason.

Currently sitting at 10th in the NFC, the Packers must jump the Commanders, Seahawks, Falcons, and Lions in order to make the playoffs. Green Bay must win out to give themselves a chance. Then all those teams need to lose a few games.

The two teams that are the biggest threats to Green Bay’s playoff hopes are the Commanders and Seahawks. Atlanta is in a division with Tom Brady, and Detroit isn’t quite ready yet to become a contender at 4-7.

So, those two teams will eventually bottom out, most would think. However, Washington currently sits at 7-5 in the last wildcard spot. Seattle is 6-5 and in the first spot out.

Green Bay would need Washington to lose four games out of their remaining five due to Washington’s tiebreaking win over Green Bay. The Commanders do have a difficult schedule down the stretch.

They face the New York Giants twice, the San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, and the Dallas Cowboys. Four losses are definitely possible.

The Packers will probably need Seattle to lose at least three teams. Down the stretch, the Seahawks face the Los Angeles Rams twice, Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers, New York Jets, and Kansas City Chiefs. Three losses are certainly possible there, too.

None of that means anything unless the Packers win out.

They face the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, and Detroit Lions to end the year.

Games against the Bears, Rams, and Lions are winnable. Going to Miami on Christmas and facing the arch-rival Vikings on New Year’s Day will both be tough. But when you have Aaron Rodgers on the field, especially in important games, anything is possible.

This entire scenario seems sort of difficult to comprehend when you look at the entire picture. But if Packers fans break it all the way down, their team still has a possible playoff chance.

Green Bay needs to take it week-by-week and handle their business. Regardless, considering where the Packers are currently sitting and how many injuries this team has sustained this season, finishing on a five-game win streak at 9-8 sounds pretty remarkable.