Packers don’t get help they needed in early Week 15 games
Tonight, the Washington Commanders host the New York Giants. As long as there is a winner and not a tie, the Green Bay Packers will be happy.
However, they would’ve preferred some other results to go a different way on Sunday afternoon.
The early-window games in Week 15 are over, with some important results regarding the NFC playoff picture.
The Detroit Lions fought back to defeat the New York Jets, their sixth win in their past seven games. Despite starting 1-6, the Lions are back in playoff contention.
The Packers can still overtake the Lions — the two teams meet in Week 18 — but it would be helpful for Detroit to lose a game before then.
Other games that potentially impact the Packers came in the NFC East. The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Chicago Bears, while the Dallas Cowboys lost to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
So, why is that important? We’ll come onto that in just a moment, but first, here are the updated NFC standings before the late Sunday games:
Updated NFC playoff picture after early Sunday games
1. Philadelphia Eagles (13-1)
2. Minnesota Vikings (11-3)
3. San Francisco 49ers (10-4)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7)
5. Dallas Cowboys (10-4)
6. Washington Commanders (7-5-1)
7. New York Giants (7-5-1)
8. Seattle Seahawks (7-7)
9. Detroit Lions (7-7)
10. Green Bay Packers (5-8)
11. Carolina Panthers (5-9)
12. New Orleans Saints (5-9)
13. Atlanta Falcons (5-9)
14. Arizona Cardinals (4-9)
15. Los Angeles Rams (4-9)
16. Chicago Bears (3-11)
So, back to the NFC East and why those results matter.
The Eagles have effectively wrapped up the division title, and that’s bad news for the Packers. It means the Eagles and Cowboys are unlikely to have anything to play for in Week 18.
In Week 18, the Eagles host the Giants while the Cowboys visit the Commanders. Considering the Giants and Commanders are ahead of the Packers in the standings, that’s far from ideal.
It could make their Week 18 matchups significantly easier, should the Eagles and/or Cowboys rest starters.