Coming off consecutive three-point losses, the first to the Carolina Panthers and the second to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Green Bay Packers got back on the winning track this past Sunday with a 27-20 road victory over the New York Giants.
Was it the prettiest win? No. And should Matt LaFleur & Co. have had that tough of a time closing out a team with two victories? Absolutely not. But a win is a win, and the Packers will undoubtedly need every one they can get coming down the stretch of this 2025 campaign, given the competitive nature of both the NFC North and the conference as a whole.
The way we see it, there are 11 teams that still have some kind of shot to earn a postseason berth, a list that could get at least one team smaller if the Packers take care of their business this Sunday against the rival Minnesota Vikings.
Here's a quick look at where things stand heading into Week 12.
- Philadelphia Eagles (8-2, 1st NFC East)
- Los Angeles Rams (8-2, 1st NFC West)
- Chicago Bears (7-3, 1st NFC North)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4, 1st NFC South)
- Seattle Seahawks (7-3, 2nd NFC West)
- Green Bay Packers (6-3-1, 2nd NFC North)
- San Francisco 49ers (7-4, 3rd NFC West)
- Detroit Lions (6-4, 3rd NFC North)
- Carolina Panthers (6-5, 2nd NFC South)
- Dallas Cowboys (4-5-1, 2nd NFC East)
- Minnesota Vikings (4-6, 4th NFC North)
As you can see, a Packers win on Sunday would knock the Vikings down to 4-7 on the season and likely kill any chance Minnesota has to reach the postseason, which Cheeseheads certainly wouldn't mind.
But in addition to winning their own game, the Packers can obviously also benefit from the outcomes of several other games on the Week 12 slate, both in the race for the NFC North and the wild-card race. So, let's have a quick look at the matchups Green Bay should keep an eye on this week.
Important Week 12 games that will impact the Packers' playoff odds
Pittsburgh Steelers at Chicago Bears
Hmmm...I wonder who the Packers will be rooting for here.
Seriously, how great is this scenario? Well, it's not so great for Green Bay that the Bears are in first place in the NFC North. Still, the overall storyline here is absolute gold, as Aaron Rodgers (assuming his fractured left wrist doesn't keep him out of action) returns to Soldier Field one final time to face the team he tormented for a decade and a half while wearing the Green & Gold.
And if the Packers take down the Vikings and Rodgers and his Steelers take down the Bears, Green Bay slides back into first place in the NFC North. Be sure to have your split-screen going, as these two matchups take place at the same time.
New York Giants at Detroit Lions
The Packers would obviously like to see the Giants be as competitive as they were this past week in this one, as just about any Lions loss is always welcomed.
Seattle Seahawks at Tennessee Titans
As Green Bay sits right behind the Seahawks in the standings, they'll be pulling for the Titans here. Tennessee actually being able to pull off an upset seems highly unlikely, but stranger things have happened.
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
As the Cowboys will need a lot of things to go right down the stretch just to sneak into the postseason, the Packers likely aren't overly worried about Dallas chasing them down in the wild-card race. They could, however, conceivably get into a race with the Eagles for seeding if they can find a way to win the NFC North.
As Green Bay obviously loses a head-to-head tiebreaker with Philly, Micah Parsons should call up his old pals and tell them to take down the defending champs on Sunday afternoon.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Los Angeles Rams/Carolina Panthers at San Francisco 49ers
As you can see, I've grouped this final pair of games together, and the reason for that is because Green Bay can be connected to all four of these teams, whether it be for seeding among the division winners or in the wild-card race. Allow me to explain.
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Now, just as I mentioned with the Eagles, Green Bay may end up getting into a fight with the NFC West-leading Rams for seeding among the top four. So, in that sense, the Packers may want to root for the Buccaneers on Sunday night. They may also want to root for Tampa Bay (and the 49ers this week) because they won't want to see the Panthers in the top four, as Green Bay obviously loses a head-to-head tiebreaker with Carolina.
All that said, if the Packers end up having to fight for a wild-card slot, they will want to see the Bucs there, as no head-to-head tiebreaker comes into play, as Green Bay and Tampa Bay don't meet this season. So, perhaps the Packers may want to root for the Rams and the 49ers this week.
But with San Francisco right on their heels, maybe it's beneficial for the Panthers to beat the Niners on Monday night.
Simply put, these two matchups create several different scenarios that could both help and hurt Green Bay depending on how the season progresses. So, call both of these a toss-up.
What matters most, of course, is that the Packers control what they can control by taking down the Vikings. And we'll just see how things play out from there.