Just four days after taking an easy 23-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings, the Green Bay Packers went into Ford Field and completed the season sweep of the Detroit Lions with a hard-fought 31-24 victory on Thanksgiving Day. And now, the Packers will complete the three-week divisional trifecta with a Week 14 matchup at Lambeau Field against the Chicago Bears, with first place in the NFC North on the line.
With the win over Detroit, Green Bay improved to 8-3-1 on the season, also remaining undefeated within the division, and could have taken over first place had Chicago lost to the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on Black Friday. The Bears, of course, didn't do their part, picking up their most impressive victory of the year, in terms of opponent strength, with a dominant 24-15 win over the Birds to improve to 9-3.
And on Sunday, things took a very interesting turn when the Los Angeles Rams fell to 9-3 with a loss to the Carolina Panthers, thus moving the Bears into the top spot in the NFC standings. While Chicago and Los Angeles share the same record, the Bears win the tiebreaker because they have a higher winning percentage in games within the conference.
Here's a quick look at the NFC playoff picture heading into Week 14.
- Chicago Bears (9-3, 1st NFC North)
- Los Angeles Rams (9-3, 1st NFC West)
- Philadelphia Eagles (8-4, 1st NFC East)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5, 1st NFC South)
- Seattle Seahawks (9-3, 2nd NFC West)
- Green Bay Packers (8-3-1, 2nd NFC North)
- San Francisco 49ers (9-4, 3rd NFC West)
- Detroit Lions (7-5, 3rd NFC North)
- Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1, 2nd NFC East)
- Carolina Panthers (7-6, 2nd NFC South)
The Packers currently hold the No. 6 slot, but with a win over the Bears on Sunday, they not only take over first place in the NFC North but could also find themselves holding the No. 1 seed, depending on how things play out elsewhere.
Given the way the Bears are playing, though, there's undoubtedly a decent chance Green Bay loses. Regardless of the outcome, however, the Packers can't only be worried about the division race and No. 1 seed, as the wild-card race is obviously still very much in play. So, they'll certainly be keeping an eye on several games on the slate that could ultimately affect their playoff push in one way or another.
With that in mind, let's take a quick look at the contests Green Bay will be watching in Week 14. Two teams on the list above the Packers won't be watching are the San Francisco 49ers and the Carolina Panthers, both of whom are on a bye.
5 things the Packers need to happen in Week 14 (besides beating the Bears)
Dallas Cowboys at Detroit Lions
Even at 7-5 after the loss to Green Bay, the Lions are still in the mix in both the NFC North and the wild-card race. So, they can't be counted out just yet.
And the Dallas Cowboys can't yet be counted out either, as they've made things very interesting with three consecutive victories to get to 6-5-1. The Packers obviously don't care if America's Team wins the NFC East, but they could see them in the wild-card race down the stretch.
Despite the Week 4 tie between the two clubs taking the head-to-head tiebreaker out of play, Green does still have an advantage over Dallas right now with a better record in conference games (6-2-1 to 3-4-1). Of course, if the Cowboys end up catching the Packers, that tiebreaker will have gotten a lot closer. So, they're certainly worth keeping an eye on.
As the division title is the ultimate goal for the regular season, the Packers should probably be hoping for a Dallas win here.
Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta Falcons
As the Seahawks are tied for the best record in the conference at 9-3 (they're in second in the NFC West, as the Rams own the head-to-head tiebreaker), the Packers will undoubtedly be fighting them for seeding somewhere, whether in the top four among the division winners or in the bottom three in the wild-card race.
So, Green Bay should obviously be pulling for the Falcons to pull off an upset here.
New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Like the Seahawks, the Buccaneers could end up in the division race or the wild-card race, as they're battling the Panthers in the NFC South. As such, Green Bay could be fighting them for seeding, so a Saints upset, however unlikely, is the call here.
Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals
Are you sensing a theme here? The Rams are in a dogfight with both the Seahawks and the 49ers in the NFC West, so the Packers could also see them in either race. Cheeseheads should be pulling for the Cards in this one.
Philadelphia Eagles at Los Angeles Chargers
Yep, let's do this one last time. The Eagles have lost two straight to let the Cowboys back into the NFC East conversation, so, yet again, the Packers could see them anywhere down the stretch. The hiccup here is that Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert just underwent surgery on Monday to repair a broken bone in his non-throwing hand.
And while he's hoping to play this Monday night, with the Bolts in a playoff battle of their own, there's no guarantee that will happen, which would obviously put the Chargers at a massive disadvantage, as Trey Lance would be taking the snaps.
But no matter who's under center, the Packers will be pulling for Los Angeles.