The Green Bay Packers took control of the NFC North with their crucial victory over the Chicago Bears last week. Matt LaFleur won't discuss the division title or clinching scenarios. He'll talk about "going 1-0" each week. But as fans, we don't have to be so boring and can have fun looking ahead.
The NFL has announced that Green Bay's Week 17 game against the Baltimore Ravens will take place on Saturday, Dec. 27, in primetime. It means the Packers will play back-to-back Saturday games under the lights.
Circle that date, as it's when the Packers could realistically clinch the NFC North title. They could do it a week earlier, but that is less likely. Let's break it down.
When and how the Packers can clinch the NFC North title
Week 16: Unlikely but possible
- Packers beat Broncos and Bears
- Bears lose to Browns and Packers
- Lions lose to Rams or Steelers
The Packers can clinch the NFC North as soon as Week 16, but it would require a few different results falling into place. Green Bay needs victories over Denver and Chicago, while the Bears would also need to lose to the Cleveland Browns this week.
Alongside that, Detroit would need to lose to either the Los Angeles Rams or Pittsburgh Steelers.
If that happens, Green Bay would improve to 11-3-1 with only two games to play. Chicago would fall to 9-6, while Detroit would either sit 9-6 or 8-7. Both teams could finish the regular season with a record no better than 11-6, while the Packers' worst-case scenario would see them fall to 11-5-1. That Week 4 tie comes in handy here.
Week 17: A realistic clinching date on December 27
- Packers beat Broncos and Bears and Ravens
The Packers won't need any help in this scenario. It's simple: win the next three games, and the NFC North title is theirs.
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That's easier said than done, of course, with road games against the Broncos and Bears up next before hosting the Ravens. In this scenario, the Packers would improve to 12-3-1, a record neither the Bears nor Lions could match.
If Detroit wins out from here, it will finish 12-5. If Green Bay wins at Soldier Field, the best Chicago can achieve is also 12-5. If the Packers win their next three, the worst they can finish on is 12-4-1.
The Packers play the Ravens on December 27. It means they could take the NFC North crown before any of their rivals play in Week 17. That would be fun.
Week 18: Down to the wire
Perhaps the most likely scenario is the NFC North coming down to the final day. There are various scenarios that could come into play here, depending on how many games the Packers and Bears drop, as well as the outcome of their showdown at Soldier Field.
There's still an outside chance that the Lions could win the North, but that remains an unlikely scenario. They visit the Bears in Week 18, making that game potentially huge for playoff positioning. Even if it's not a battle for the division title, it could be a win-or-go-home scenario for both teams.