Despite a disappointing 34-26 defeat at the hands of the Denver Broncos last Sunday, a loss that hit even harder with Micah Parsons' season coming to an abrupt and painful end, as the four-time Pro Bowler suffered a torn ACL, the Green Bay Packers are still in good shape as it pertains to the NFC playoff picture.
Yes, the loss to the Broncos dropped the Packers to 9-4-1 and out of first place in the NFC North, as the Chicago Bears had improved to 10-4 earlier in the day with an easy 31-3 victory over the Cleveland Browns. Again, though, Green Bay is in good shape in the NFC standings, which break down as follows after the Seattle Seahawks' big win over the Los Angeles Rams to kick off the Week 16 slate on Thursday Night Football.
- Seattle Seahawks (12-3, 1st NFC West)
- Chicago Bears (10-4, 1st NFC North)
- Philadelphia Eagles (9-5, 1st NFC East)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7, 1st NFC South)
- Los Angeles Rams (11-4, 2nd NFC West)
- San Francisco 49ers (10-4, 3rd NFC West)
- Green Bay Packers (9-4-1, 2nd NFC North)
- Detroit Lions (8-6, 3rd NFC North)
- Carolina Panthers (7-7, 2nd NFC South)
- Dallas Cowboys (6-7-1, 2nd NFC East)
Aaron Rodgers could help the Packers clinch a playoff berth in Week 16
The Packers, of course, are spending their Week 16 in the Windy City and can take back first place in the division on Saturday night by completing the season sweep of the Bears, whom they took down just two weeks ago by a score of 28-21.
Furthermore, in the lone clinching scenario for Green Bay this week, a win over Chicago on Saturday and a loss by the Detroit Lions on Sunday officially puts the Packers into the postseason for the third consecutive season. And in a fantastic Hollywood-type twist, the Lions are squaring off with none other than Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
You just gotta love when things play out like this, as Cheeseheads can now sit back and root for Rodgers to do the Packers one final favor before he retires—or plays one final year with the Minnesota Vikings, but we'll leave that alone for now.
What makes the Steelers-Lions matchup even more intriguing is that it's basically a revenge game for Rodgers.
For those who recall, his last game in a Packers uniform was against Detroit in Week 18 of the 2022 campaign. With a win that day, Green Bay would have finished 9-8 and claimed the final wild-card slot in the NFC. Instead, however, it was the Lions who emerged victorious that day and ruined Rodgers' last chance at a Lombardi in Titletown.
And let's not forget how that game ended. With the Packers trailing 20-16 with just under six minutes to play in the fourth quarter, Rodgers had one last chance to get Green Bay a victory but was intercepted on the sixth play of what turned out to be his final drive. And as Detroit ultimately ran out the clock, that pick turned out to be his final pass.
If there's anything we know about Aaron Rodgers, it's that he doesn't forget things like that. So, he'll no doubt be ready to roll come Sunday afternoon. And even if Green Bay doesn't beat the Bears, a loss by the Lions is obviously still beneficial. So, get hyped up, Packers fans. It's going to be a fun weekend.