The Green Bay Packers made the playoffs with nine wins last season. They already have eight, and it's not even Thanksgiving.
Matt LaFleur's team will likely need to better its 9-8 record to have a realistic shot at making the postseason, but sitting at 8-3 with six to play, the Packers have taken a significant step toward another playoff berth.
They still sit two games behind the 10-1 Detroit Lions and one behind the 9-2 Minnesota Vikings, but with a chance to meet both again, the Packers still have a shot at the NFC North. Failing that, their odds of securing a wild-card berth are high.
Even better? By handing the San Francisco 49ers a 38-10 defeat, they pushed their rivals to the brink of elimination.
Packers closing in on playoff berth after beating 49ers in Week 12
According to The Athletic's updated projections, the Packers have a 93 percent chance of making the playoffs.
They give Green Bay only a three percent shot at winning the NFC North, which is understandable, considering the Lions look unstoppable. But the Packers are close to punching their ticket to the postseason, and anything can happen once they get there.
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San Francisco's chances dropped to 11 percent. Not only is it great to get revenge for the Packers' playoff loss last January, but pushing the Niners closer to elimination helps prevent another heartbreaking postseason loss to them. The 49ers are battling injuries, but they have the talent to get hot and make a run. This result is huge.
If the season ended today, the Packers would hold the No. 6 seed with a two-game advantage over the No. 8-seeded Arizona Cardinals. A win over the Miami Dolphins on Thursday would put the Packers in an incredible position.
With six games to go, LaFleur's team likely needs at least two more wins to clinch a wild-card berth. The remaining schedule: Miami, at Detroit, at Seattle, vs. New Orleans, at Minnesota, vs. Chicago.