The Green Bay Packers didn't get much help in Week 14. Pretty much every result following their loss to the Detroit Lions on Thursday Night Football went against them.
Green Bay entered the weekend hoping for wins from the Atlanta Falcons, Las Vegas Raiders, Seattle Seahawks, and Buffalo Bills, but only one of those teams got the job done.
At 9-4, the Packers still sit in a tremendous position. Their hopes of winning the NFC North went up in smoke following their loss to the Lions, but they hold a strong grip on a wild-card berth, and it would take a disastrous final four weeks to mess that up.
However, Week 14 is one to forget.
The Los Angeles Rams' stunning win over the Bills pulled them within two games of the Packers (although Green Bay holds the head-to-head tiebreaker). More concerning is that the Packers should want the San Francisco 49ers as far away from the playoffs as possible, but they destroyed the Chicago Bears 38-13.
The only positive is that Seattle maintained its two-win lead over San Francisco and pushed the Arizona Cardinals a little closer to elimination. However, the Seahawks won their fourth straight and take momentum into a Sunday Night Football showdown with the Packers in Week 15.
Packers still have strong chance of reaching playoffs despite Week 14 loss
Short-term, Week 14 wasn't kind to the Packers. However, they still have a great chance of reaching the postseason. The Athletic's updated projections give Green Bay a 95 percent chance of securing a playoff berth. We'll take that.
The Packers are currently the No. 6 seed, one game clear of the Washington Commanders and two of the Rams. Here are each in-the-hunt team's chances of making the playoffs, per The Athletic's projections:
Team | Playoff chances | Record |
|---|---|---|
Packers | 95% | 9-4 |
Commanders | 76% | 8-5 |
Rams | 33% | 7-6 |
Falcons | 48% | 6-7 |
Cardinals | 11% | 6-7 |
Fortunately, the 49ers are only given a seven percent chance despite their win over the Bears. However, the Packers would open the door for them to enter the NFC West race if they beat the Seahawks next week.
Green Bay kicked off Week 14 in the worst way with a heartbreaking loss to Detroit. Per the projections, the Packers' chances of winning the NFC North are now below one percent. The Lions hold a three-win advantage and the head-to-head tiebreaker, which effectively ends Green Bay's challenge with four weeks to go. Minnesota also holds a two-game lead.
The Packers' path is a simple one. They will likely take the No. 6 or 7 seed and require multiple road wins in the postseason to reach the Super Bowl. The No. 5 seed remains possible, but they must defeat the Vikings, hope Minnesota loses at least one other game and that they can overturn the conference record tiebreaker.
The biggest concern is that the Packers could confirm their playoff berth in the next week or so and then face multiple games with little to play for. That wouldn't be ideal entering the playoffs.