Get hot in December. Enter the playoffs with momentum. Make a run. That's always the goal, but the Green Bay Packers are heading in the opposite direction.
Losers of three straight, the Packers will limp into the playoffs for the second straight season, and it's the third year in a row they must settle for the NFC's seventh and final seed. It leaves them with a tough decision regarding Jordan Love ahead of their regular-season finale in Minnesota.
Matt LaFleur said he hasn't made his choice yet, but ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that with the Packers locked into the seventh seed and unable to improve their position, they are "expected to rest key players next week."
The Packers are reeling with injuries, so it makes sense. LaFleur may also have learned from Week 18 last year, when they lost Christian Watson to a torn ACL, while Love hurt his elbow in what turned out to be a meaningless game.
It's the right call to rest key starters, but a potentially consequential one for Love.
Jordan Love likely won't play again until the postseason, and that's a concern for the Packers
Even if Love clears the concussion protocol in time, it makes sense to have him sit for another week. While the reps could help him regain rhythm after missing some time, the risk of injury is too great in a matchup that lacks stakes. Love is also still dealing with a left shoulder injury.
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However, resting Love also isn't an ideal scenario, as it means he'll enter the playoffs after a relatively lengthy absence.
The Packers will play their playoff opener between January 10 and January 12. Love last played on December 20 and was limited to just 24 snaps before suffering a concussion. His last full game came on December 14, almost a full month before the opening week of the postseason.
It's the complete opposite of entering the playoffs with momentum, but then again, nothing about this Packers season has been ideal. They've had to overcome so many challenges, especially with injuries, and this is just another.
Aaron Rodgers got hot in 2010 and led the Packers on a legendary playoff run, winning three straight on the road. This Packers team could enter the postseason on the back of four straight defeats, especially if they rest Love and Malik Willis in Week 18 (as they should).
They will likely visit Soldier Field in the wild-card round, where Green Bay should've won a little over a week ago. The most important thing for the Packers is to get healthier between now and a potential rematch with the Chicago Bears. But it comes at a cost.
With Love potentially missing almost a month of action, the Packers have the odds stacked firmly against them in the playoffs.