Packers' Rooting Guide for 2022 NFL Draft Implications of Week 14
The Green Bay Packers sit in a strange spot where their NFL draft rooting interests in Week 14 are concerned.
They are one of six teams with a late bye week. Four of the others not playing this weekend are ahead of them in the projected draft order.
Green Bay received no help from the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday, as they fell to the Los Angeles Rams and remained in front of the Packers.
The biggest goal for Green Bay on Sunday should be to maintain its projected No. 12 spot while it rests up for the stretch run of the regular season.
The Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and even the Detroit Lions should gain rooting interest from Packers fans so that the team's draft stock remains the same.
Browns over Bengals
The Week 13 results produced by the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals suggest the Browns have no chance of helping out Green Bay in Week 14.
Cleveland is one of three 5-7 teams sitting directly behind the Packers in the draft order going into Week 14. Its first-round pick goes to the Houston Texans and that may make it more motivated to spring the upset in Cincinnati.
The Browns are not affected by a loss and already beat Joe Burrow and Co. earlier this season.
Cleveland could catch the Bengals stuck on the high they received from beating the Kansas City Chiefs last week.
The win reannounced the Bengals as an AFC contender. They should also feel like the AFC North favorite now that Lamar Jackson is injured for the division-leading Baltimore Ravens.
All of that can concoct the perfect recipe for an upset along with a heavy serving of Nick Chubb. The running back is the path to victory for the Browns since Deshaun Watson is still shaking off the rust from not playing football for a season-and-a-half.
Steelers over Ravens
The Pittsburgh Steelers have a much more realistic chance to knock off the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday than they had just a week ago.
Lamar Jackson's injury is likely to affect Baltimore's offense, even if Tyler Huntley has experience running the unit.
Baltimore suffered a losing run with the 24-year-old in for Jackson last season and could be vulnerable to a road loss on Sunday.
Pittsburgh has played its best football over the last month, and it is fighting to just be competitive with Kenny Pickett at the helm.
The Steelers are more worried about developing their quarterback than they are concerned with where they draft in the 2023 first round.
A win over an AFC North rival would allow the Steelers to move one step closer to the .500 mark and a full game ahead of the Packers in the win column.
Lions over Vikings
Packers fans have to root for someone in the NFC North clash between the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings.
The Lions are the lesser of two evils here because they can win and help the Packers' draft pick.
A Vikings win just means they lock up the division and Green Bay is left fighting with the Lions for draft position.
Detroit holds a ton of confidence going into Sunday after its 40-14 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars at home last week.
The Lions could cause problems to the Vikings secondary. Amon-Ra St. Brown will be the key to earning a win and moving one full game ahead of the Packers in the standings.
Wins for the Browns, Steelers and Lions, or at least two of them, would be the best-case scenario for the Packers in Week 14 with so many other teams around them in the projected draft order also on bye.