Packers' Rooting Guide for NFL Playoff Implications of Week 17
The Green Bay Packers' three-game winning streak has resurrected their playoff chances as they get ready for a pivotal home game against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17.
According to the New York Times' playoff projections, the Packers enter the penultimate week with a 32 percent chance to get into the playoffs. With a win, those odds will rise to 54 percent.
That's not bad for a team that was 4-8 and all but written off going into Week 13.
Of course, the Packers aren't in complete control of their destiny. There are games around the league over the next two weeks that are going to determine whether they make the postseason and what seed they will ultimately wind up with.
Here's a look at three games the Packers' faithful should be watching this weekend in addition to their own game.
Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
The Chicago Bears are the last team the Packers are likely to want to ask for help, but they could use a Bears upset win to improve their playoff odds. The Detroit Lions are among the three teams lurking on the bubble with a 7-8 record.
The Bears are the furthest thing from a threat in the playoff race.
Having lost eight games straight, they are actually in contention to pass the Houston Texans for the worst record in the league and the No. 1 pick.
That being said, Packers fans should take some solace in what the first game between the two looked like. The Lions narrowly escaped with a 31-30 win in Chicago. The Lions needed three fourth-quarter touchdowns to come back from a 24-10 deficit, and Justin Fields had 147 rushing yards with two scores on the ground and two more through the air.
If the second-year passer is able to put together another dynamic stat line and the Lions defense doesn't come to play, there could be an upset brewing.
That would all but eliminate the Lions from contention. That's important because Detroit plays the Packers in Week 18 in what could be a de facto playoff game.
Indianapolis Colts at New York Giants, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
The easiest path for the Packers to make the playoffs is for them to win each of their next two games and have either the Commanders lose once (more on them in a minute) or the Giants lose their next two games.
That starts with a game against the struggling Indianapolis Colts.
The Colts' roller-coaster season has had far more downs than ups, including multiple starting quarterbacks and an unconventional interim coach in Jeff Saturday.
Credit where it's due, Saturday continues to try to do things to turn things around. Last week, he benched Matt Ryan for the second time this season to give Nick Foles a chance to start. Unfortunately for him, Foles looked like a guy who hadn't started an NFL game all season—because he was.
The result was just three points on the board in a 20-3 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Foles threw three interceptions with no touchdowns and just 143 yards.
If you're a Packers fan, the hope is that another week of practice for Foles to get his feet underneath him might be enough to pose a threat to a Giants team that is 1-4-1 over their last six games.
Cleveland Browns at Washington Commanders, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET
Outside of their own game, this is the big one for the Packers. While they need the Giants to lose twice to keep their playoff hopes alive, they just need one Commanders loss to control their own destiny.
The Cleveland Browns were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs last week, but there are still plenty of important figures with a lot left to prove in the organization.
Deshaun Watson is chief among them. The Cleveland Browns gave up a ton in a trade for the quarterback and handed him a massive fully guaranteed contract, and so far, he's thrown two touchdowns to three interceptions while completing 57.7 percent of his passes in four starts.
Kevin Stefanski can't be feeling great about the direction of his club. Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reported the head coach's job is believed to be safe.
However, Jimmy Haslam has had no issue firing coaches in the past, and Stefanski's team has scored just 33 points over the last three games, losing two of their last three.
Picking up a win against the Commanders would likely help ease some tension and stress as the team heads toward Black Monday.
The Commanders will be turning things back over to Carson Wentz after going with Taylor Heinicke since Week 7.
Washington is hoping a return to its original starting quarterback this season will salvage the campaign, but Packers fans will be hoping to watch him struggle in a loss.