How Packers can nearly clinch top seed in playoffs in Week 16

Week 15 was a perfect combination of a Green Bay Packers’ victory and the right opponent’s losses in terms of playoff positioning. Could Week 16 favor the green and gold once again?

Heading into last Sunday afternoon’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, the Packers were already aware the Arizona Cardinals fell at the hands of the lowly Detroit Lions. That Cardinals’ loss removed one of the teams the Packers were tied with atop the NFC standings.

However, it wasn’t until hours after Green Bay’s victory over the Ravens that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were also upset when they fell to their division rival the New Orleans Saints.

Let’s take a look at the Green Bay Packers’ best and worst-case scenarios in Week 16 for their hopes of securing the top seed.

The Packers victory combined with the Buccaneers and Cardinals losses was the perfect blend for Green Bay in Week 15, as it resulted in them standing alone atop the NFC standings and greatly increasing their chance at obtaining the sole first-round by on the NFC side of the playoff bracket.

Although they stand alone at 11-3, there are a plethora of teams tied for second at 10-4. That list includes the Buccaneers, Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys and Los Angeles Rams.

According to Playoffstatus.com, the Packers currently have an 82 percent chance to earn the top seed in the NFC. That number jumps to 89 percent with a victory over the Cleveland Browns on Saturday.

However, the Packers can nearly clinch a first-round bye if the cards fall just right in Week 16. In addition to a victory, they would need just one more game to go their way: The Washington Football Team defeating the Dallas Cowboys.

Washington just lost on Tuesday night to the Philadelphia Eagles and have a roster that is ravaged with covid. But if they were to find a way to defeat the Cowboys next week, it would be a huge boost to the Packers. Green Bay already owns head-to-head victories over the Cardinals and Rams which basically gives them a two-game edge over each of them with just three remaining. As for the Buccaneers, well, the Packers have a better conference record which is the tie-breaker for teams who didn’t square up in the regular season.

The reason the Cowboys are different is that Dallas has a better conference record than Green Bay if the two teams were to tie. That’s why the Packers need them to lose in a best-case scenario.

The flip side of the coin is, of course, a Packers loss combined with a Cowboys victory. That would plummet Green Bay’s chances of a first-round playoff bye to 45 percent with just two games remaining.

Green Bay should feel good about their playoff positioning, but they should not take their foot off the gas for even a second. Now’s the time to hit their top gear and get ready for a deep postseason run.