Green Bay Packers’ Blueprint to Make playoffs After Week 12

The Green Bay Packers upset the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving and suddenly have realistic dreams of making the playoffs this season. And the blueprint to get there is somewhat simple.

At 5-6, the Packers are half a game behind the Minnesota Vikings (6-6) and one game behind the Seattle Seahawks (6-6) for one of the two Wild Card spots. The more important news is that their young players are getting better every week, which shows why the coaching staff is so high on them. If they make the postseason, that’s a secondary reward.

With visions of the postseason dancing in our heads, let’s lay out how Green Bay can get there.

Here is your guide about how the Green Bay Packers can make the playoffs following their Week 12 win in four simple steps.

Packers Win Three of Four Games Against Giants, Buccaneers, Panthers and Bears

First and foremost, the Packers need to take care of their own business. They technically control their own destiny and will make the playoffs if they win out. That would be the easy way. However, the more realistic path has them winning three of four games against the Giants, Buccaneers, Panthers and Bears. That even assumes a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 13. For complete clarity, here’s their remaining schedule:

• Week 13: vs Kansas City Chiefs (predicted loss)
• Week 14: at New York Giants (predicted win)
• Week 15: vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers (predicted loss)
• Week 16: at Carolina Panthers (predicted win)
• Week 17: at Minnesota Vikings (predicted win)
• Week 18: vs Chicago Bears (predicted win)

Packers Beat Vikings

The biggest game remaining on the Packers’ schedule as far as directly impacting the postseason race is their Week 17 contest against the Vikings. Minnesota is a half-game ahead of them but is trending in the wrong direction. Who knows what position they’ll be in one month out. Regardless, the Packers must go into Minnesota and leave with a dub.

Vikings Finish 2-3 or Worse

Minnesota has a bye in Week 12, but needs to finish at least 2-3 or worse to avoid tiebreaker scenarios. That would mean Green Bay finishes the season 9-8, while the Vikings are at 8-9. Minnesota’s remaining schedule includes game at the Las Vegas Raiders, at Cincinnati Bengals, vs Detroit Lions, vs Packers, and at Lions. Assuming Green Bay beats them in Week 17, there’s a good chance they’ll at least lose one of the Lions’ games.

Seahawks Finish 3-3 or Worse

The Seahawks faltering down the stretch presents another opportunity for Green Bay to sneak into the playoffs. Seattle is in the midst of a brutal stretch. They just got beat down by the San Francisco 49ers and play at Dallas and San Francisco before hosting the Eagles. They finish at Tennessee, vs Pittsburgh and at Arizona. A 3-3 record (or worse) seems doable.