Packers Need Massive Favor From Mike McCarthy Before NFL Playoffs Begin
It's crazy to see how fast the NFL regular season went by, with the playoffs right around the corner. The Green Bay Packers are 11-5 going into Week 18. They are the youngest team in the league but that hasn't stopped them from being a solid group this year.
While they have been able to stack wins, they have dropped the ball against elite competition this year. Their five losses have come against the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, and Minnesota Vikings. Each of those teams has better records than Green Bay and puts them in a position where they don't control their destiny.
Granted, they have clinched a playoff appearance, but they will need help from former coach Mike McCarthy to get a higher seed in the NFC.
Should be fairly obvious but the Packers can now only be the #6 or #7 seed in the postseason. In order to get the 6 they need to finish with a better record than Washington so will need a Commanders loss tonight or next week and a GB win vs Chi. Otherwise 7 seed it is.
— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) December 30, 2024
Packers Need Cowboys to Beat Commanders in Week 18
The Washington Commanders are going to match up against the McCarthy-led Cowboys team on Sunday. The Packers need to win themselves on Sunday against the Chicago Bears but also need Dallas to defeat the Commanders.
If those two things happen, the Packers will get the No. 6 seed and travel to play the Los Angeles Rams. If both teams win, Green Bay is locked into the seventh seed and will play the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field due to Washington getting the tiebreaker (conference record).
The Packers are projected to have no trouble taking care of Chicago, as huge 9.5-point favorites on FanDuel Sportsbook. Washington has opened up as a 3.5-point favorite over the Cowboys. Even though Dallas is 2-6 at home this year, there's a pathway to beating the Commanders. They went on the road and beat them in Week 12, 34-26, behind 247 passing yards and two passing touchdowns from Cooper Rush.
With the Cowboys already eliminated from playoff contention and CeeDee Lamb unavailable for this game (placed on IR), the odds are stacked against Dallas.
Packer fans will be watching this scoreboard closely to see where they'll land in the postseason bracket. It's crazy to think that getting 12 wins could get you the seventh seed, but that's the reality of this uber-competitive NFC.
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