Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers squeaked past the Carolina Panthers in their 2023 Week 16 road game. While the Panthers erased a 30-16 fourth-quarter deficit, Anders Carlson’s field goal saved the day for Green Bay.
That 33-30 victory improves their record to 7-8 with two regular season games left. More importantly, it kept their playoff hopes alive despite starting the season at 2-5. Here’s what needs to happen for Matt LaFleur’s crew to guarantee a postseason return.
Packers playoff path: What Green Bay needs to earn a postseason spot
As of Week 16 of the 2023 NFL season, the Packers are in a four-way tie with the Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, and the New Orleans Saints. Minnesota lost to the NFC North division champions, Detroit Lions, while Atlanta dominated the Indianapolis Colts. New Orleans lost to the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football.
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Sportskeeda’s NFL Playoff Predictor says Green Bay won’t reach the 2023 NFC playoffs if all remaining games are simulated. However, it doesn’t mean the Lambeau Field tenants are out of postseason contention.
Defeating the Vikings in a Week 17 road game is the Packers’ first step toward their fourth playoff appearance in five seasons. Then, they must also defeat the Chicago Bears in their season finale. Getting both wins will improve their mark to 9-8.
Conversely, the Vikings will finish at 8-9 even if they defeat the Detroit Lions a week after losing to Jordan Love’s squad. That gives Green Bay the edge against the team currently in eighth spot.
But even after defeating Minnesota, Green Bay will need help from other squads to reach the postseason. Green Bay can go as high as the sixth seed if the Falcons, Saints, the Los Angeles Rams, and the Seattle Seahawks lose one of their two remaining games.
If that happens, Green Bay’s 9-8 mark will be superior to Seattle’s and Los Angeles’s 9-8 mark due to the league’s tiebreaker rules. Otherwise, the Packers will be eliminated because the Rams and the Seahawks will finish at 10-7.
If the Rams and the Seahawks lost all their remaining games, the Packers can still squeeze into the playoff picture. However, they must get one win against either Minnesota in Week 17 or Chicago in Week 18 to finish at 8-9. Likewise, they’ll hope that the Saints and the Falcons will lose one of their remaining games.
Remaining schedule for other NFC teams in the playoff hunt
Every game counts with two regular season weeks left. The Seahawks will try to cement their spot against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17 and the Arizona Cardinals in the season finale. Meanwhile, the Rams will face the New York Giants in the penultimate week and the San Francisco 49ers in their season-closer.
The Falcons will face the Bears, while the Saints will get the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 17. The NFC South division rivals will clash in the final regular season week. The Packers will closely monitor the results of all games to know their fate.
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