The Green Bay Packers picked up a huge win on Christmas day in Miami against the Dolphins. It was a must win game for the Packers as a loss would have made it almost impossible for them to make it into the playoffs. It was a great day on Sunday winning on the road against a good team, but everything that happened on Saturday was just as crucial.
Going into this weekend, the Packers had a 12.2% chance of making the playoffs. After everything that has happened this weekend, they now have a 32% chance of making it to the postseason according to CBS. This weekend couldn’t have gone any better for Green Bay. The first thing that went right for them was the Seattle Seahawks losing to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Packers needed Seattle to lose one of their last three games and the Chiefs took care of that. Another game that went their way was the Washington Commanders losing to the San Francisco 49ers. There aren’t many games where Packer fans want the 49ers to win, but this was one of them and it was very big for Green Bay. Two more games that really helped the Packers were the Minnesota Vikings beating the New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers beating the Detroit Lions. These were games the Packers could have gone without, but it really helps their chances of making it to the postseason. New York would have to lose their next two games in order for Green Bay to make the playoffs over them, but it could be a big game if Washington doesn’t lose one more game. The Detroit Lions didn’t have to lose for the Packers to get into the playoffs. With Detroit losing, this will help the Packers if they win out. It would have come down to a tie breaker if the Lions had won against the Panthers, but now the Packers don’t have to worry about that. One other game many may not realize that could help the Packers down the line is the Dallas Cowboys beating the Philadelphia Eagles. The reason this helps the Packers is because now Dallas and Philadelphia could have something to play for in week 18. As I said before, Green Bay will need the Commanders to lose one more game or they need the New York Giants to lose out. The Eagles will play the Giants, and the Cowboys will play the Commanders in week 18. These games could decide if the Packers make it into the postseason.
This really was the perfect weekend for the Packers. It couldn’t have gone any better and they almost control their own destiny. They need one more loss from the Commanders or two more losses from the Giants. Green Bay has to win out and will have a tough game this Sunday against the Vikings. Just like last week against the Dolphins, many people aren’t giving the Packers a chance. The Vikings are the number two seed in the NFC, but have yet to prove they are a legit contender. The Packers this Sunday could pick up a major win and keep themselves alive in the playoff race, while also exposing one of their biggest rivals.
