The Green Bay Packers sit atop the NFC standings after Week 15 but they still have work ahead to clinch the No. 1 seed for the playoffs.
It may not have been pretty, but the Green Bay Packers held on — specifically on a last-minute two-point conversion attempt — against the Ravens to win and move to 11-3 on the season. After the victory, they sit in the No. 1 seed for the NFC.
With the victory, though, Aaron Rodgers and Co. clinched the NFC North and, thus, a playoff berth. Now the club will be trying to lock up that top seed and the first-round bye for the postseason that comes with it.
There are only three games left on the schedule and here’s what the Packers need to get that No. 1 seed in the conference.
Packers playoff scenarios: How Green Bay can clinch No. 1 seed
Before we get started down this road, we should note that this is without the result of Buccaneers-Saints on Sunday night decided.
Now, having said that, the simplest way that the Packers can go on and clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC would be to win their remaining three games and finish the season 14-3. That’s absolutely in the cards with remaining games at home against the Browns and Vikings before finishing the year at the Lions.
If the Buccaneers were to lose to New Orleans (they trailed at halftime), that would make Green Bay’s path to a first-round bye even easier. They already hold the tiebreaker over the Cardinals and Buccaneers, as well as the Rams should they get to that point. What would be interesting, though, is if the Cowboys were to get into the mix ahead of the Buccaneers.
If Dallas won out and the Packers took a loss to either Minnesota or Detroit, that would give the teams identical records. But, because the Boys would hold a better record in the NFC, they would get the No. 1 seed.
All of this is to say, Green Bay is in the driver’s seat and their best course of action is to win the rest of the games on their schedule, which they should and which also takes out needing any outside help. But even then, they are still in a great spot to get the bye to start the playoffs in the NFC.