The Green Bay Packers’ small chances of making the postseason got some help during the bye week.
The Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers both provided assistance in the form of wins over teams ahead of Green Bay in the wild-card standings.
The Eagles crushed the New York Giants, 48-22, while the Panthers held on to beat the Seattle Seahawks, 30-24.
The losses dropped the Giants to 7-5-1 and the Seahawks to 7-6. The Packers. at 5-8, need the Giants and Seahawks to keep losing to help improve the team’s chances of sneaking into the postseason as a wildcard team. Like the Packers, the Commanders were on a bye week.
Keep in mind, the help only provided a small bump for the Packers. According to FiveThirtyEight, the Packers’ playoff chances improved from four percent entering Week 14 to just six percent entering Week 15.
It’s all still a long shot. But the Giants, Seahawks and Commanders all have difficult schedules over the final four weeks, so there is a window potentially opening for the Packers.
The key, however: Matt LaFleur’s team needs to go 4-0 to finish the season or nothing else really matters.
The journey begins this week for the Packers when the 4-9 Los Angeles Rams head to Lambeau Field.
The Lions got a big win over the Minnesota Vikings and sit at 6-7, one game ahead of the Packers with a head-to-head win. The two teams play in the season finale in Week 18.
Current NFC wild card standings
5. Dallas Cowboys, 10-3
6. Washington Commanders, 7-5-1
7. New York Giants, 7-5-1
8. Seattle Seahawks, 7-6
9. Detroit Lions, 6-7
10. Green Bay Packers, 5-8
11. Carolina Panthers, 5-8
12. Atlanta Falcons, 5-8
