The Green Bay Packers (11-4) have clinched a playoff berth in the NFC ahead of Week 17. The one question remains: Which seed will the Packers end up with come the end of the regular season?
There are three options left for Matt LaFleur’s team.
The NFC North is off the table. Only the Detroit Lions (13-2) and Minnesota Vikings (13-2) can win the division, so that rules out finishing in the No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 or No. 4 seeds. The Packers are going to be a wildcard team in the NFC.
That leaves the No. 5, No. 6 and No. 7 seeds available, and all three remain on the table for the Packers with two games left.
If the Packers win out and the Vikings lose out, the Packers will be the No. 5 seed. This is the only path to jumping the Vikings and being the No. 5 seed.
The Packers are currently the No. 6 seed, and they have roughly a 51 percent chance of staying there, per the New York Times simulator. The magic number here is 2: Any combination of Packers wins and Commanders losses will clinch at least the No. 6 seed.
The Packers can still be the No. 7 seed, too. For instance, if the Commanders go 2-0 and the Packers 1-1, Green Bay will drop to the No. 7 seed. The Commanders need a combination of three wins or losses by the Packers to pass Green Bay.
The Commanders are still alive to win the NFC East and be the No. 2 seed.
The Buccaneers still factor into the wildcard race. If both the Bucs and Falcons win out and the Commanders lose out, the Falcons will win the NFC South and the Buccaneers will clinch a wildcard spot. The Buccaneers can still get as high as the No. 6 seed, while the Falcons can only win the NFC South. The Rams and Seahawks are only competing for the NFC West title.
The No. 7 seed will likely face the Philadelphia Eagles on the road in the first round. The No. 5 and No. 6 seeds will travel to face the NFC West and NFC South winners.
NFC standings
1. Detroit Lions (13-2) — clinched
2. Philadelphia Eagles (12-3) — clinched
3. Los Angeles Rams (9-6)
4. Atlanta Falcons (8-7)
5. Minnesota Vikings (13-2) — clinched
6. Green Bay Packers (11-4) — clinched
7. Washington Commanders (10-5)
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7)
9. Seattle Seahawks (8-7)
Schedules in Week 17 and 18
Packers: at Vikings, vs. Bears
Vikings: vs. Packers, at Lions
Commanders: vs. Falcons, at Cowboys
Buccaneers: vs. Panthers, vs. Saints
Falcons: at Commanders, vs. Panthers
Who could the Packers play in the first round?
Based on the available scenarios, the Packers could still face the Vikings, Lions, Rams, Seahawks, Buccaneers, Falcons, Eagles or Commanders in the first round. A lot is left to be decided over the next two weeks in terms of matchups and seeding.
