Following back-to-back humiliating defeats, the Packers finally saw momentum shift in their favor on Sunday.
Green Bay survived a scare from the two-win Panthers, despite the team’s poor defense provided little inspiration. Carolina’s usually lethargic offense nearly topped 400 yards, with rookie quarterback Bryce Young putting up a career-high 312 yards and two touchdowns.
However, because to some terrible clock management, time ran out on Carolina, and the Packers’ playoff chances were on the verge of evaporating.
Green Bay will still need some help from the rest of the NFC to make the playoffs. Here’s where the Packers stand in the playoff picture following their victory.
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The playoff picture for the Green Bay Packers
The Packers moved to 7-8 with the win on Sunday, but they still need a lot of help to make the playoffs in Jordan Love’s rookie season.
Green Bay is ninth in the NFC, one game short of a wild-card place, trailing the 8-7 Rams and Seahawks, as well as the eighth-seeded Vikings.
The NFC wild card standings have been updated.
| Place | Team | Record |
| WC1 | Eagles | 10-4 |
| WC2 | Rams | 8-7 |
| WC3 | Seahawks | 8-7 |
| — | Vikings | 7-8 |
| — | Packers | 7-8 |
| — | Falcons | 7-8 |
| — | Saints | 7-8 |
The Packers are one of four 7-8 teams on the outside looking in in the NFC, and they are second in the conference with a 5-5 record.
To make the playoffs, the Packers must win both of their last two games, barring unforeseen events. Losing to the Vikings in Week 17 would give Minnesota the tiebreaker over Green Bay and give Kevin O’Connell’s squad a better conference record.
Even if they win, the Packers will require assistance. They will need one of the Rams or Seahawks to lose a game in the next two weeks of the season, and then Green Bay will have to pray for a tiebreaker scenario to work in their favor.
If it comes down to a head-to-head tiebreaker, the Packers have an advantage over the Rams and Saints but not over the Falcons.
The Packers’ tiebreaker lead over the Seahawks is determined by conference record, as the two teams do not play each other this season, and both clubs still have a chance to gain that advantage. Seattle is now 6-5 in the league, while Green Bay is 5-5.
Green Bay dug themselves a hole with back-to-back losses to the Giants and Buccaneers, but a win in Carolina was a critical first step back toward the postseason picture as the season came to an end.
Packers schedule until 2023
The Packers finish the season against two sub-.500 teams, albeit traveling on the road and winning in Minnesota will be difficult in Week 17.
The game against the Vikings is a prime-time New Year’s Eve clash that may make or break either team’s season.
| Date | Opponent | Record |
| Dec. 31 | at Vikings | 7-8 |
| Jan. 7 | vs. Bears | 5-9 |
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