For the Green Bay Packers, there isn’t quite anything like a matchup against the Chicago Bears to get you back on track. Green Bay traveled to Soldier Field to take on their NFC North rivals in Week 13 and came away with a 28-19 victory.
The win improved the Packers’ record to 5-8 on the season, keeping their slim playoff chances alive. After falling short against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 12 on Sunday Night Football, Green Bay’s chances of making the postseason were nearly extinguished, as they had a two percent chance to qualify.
The Packers have to, at a minimum, go undefeated during their last four games of the season to have any real chance at making the playoffs. They will need plenty of help other than that, but for one week, so far so good.
After the win on Sunday, the Packers’ chances of making the postseason improved, but they are still very slim. A 4.8 percent chance is what Green Bay currently has to make the playoffs according to Rob Demovsky, a Packers reporter for ESPN NFL Nation.
While it is certainly a tall mountain to climb, Green Bay isn’t facing a semi-difficult schedule the rest of the way. After the bye, the Packers play at Lambeau Field in three out of the last four games of the season. They host the Los Angeles Rams before taking a trip to the Miami Dolphins, finishing the season out with home games against the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions.
A run is certainly possible, especially if the team’s offensive performance in recent weeks is sustainable. The Packers have scored at least 28 points in three out of the last four games after failing to reach that number even once in the first nine games of the season.
The bye week will give Aaron Rodgers a chance to get healthier as well. He is dealing with a broken thumb suffered in Week 5 and a rib injury suffered in Week 12. The off week will do him and his teammates well as playing 13 consecutive weeks is no easy feat.
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