Packers' playoff hopes riding on a win against Buccaneers
The Green Bay Packers have been one of the hottest teams over the past few weeks of NFL play, but their recent loss to the New York Giants on "Monday Night Football" has dampened the hype around the team.
Still, it's worth noting that even at 6-7, the Packers would be in the playoffs today as the NFC's seventh seed if the regular season were to suddenly end. Of course, there are still four more games left to play, but the point is this: Green Bay does control its own destiny as far as the postseason is concerned.
And that makes this weekend's matchup against another 6-7 team, the Tampa Buccaneers, that much more important.
The odds flesh that thought out as well.
If the Packers beat the Buccaneers, Green Bay has a 71% chance to make the playoffs. A loss would essentially end that hope, though. A loss would bring their playoff odds all the way down to 29%.
Frankly, at this juncture, the Packers are basically in a playoff game each and every week.
Their odds will exponentially increase by beating the Buccaneers, but losses to end the season against the Carolina Panthers, Minnesota Vikings or Chicago Bears would hurt just as much.
Even with their loss to the Giants, the Packers are still a playoff contender. They've won three of their last four and could very well enter the postseason having one seven of their last eight – which is not bad for a young team that was at one point on a four-game losing skid.
It's all one game at a time for Green Bay, though, because if they Packers can't beat the Buccaneers, nothing else will matter.
More must-reads: