By Wasting Undefeated Start, Packers Face Playoff Challenge

Less than three weeks ago, the Green Bay Packers were riding high. They were 2-0 following a signature sweep of the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders. While an undefeated season was an absurd premise, the Packers winning the NFC North and earning the No. 1 seed was a realistic possibility.

And then the Packers flushed it down the toilet. In the way-too-early look at the NFL playoff standings, the Packers with their 2-1-1 record are clinging to the seventh and final seed in the NFC playoff standings.

While it’s true that it’s too early to be looking at the standings, it’s also true that every missed opportunity in September and October could haunt the team in January.

Green Bay just wasted two opportunities. After it turned a win at Cleveland into a loss to the Browns and a win at Dallas into a tie against the Cowboys, its undefeated start feels like ancient history.

“Right now, it feels kind of like a kick in the gut,” coach Matt LaFleur said on Tuesday. “It definitely feels more like a loss than anything else, just talking about this last game. I think what’s disappointing is when you have opportunities to win games, which we had an opportunity in both games to win the game, and when you don’t win the game, it’s disappointing.

“You look around the league, though, you can’t take anything for granted. You see it every week, somebody who’s supposed to win the game not win the game. This league is competitive. That’s why you can’t take it for granted. You got to give your best shot every week. Otherwise, you will get beat.”

Because the Packers got beat and almost beat, they trail the Lions in the NFC North and face a long list of challengers for a wild-card spot.

NFC Playoff Standings

1. Philadelphia Eagles (first place, NFC East): 4-0

2. San Francisco 49ers (first place, NFC West): 3-1

3. Detroit Lions (first place, NFC North): 3-1

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (first place, NFC South): 3-1

5. Seattle Seahawks (second place, NFC West): 3-1

6. Los Angeles Rams (third place, NFC West): 3-1

7. Green Bay Packers (second place, NFC North): 2-1-1

8. Atlanta Falcons (second place, NFC South): 2-2

9. Minnesota Vikings (third place, NFC North): 2-2

10. Arizona Cardinals (fourth place, NFC West): 2-2

11. Chicago Bears (fourth place, NFC North): 2-2

12. Washington Commanders (second place, NFC East): 2-2

13. Dallas Cowboys (third place, NFC East): 1-2-1

14. Carolina Panthers (third place, NFC South): 1-3

15. New York Giants (fourth place, NFC East): 1-3

16. New Orleans Saints (fourth place, NFC South): 0-4

Power of NFC

The challenge for Green Bay is there’s not a lot of margin for error. Of the 16 teams, 12 are at least .500. Because of the tie, Green Bay is a half-game ahead of five teams. Two of those teams are NFC North rivals, the Vikings and Bears, who they’ll play twice later this season, and the Cardinals, who they’ll visit in Week 7.

The NFC is by far the better conference to start the season. The AFC has five teams with winning records and nine teams at .500 or better. The NFC has seven teams with winning records.

Strength of Schedule

According to Tankathon, the Packers’ remaining 13 opponents have a combined .519 winning percentage. That’s tied for the ninth-most difficult closing schedule.

The Packers will come out of the bye with a somewhat soft stretch of games – for whatever that’s worth after what happened the last two weeks. In Week 6, they’ll host the Bengals, followed by games at the Cardinals and Steelers, and then back home to face the Panthers.

Things get tougher after that: home against the Eagles, at the Giants, home against the Vikings and at the Lions on Thanksgiving. The final five games are home against the Bears, at the Broncos and Bears, home against the Ravens and at the Vikings.

Of the final nine games, only three are against teams with losing records: at home against the Ravens (1-3) and Panthers (1-3) and at the Giants (1-3). Baltimore, of course, isn’t your run-of-the-mill one-win team.

Having let a couple of wins slip through their fingers, the early bye could be an incredible blessing in disguise.

“I think this will be a good reset for us,” LaFleur said, “and we’ll get back together on Monday and get onto Cincinnati.”