The Green Bay Packers need to win out over the final four games of the 2022 season to have a reasonable chance of making the postseason. At 5-8, there is no margin for error. But the Packers’ chances of making the playoffs with a 4-0 finish keep looking better and better.
After the Seattle Seahawks lost on Thursday night to the San Francisco 49ers, the Packers’ playoff chances only rose slightly in the present. But throw in four straight wins for the Packers into the equation, and the effect of Seattle’s latest loss becomes clear.
At FiveThirtyEight, the Packers now have a 76 percent chance of making the playoffs by winning out. And at the New York Times, the Packers’ have roughly a 67 percent chance with four straight wins.
Both predictors/simulators believe the Packers will be in a great position should they finish at 9-8, especially considering the Seahawks’ current slide and the difficult schedules awaiting the Commanders and Giants. The Packers need to pass up two of the three teams over the final four weeks to make the postseason as a wild-card entrant.
But an unbeaten run to end the 2022 season is the tricky part: the Packers need to win against the Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins (in Miami on Christmas), Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions without a setback to really have a shot.
The Packers beat the Chicago Bears before the bye week, but Matt LaFleur’s team hasn’t won two straight games since September. They’ll have a chance to snap that streak on Monday night when the struggling Rams arrive at Lambeau Field.
The Packers remain a long shot to make the postseason, but everything would get turned on its head if Green Bay can beat the Rams, Dolphins, Vikings and Lions to finish the year.
Schedule over final 4 weeks, NFC playoff hopefuls
Packers: vs. LAR, at MIA, vs. MIN, vs. DET
Giants: at WAS, at MIN, vs. IND, at PHI
Commanders: vs. NYG, at SF, vs. CLE, vs. DAL
Seahawks: at KC, vs. NYJ, vs. LAR
