During the last two weeks, the Green Bay Packers had a chance to raise their chances of making the postseason to 80 percent or better. Instead, Matt LaFleur’s team played poorly and lost back-to-back games to the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, dealing a severe and potentially irreversible blow to the team’s chances of making the playoffs.
After Sunday’s 34-20 loss to the Buccaneers, the Packers’ chances of making the playoffs sit at only 25 percent, per the New York Times playoff simulator.
The loss was gigantic in impact. A win over the Bucs would have pushed the chances to 65 percent or better.
If the season ended today, the Packers — at 6-8 — would be out. In fact, Sunday’s loss dropped the Packers from the No. 7 seed, or the final wildcard spot, to No. 11 in the NFC.
Green Bay was once 6-6 and riding high after wins over the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs in back-to-back weeks. Talks of getting to 10 wins and challenging for the NFC North title looked legitimate. But the rollercoaster ride hit an apex and came crashing down over the last two weeks.
The Packers are struggling but still hold some control. According to the simulator, if the Packers win out — in games against the Carolina Panthers, Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears to end the season — their playoff chances would still get close to 100 percent. Any loss — but especially to the Vikings in Week 17 — would be catastrophic to those chances.
“All I know is this…We’ve got three weeks left,” coach Matt LaFleur said Sunday. “We’ve got three games, and every game is a playoff mentality. Who knows what will happen? But we can’t get it all back at once, you’ve got to earn it every day. You’ve got to get back to practice and just give it our best shot from here on out.”
The path ahead is manageable but the Packers must get their season back on track next Sunday in Carolina against the 2-12 Panthers. The playoffs start now in Green Bay. Either the Packers close out the 2023 season with a three-game win streak or LaFleur’s team will likely miss the postseason for the second consecutive season.
