In Race for NFC North Title, Playoffs, This Could Be Packers’ Kryptonite

GREEN BAY, Wis. – From the Green Bay Packers’ perspective, nothing changed in the NFC North and NFC playoff races on Sunday.

The Packers beat the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, but the Chicago Bears outlasted the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Detroit Lions rallied to beat the New York Giants in overtime. So, just like last week, the Packers are as close to leading the NFC North as falling out of the playoff picture.

The Lions, who the Packers will play on Thursday, and the Bears, who they’ll host the following Sunday, aren’t the biggest challenges standing in the way. Rather, it’s the entire schedule, with Green Bay set to face the toughest remaining slate of games in the league.

Here are the 10 teams that are .500 or better in the NFC playoff race with their remaining schedules from Tankathon.

1. Los Angeles Rams: 9-2

Remaining strength of schedule: .470 (21st).

Final six games: at Carolina, at Arizona, vs. Detroit, at Seattle, at Atlanta, vs. Arizona.

Three of their final six games are against teams with winning records. They have only two home games remaining, including Week 15 against the Lions.

2. Philadelphia Eagles: 8-3

Remaining strength of schedule: .455 (23rd).

Final six games: vs. Chicago, at L.A. Chargers, vs. Las Vegas, at Washington, at Buffalo, vs. Washington.

Three of their final six games are against teams with winning records, including at home against the NFC North-leading Bears on Friday night and at Buffalo in Week 17.

3. Chicago Bears: 8-3

Remaining strength of schedule: .606 (third)

Final six games: at Philadelphia, at Green Bay, vs. Cleveland, vs. Green Bay, at San Francisco, vs. Detroit.

Five of their final six games are against teams with winning records, including the Eagles, Packers and 49ers away from home. Can the Bears survive? Of the 19 teams with winning records, their strength of victory of .309 is the weakest.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-5

Remaining strength of schedule: .379 (30th)

Final six games: vs. Arizona, vs. New Orleans, vs. Atlanta, at Carolina, at Miami, vs. Carolina.

Only the home-and-home games against the Panthers in Weeks 16 and 18 are against teams with winning records. The Bucs have a sweepable three-game homestand coming up.

5. Seattle Seahawks: 8-3

Remaining strength of schedule: .576 (fifth).

Final six games: vs. Minnesota, at Atlanta, vs. Indianapolis, vs. L.A. Rams, at Carolina, at San Francisco.

After a couple potentially easy wins, Seattle will play back-to-back home games against the AFC South-leading Colts and the NFC West-leading Rams. Week 18 at the 49ers could be huge.

6. Green Bay Packers: 7-3-1

Remaining strength of schedule: .636 (first).

Final six games: at Detroit, vs. Chicago, at Denver, at Chicago, vs. Baltimore, at Minnesota.

The Packers have the toughest schedule on paper and perhaps even tougher in reality, with the Ravens having surged to the front of the AFC North after a 1-5 start.

Green Bay Packers safety Javon Bullard (20) interacts with fans before their game Sunday. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While the Lions are sputtering after following their Week 1 loss to Green Bay with four consecutive wins, the Bears have won eight of their last nine, the Broncos have won eight in a row and the Ravens have won five in a row.

“Bottom line is it’s a really good football team we’re going against, obviously,” coach Matt LaFleur said in looking ahead to Thanksgiving. “They’ve won the North the last few years and we’ve struggled against them. I’m sure it’s going to be a heck of a football game.”

The Packers, for what it’s worth, are the betting favorite to win the NFC North at FanDuel Sportsbook.

7. San Francisco 49ers: 7-4

Remaining strength of schedule: .515 (12th).

Final six games: vs. Carolina (Monday), at Cleveland, bye, vs. Tennessee, at Indianapolis, vs. Chicago, vs. Seattle.

The biggest challenge will come in Week 16 at the Colts. Otherwise, the 49ers are in position to sprint into the postseason even with all of their serious injuries.

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8. Detroit Lions: 7-4

Remaining strength of schedule: .606 (third).

Final six games: vs. Green Bay, vs. Dallas, at L.A. Rams, vs. Pittsburgh, at Minnesota, at Chicago.

The schedule sets up nicely for the Lions to make a move. They’ll be at home against Green Bay on Thanksgiving, have the mini-bye before playing at the Rams in Week 15 and another mini-bye before playing at Chicago in Week 18.

Detroit is a 2.5-point favorite against Green Bay.

“You never know what these can do,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said after his team overcame a 10-point deficit in the final 12 minutes to beat the Giants. “Sometimes, it’s just important to remind yourself what we’re all capable of, even when the chips are down and things get hard.

“You don’t ever forget how to dig in one more time and find a way to lean on each other and do your job. And anytime you can get a win like this, it’s a good thing. It’s a good thing. Because that very easily a number of times could have gone the other way, and we all know it. But it didn’t. We made the plays we had to make.”

9. Carolina Panthers: 6-5

Remaining strength of schedule: .576 (fifth)

Final six games: at San Francisco (Monday), vs. L.A. Rams, bye, at New Orleans, vs. Tampa Bay, vs. Seattle, at Tampa Bay.

Having surged into a tie for the NFC South lead, the Panthers will have to wrestle with the powerful NFC West trio of the 49ers, Rams and Seahawks.

10. Dallas Cowboys: 5-5-1

Remaining strength of schedule: .433 (28th)

Final six games: vs. Kansas City, at Detroit, vs. Minnesota, vs. L.A. Chargers, at Washington, at N.Y. Giants.

Home against the Chiefs and at the Lions the next two weeks will determine whether the Cowboys are capable of making a last-minute playoff push.

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