Packers Have Four-Week Dash to Decide Literally Everything

With four games remaining, everything is in play for the Green Bay Packers. They could just as easily be the No. 1 seed as out of the playoffs.

Green Bay Packers defensive end Kingsley Enagbare (55) celebrates after sacking Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – After stepping on the gas to win four consecutive games and move into first place in the NFC North, the Green Bay Packers can’t afford to step on the brakes – or take a break.

If the Packers lose at the Denver Broncos on Sunday, they could fall out of first place in the NFC North. If the Packers lose at the Broncos and the Chicago Bears the next two weeks, they could fall out of the playoffs.

“Just look at the landscape of our league,” coach Matt LaFleur said on Monday. “Everybody’s neck and neck from one through the ninth seed. Everybody’s right there and you can’t take anything for granted, and we’ve got a hell of a test coming up against the top-ranked team in the National Football League in their house.”

Here’s a closer look at what’s at stake, starting with the NFC North standings.

Updated NFC North Standings

Here are the NFC North standings through Week 14.

Green Bay Packers: 9-3-1. After back-to-back losses at Lambeau Field, the Packers have won four in a row, including a sweep of their three NFC North rivals. Three of their final four games will be on the road, with the lone home game against the Ravens, who are fighting for a playoff spot.

Chicago Bears: 9-4. The Bears are five games over .500 but have negative differentials in points (one) and touchdowns (five). Chicago fell behind Green Bay in the standings on Sunday but could be right back on top by the end of Sunday with Green Bay at Denver and Chicago hosting Cleveland. Three of their final four games will be at home, where they’ve won four in a row.

Detroit Lions: 8-5. Since winning at Cincinnati in Week 5 to extend their winning streak to four, the Lions have alternated wins and losses every week. Having wrapped up their three-game homestand by beating Dallas on Thursday, they’ll play three of their last four on the road.

Minnesota Vikings: 5-8. The Vikings are mathematically alive after snapping their four-game losing streak on Sunday against Washington. They’ll be relevant, regardless, with their final two games at home against the Lions and Packers.

Race for NFC North: Remaining Schedules

Here are the final schedules for the Packers, Bears and Lions as they jockey for position in the powerful NFC North.

In case you hadn't heard ... | Sarah Kloepping/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Week 15

Packers: at Broncos (11-2), 3:25 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14.

Bears: home vs. Browns (3-10), noon on Sunday, Dec. 14.

Lions: at Rams (10-3), 3:25 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14.

Week 16

Packers: at Bears (9-4), 7:20 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20.

Bears: home vs Packers (9-3-1), 7:20 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20.

Lions: home vs. Steelers (7-6), 3:25 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 21.

Week 17

Packers: home vs. Ravens (6-7), time TBA on Saturday, Dec. 27, or Sunday, Dec. 28.

Bears: at 49ers (9-4), 7:20 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 28.

Lions: at Vikings (5-8), 3:30 p.m. on Christmas (Thursday, Dec. 25).

Week 18

Packers: at Vikings (5-8), time TBA on Saturday, Jan. 3, or Sunday, Jan. 4.

Bears: home vs. Lions (8-5), time TBA on Saturday, Jan. 3, or Sunday, Jan. 4.

Lions: at Bears (9-4), time TBA on Saturday, Jan. 3, or Sunday, Jan. 4.

Winning Division, Keeping Playoff Spot Won’t Be Easy

The Packers’ four-game winning streak moved them into first place in the division.

“Sh**, it feels great,” safety Xavier McKinney said after the game. “I’ve never personally been able to be at the top of the division, especially in this type of fashion. So, I did not take it for granted, and I know a lot of these guys here don’t take it for granted, as well. So, we’ve just got to keep working, keep nailing down the details and keep trying to find ways to get better.”

Being in first place is one thing. Staying there is another, and it’s going to be incredibly difficult. If the Packers lose at Denver on Sunday, Chicago could be right back on top of the division and the Packers would be in must-win mode for the rivalry rematch next Saturday night.

Here's where you'll find the #Packers in the latest NFC playoff standings, playoff probabilities, strength of schedules and more after Week 14. ⬇️https://t.co/trziyTbm4a

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) December 9, 2025

The difficulty of those two games puts Green Bay in a perilous position. That’s driven home by the NFC standings.

1. Los Angeles Rams (first place, NFC West): 10-3

2. Green Bay Packers (first place, NFC North): 9-3-1

3. Philadelphia Eagles (first place, NFC East): 8-5

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (first place, NFC South): 7-6

5. Seattle Seahawks (second place, NFC West): 10-3

6. San Francisco 49ers (third place, NFC West): 9-4

7. Chicago Bears (second place, NFC North): 9-4

- - -

8. Detroit Lions (third place, NFC North): 8-5

9. Carolina Panthers (second place, NFC South): 7-6

If the Packers are swept in these two games, they could fall into eighth place in the conference – the wrong side of the playoff bubble – with two games to go.

Race for NFC No. 1 Seed: Remaining Schedules

On the other hand, the Packers have a golden opportunity to stay home for the playoffs. Here are the remaining schedules for the Packers and the two teams who have the best record in the NFC West, the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks.

Week 15

Packers: at Broncos (11-2), 3:25 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14.

Rams: home vs. Lions (8-5), 3:25 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14.

Seahawks: home vs. Colts, 3:25 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14

Week 16

Packers: at Bears (9-4), 7:20 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 20.

Rams: at Seahawks (10-3), 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18.

Seahawks: home vs. Rams (10-3), 7:15 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18.

Our Consensus NFL Power Rankings take eight sets of national power rankings to create one overpowered power ranking.

Here's where you'll find the #Packers after beating the Bears. ⬇️https://t.co/NDqCn8BxVN

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) December 9, 2025

Week 17

Packers: home vs. Ravens (6-7), time TBA on Saturday, Dec. 27, or Sunday, Dec. 28.

Rams: at Falcons (4-9), 7:15 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 29.

Seahawks: at Panthers (7-6), date and time TBA.

Week 18

Packers: at Vikings (5-8), time TBA on Saturday, Jan. 3, or Sunday, Jan. 4.

Rams: home vs. Cardinals (3-10), time TBA on Saturday, Jan. 3, or Sunday, Jan. 4.

Seahawks: at 49ers (9-4), time TBA on Saturday, Jan. 3, or Sunday, Jan. 4.

Packers’ Path to Homefield Advantage

With four games to go, the Rams are 10-3, the Seahawks are 10-3 and the Packers are 9-3-1. In Week 11, the Rams won at home against the Seahawks 21-19. That game is the reason why the Rams lead the NFC West and are in control of the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The rematch will come on Thursday night in Week 16.

Let’s say the Packers sweep their remaining games and finish the regular season with a 13-3-1 record. That means they’d need the winner of Seahawks-Rams to stumble somewhere.

Seattle has the toughest remaining schedule in the NFC, with its four opponents having a combined .654 winning percentage. All four teams have winning records, though the Colts are reeling and might be starting Philip Rivers at quarterback. The Seahawks will finish the season at Carolina and at San Francisco.

The Rams rank 17th in remaining strength of schedule with a .481 winning percentage. That includes a home game on Sunday against the Lions, who will have the benefit of the mini-bye. A Detroit win would help the Packers in the race for homefield. A Los Angeles win might wind up being the knockout blow for the Lions’ playoff hopes. The Rams will end the season with two on-paper layups with games at Atlanta and at home against Arizona.

The Seahawks beating the Rams in Week 16 but losing at the 49ers in Week 18 would be the most logical path to Green Bay earning homefield. The Packers, however, have to take care of their own business.

“It’s huge,” Packers quarterback Jordan Love said after the Chicago game. “Obviously, we’ve still got a couple weeks left here but it’s all about finishing. We’re here, we’ve been here before, but we’ve got to finish it. So, it doesn’t really mean anything right now but tonight was a huge win and going in the right direction going forward, but we’ve still got a couple more weeks here, so we’ve got to keep stacking.”

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