The Green Bay Packers didn’t help their cause with a poor finish to the season, dropping three of their final five games and costing themselves a shot at the 5th or 6th seed. Now, facing a tough first-round matchup as the 7th seed against the Philadelphia Eagles, they must deal with the loss of WR Christian Watson to a knee injury in Week 18 and hope QB Jordan Love’s elbow discomfort won’t hinder his performance. Their 24-22 defeat to Chicago on Sunday left them with a 1-5 record in the NFC North, a disappointing way to wrap up the regular season. The Bears were the only division opponent the Packers managed to defeat all year.
With their stock at a low point, the Packers will face the Eagles in a rematch of their Week 1 loss, where Philadelphia emerged victorious 34-29. Green Bay is currently a 4-point underdog with a +175 moneyline. The status of Love and Eagles QB Jalen Hurts will influence the line as the week progresses. Even if the Packers manage an upset, the road ahead won’t be easy.
The Packers’ path looks difficult, as they’ve failed to win against most of their likely playoff opponents, going 0-5 this season against them. A win over the Eagles would likely set up a Divisional Round matchup with the dominant Detroit Lions, a tough challenge for a 7th seed. In their two regular-season encounters with Detroit, Green Bay lost 24-14 and 34-31, with both games close but feeling like missed opportunities.
Surviving the first round would already be a better outcome than what seemed possible after Love and Watson’s injuries. There were concerns that Green Bay might need to rely on Malik Willis for the playoffs, but coach Matt LaFleur expects Love to start without issues.
Optimistically, if the Packers defy expectations and beat the Lions, they could emerge with newfound confidence and capability. However, to reach the NFC Championship, they would still need to overcome teams like the Rams, Commanders, Buccaneers, or Vikings, with Minnesota being the most likely opponent. If they beat the Rams, Green Bay would probably be favored against Washington or Tampa Bay, barring any major injuries.
The sting of their Week 15 loss to Sam Darnold and the 49ers is still fresh. In that game, Green Bay trailed 27-10 before scoring two late touchdowns to make it look closer than it really was.
With only three of Green Bay’s 11 wins coming against teams with a winning record, Packers fans still hold out hope that the team is better than it seems. Despite a few close losses to top teams, including Philadelphia, Detroit, and Minnesota, the Packers haven’t shown they can consistently get the job done. Losing Watson for the season is a tough blow, but head coach LaFleur has other weapons to work with, such as the promising Jayden Reed and powerful running back Josh Jacobs. Additionally, the defense received some positive news with linebacker Quay Walker returning after missing the last three games.
