Could the Green Bay Packers actually miss the NFL playoffs?
The Green Bay Packers are now 7-3-1 following back-to-back wins over the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings, but thanks to that pesky tie against the Dallas Cowboys earlier in the season, they are actually behind the 8-3 Chicago Bears for first place in the NFC North.
The Packers were viewed as favorites to win the division after swinging a trade for Micah Parsons before the 2025 campaign began, and their season-opening win over the Detroit Lions only strengthened their case.
But puzzling losses to teams like the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers have put Green Bay in a rather uncomfortable position during the home stretch of the regular season, and while missing the playoffs may sound crazy for the Packers, it isn't completely out of the realm of possibility.
In fact, Jeff Howe and Austin Mock of The Athletic have painted a rather difficult postseason picture for Green Bay, explaining that the Packers may need to achieve a tough feat in order to continue playing football deep into January.
"The Packers got themselves right with wins against the New York Giants and the Vikings, but now it's time to find out who they really are," Howe and Mock wrote. "They have a chance to finish off a sweep of the Lions on Thanksgiving before a four-game stretch against teams on the rise. The Packers (2-0) are the only NFC North team without two division losses, and they might need to maintain that distinction to reach the postseason."
Going 5-1 in your division is difficult no matter where you play, and Green Bay just so happens to play in what is probably the most arduous division in the NFL.
The Packers also have a very difficult schedule the rest of the way. After facing the Lions in Detroit on Thanksgiving, Green Bay will be home against the Bears, at Denver, at Chicago, home against Baltimore and then at Minnesota to close out the regular season.
That is a very unforgiving slate, and as talented as the Packers are, it's rather easy to see a world in which they miss the postseason.
Green Bay is currently sixth in the NFC, and the third and final Wild Card spot belongs to the 8-4 San Francisco 49ers. You can go 10-7 (or in the Packers' case, 10-6-1) and miss the playoffs in this rugged conference, so Matt LaFleur's club will have to buckle up down the stretch.
It starts with trying to complete the sweep the Lions this week. That certainly won't be a simple task.