The Green Bay Packers are now one of five teams in the top-heavy NFC with at least eight wins.
Although the Packers got very little help during Week 11, Matt LaFleur’s team is still coming out of the bye week in possession of first place in the NFC North and the No. 2 seed in the conference.
Next up for the Packers: A trip to San Francisco to play the 9-1 49ers.
Roughly three hours after the Minnesota Vikings came back from 20-0 down and beat the Denver Broncos to improve to 8-3, the 49ers completed their own comeback with a late touchdown to beat the Arizona Cardinals, securing a ninth win in 10 tries.
Next Sunday’s showdown in Santa Clara will determine the No. 1 seed in the NFC going into the final five weeks of the 2019 season.
By beating the 49ers next Sunday night, the Packers could improve their playoff chances to roughly 99 percent and up their chances of securing a first-round bye to about 70 percent, according to the New York Times’ playoff predictor.
The Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions both lost Sunday, so the NFC North is pretty much a two-team race. The Broncos nearly provided the Packers with an early Christmas present, but Mike Zimmer’s team shook off a lethargic first half and stunned Vic Fangio’s team at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Vikings are now 8-3 and heading into the bye week, providing rest for a team that will play three of their final five games at home – including a pivotal Dec. 23 battle with the Packers in Minneapolis.
Here’s a look at the division standings and the NFC playoff field as the Packers exit the bye week and begin preparations for the 49ers in Week 12:
NFC North
1. Packers (8-2, 3-0 vs. division, next: at 49ers)
2. Vikings (8-3, 1-2 vs. division, next: bye)
3. Bears (4-6, 2-1 vs. division, next: vs. Giants)
4. Lions (3-6-1, 0-3 vs. division, next: at Redskins)
NFC standings
1. 49ers (9-1, 6-1 vs. conference, next: vs. Packers)
2. Packers (8-2, 5-1 vs. conference, next: at 49ers)
3. Saints (8-2, 6-2 vs. conference, next: vs. Panthers)
4. Cowboys (6-4, 5-3 vs. conference, next: at Patriots)
5. Seahawks (8-2, 5-1 vs. conference, next: at Eagles)
6. Vikings (8-3, 6-2 vs. conference, next: bye)
7. Rams (6-4, 4-3 vs. conference, next: vs. Ravens)
8. Eagles (5-5, 3-4 vs. conference, next: vs. Seahawks)
9. Panthers (5-5, 2-5 vs. conference, next: at Saints)
10. Bears (4-6, 3-4 vs. conference, next: vs. Giants)
