For one day, Green Bay Packers will be big fans of the Arizona Cardinals.
The Packers and their hunt for the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs could use a win from the Cardinals over the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
The San Francisco 49ers beat the Los Angeles Rams on Saturday night, complicating the Packers’ path to the top seed. The Cardinals can help on Sunday by beating the Seahawks.
The most plausible scenario for Matt LaFleur’s team: The Packers beat the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions, the Cardinals beat the Seahawks on Sunday, and the Seahawks beat the 49ers next week.
In that scenario, the Packers end up 13-3 and both the Seahawks and 49ers finish 12-4. Even if the New Orleans Saints finished 13-3, the Packers would have the tiebreaker based on conference record.
Actually, there’s one other (less likely) path to the No. 1 seed that doesn’t require the Cardinals to win on Sunday: If the Packers win out and the Seahawks and Rams tie in Week 17, the 13-3 Packers would still get the No. 1 seed over two 12-3-1 teams. Ties happen, but it’s a long shot nonetheless.
The Packers take on the Vikings on Monday night, with a chance to clinch the NFC North with a win. They’ll have even more motivation if the Cardinals can beat the Seahawks on Sunday.
