While most people are burying the Green Bay Packers this morning, they’re still the three seed in the NFC Playoffs. If you were to ask me, ‘Hey would you take the fourth-best record in the NFC, but be the third seed in the NFC at Thanksgiving?’ at the start of the year, I would 100 percent taken it. Now, they were two blowouts, and I get that can cloud the judgment of a few things. There are going to be games every week that will swing the playoff picture. These games will help us determine how the playoff race shakes out.

Week 13 swing games
San Francisco at Baltimore
Minnesota at Seattle

Thoughts: Two games on the list and they’re both important for the Packers. If San Francisco wins, that will build their strength of schedule and put them in a great position moving forward. Minnesota-Seattle is one of the biggest swing games on the board. Vikings win, they’re still one back of the Green Bay Packers. If they lose, they go back to where they were before San Francisco. It is equally as important for Seattle to keep pace with San Francisco.

Week 14 swing game
San Francisco at New Orleans

Thoughts: It’s a blah week for the rest of the NFC meaning it will probably be crazy and unexpected. One huge game though that can decide a lot of things is San Francisco-New Orleans. If the Saints win, they’re likely in a good spot for a bye. If the Niners win, they may have a chance to make Week 17 versus Seattle meaningless.

Week 15 swing games
Seattle at Carolina
Chicago at Green Bay
Minnesota at Los Angeles
Indianapolis at New Orleans

Thoughts: To me, this is the week that decides a great deal of the playoff picture. Seattle has to go on the road to Carolina where they’ve had some crazy in the past. Packers will be playing in what figures to be the Bears’ Super Bowl. Minnesota has a tricky trip to Los Angeles where Vikings of old have stumbled in these situations. Saints face an Indianapolis team that will likely be very hungry for a win and love being underdogs.

Week 16 swing games
New Orleans at Tennessee
Green Bay at Minnesota
Dallas at Philadelphia

Thoughts: Not that exciting of a week, but do not sleep on New Orleans headed to Tennessee in what will likely be a chilling day in late December. That spells all sorts of trouble for Drew Brees and the Saints. Green Bay will hope to have the division wrapped up at this point. Even if they do not, my projected playoff picture still gives the Packers the division even if they lose to Minnesota. Dallas-Philly doesn’t matter that much to the Packers but an Eagles win does help Packers from a tiebreaker perspective.

Week 17 swing games
San Francisco at Seattle

Thoughts: It will all come down to this game to decide the NFC West and likely homefield advantage.

Overall, there are multiple ways the playoff picture can swing for the Packers. With how I project the finish, it looks like this for the NFC: Seattle, New Orleans, Green Bay, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Minnesota. This means Green Bay will face their rivals, the Minnesota Vikings in the Wild Card round. Something that has happened a few times before.