GREEN BAY – Week 15 has arrived, and the NFC remains as tight as ever.
Last week's results generated plenty of movement in the playoff picture, as the Packers took over first place in the NFC North with their win over the Bears, vaulting Green Bay from the No. 6 spot up to No. 2, and dropping Chicago from No. 1 to No. 7.
The L.A. Rams took over the top spot, and they're the only team in the NFC that can actually clinch a playoff berth with a win this week. But even there, Seattle is tied with the Rams for first in the NFC West, so nobody's exactly comfortable.
The Packers (9-3-1) will look to, at minimum, hold their position with a tough road assignment at Denver, the current top seed in the AFC. The Broncos (11-2), who have won 10 straight, can clinch their own postseason berth with a win.
As for the other games involving NFC contenders and hopefuls, here's the rundown with the rooting interests from the Packers' perspective:
Detroit (8-5) at L.A. Rams (10-3) – This is the biggest game in the NFC on this week's slate. Either result is good for the Packers in some fashion, because if the Lions lose, their chances of winning the NFC North grow very slim, and if the Rams lose, they fall from their lofty perch into the thicket with everybody else. Which is better? In the interest of getting the Packers the best possible seed, hope for a Lions win over the Rams.
Cleveland (3-10) at Chicago (9-4) – The Bears sit just a half game back of the Packers in the division. This is their last game against a sub-.500 club, so it's almost imperative they win it, but of course cheer for the Browns to pull the upset.
Las Vegas (2-11) at Philadelphia (8-5) – The Eagles suddenly have lost three straight, keeping the Cowboys in the hunt for the NFC East crown. Another Philly defeat would just about assure that the NFC North and West champs will earn the top two seeds in the conference, so root for a Raiders upset here.
Minnesota (5-8) at Dallas (6-6-1) – The Vikings are basically done for if they lose just one more, and the Cowboys would be very much alive with a win. As hard as it might be, hold the nose and pull for the Vikings.
Indianapolis (8-5) at Seattle (10-3) – This looks like a great AFC vs. NFC matchup on paper, except the Colts just lost QB Daniel Jones for the season and could have a hard time hanging on in the AFC playoff picture. But the benefit of a Seahawks loss is obvious, so root for the Colts to surprise.
Tennessee (2-11) at San Francisco (9-4) – Speaking of surprises, a 49ers loss here would more than qualify, and it sure would help. Hey, Tennessee just got its second win last week, so cross the fingers for a Titans winning streak.
Two other games involve the two teams tied atop the NFC South, with Atlanta (4-9) at Tampa Bay (7-6) on Thursday night, and Carolina (7-6) at New Orleans (3-10) on Sunday.
Neither of these games is all that critical for Green Bay, because the Buccaneers and Panthers are playing each other twice in the last three weeks.
So either A) one of them is going to fall out of the picture, or B) both will have at least seven losses anyway. Perhaps for the sake of simplifying the picture sooner, might as well cheer for the Falcons and Saints to knock off their division rivals.
