Green Bay Packers Fall From NFC’s No. 1 Seed

The collapse was epic. And now the Green Bay Packers face an uphill climb in the NFC.

Green Bay led Indianapolis, 28-14, at halftime Sunday. But the Colts dominated the second half and rallied for a 34-31 win in overtime.

The Packers began the day as the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Thanks to Green Bay’s loss, though, New Orleans jumped up to the No. 1 seed in the conference.

The Saints are 8-2 and are the NFC’s new No. 1 seed, while Green Bay, Seattle and Tampa Bay are all 7-3 and tied for the No. 2 seed. The Los Angeles Rams, who travel to Tampa Bay Monday night, are 6-3 and the No. 5 seed.

The top seven teams in each conference qualify for the postseason. That means only the No. 1 seed in each conference would get a bye.

In past years when each conference had six playoff teams, the top two seeds earned byes.

The NFL has discussed the possibility of increasing the playoff field to eight teams per conference. If that happens, there wouldn’t be any byes.

Here’s how the race for the No. 1 seed shapes up down the stretch.

New Orleans (8-2)

Home games (2):  Kansas City, Minnesota

Road games (4): Denver, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Carolina

Opponent’s combined record: 26-33-1

Opponent’s winning percentage: .442

Analysis: New Orleans is set to embark on a three-game road trip. And while all three teams are below .500, the Saints are expected to be without Hall of Fame quarterback Drew Brees.

Although the Saints have been red-hot and rolled off seven straight wins, Green Bay’s head-to-head win over New Orleans looms incredibly large. Therefore, the Saints will have to finish with a better record than the Packers to win a two-team tiebreaker.

Green Bay (7-3)

Home games (4): Chicago, Philadelphia, Carolina, Tennessee

Road games (2): Detroit, Chicago

Opponent’s combined record: 28-32-1

Opponent’s winning percentage: .467

Analysis: Green Bay has four of its final six games at home, and with the weather turning nasty, that should prove beneficial.

Despite the Packers’ lackluster home performances in 2020, few teams want to come to Lambeau late in the year. So, if the Packers can continue to navigate a manageable schedule, they’ll position themselves well for a postseason run.

Seattle (7-3)

Home games (3): New York Giants, New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams

Road games (3): Philadelphia, Washington, San Francisco

Opponent’s combined record: 19-39-1

Opponent’s winning percentage: .331

Analysis: Of the teams challenging for conference supremacy, the Seahawks have, by far, the easiest schedule.

Seattle’s lone remaining game against a team with a winning record will be a home contest against the Los Angeles Rams. And the Seahawks still have three games left against teams from the dreadful NFC East.

Don’t be shocked if the Seahawks get red hot and make a run at the No. 1 seed.

Tampa Bay (7-3)

Home games (4): Los Angeles Rams, Kansas City, Minnesota, Atlanta

Road games (2): Atlanta, Detroit

Opponent’s combined record: 28-30

Opponent’s winning percentage: .483

Analysis: The Buccaneers have four of their final six games at home, but face huge tests against the Rams and Chiefs.

Tampa Bay lost both of its games to NFC South foe New Orleans this year. So the Buccaneers would have to pass the Saints to win its division.