Packers' Rooting Guide for NFL Playoff Implications of Week 13

A 3-1 record over their last four games has taken the Green Bay Packers' interest from the 2024 NFL draft to the 2023 playoffs.

After a 2-5 start to the season, it looked like the Packers might be headed toward a complete rebuild with a new start at quarterback.

Over the last four games they have flipped that narrative. Jordan Love has played well with eight touchdowns to two interceptions as the Packers have earned wins over the Rams, Chargers and Lions with a close loss to the Steelers.

According to the New York Times' playoff projections, it leaves the Packers with about a 50 percent chance to make the postseason. With a win over the Packers, it's projected to rise to 68 percent while a loss would knock them down to 43 percent.

Either way, it might take a little help to keep the playoff dream alive. Here are three results the Packers faithful should be rooting for this weekend to increase their odds of making it.

Lions over Saints

AP Photo/Duane Burleson

Jahmyr Gibbs

It might pain the Packers to root for the Detroit Lions, but it's like eating vegetables. It might be gross, but it will be good for them.

The reality is that it's going to be hard for the Packers to catch the Lions in the NFC North. Even after beating them last week, there's a three-game gap to close with only six games left on the schedule.

That means the Packers need to hope that the Lions start picking off some potential NFC wildcard teams. That starts with getting a win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

The Saints, Falcons and Buccaneers are engaged in a battle for who can be the most successful mediocre team in the NFC South right now. The Falcons and Saints are tied atop the division at 5-6 with the Buccaneers just one game behind at 4-7.

From the Packers perspective, they need to root for just one NFC South team to qualify for the playoffs.

A loss to the Lions would move the Saints down to 5-7, thus lowering the bar in the division even more.

This is a result that the Packers should be able to count on. They just upset the Lions last week, but the Saints are coming off a loss against the Falcons and the Lions haven't lost back-to-back games all season.

Jets over Falcons

Rich Schultz/Getty Images

Jets quarterback Tim Boyle

Again, the Packers need to root for the worst NFC South race ever. The lower that bar is, the less chance there is that the Packers will lose out on a playoff spot to one of those teams.

So a Jets win over the Falcons would give the Packers another small bump in the wildcard race.

Unfortunately, this leg of the Packers fan parlay is going to be a little tougher to cash. The Jets likely have their eye trained closer to the NFL draft than the postseason at this point, although the sight of Aaron Rodgers practicing might be enough to keep up some motivation.

The Jets did open the 21-day window for Rodgers to practice and return from injured reserve. However, Robert Saleh told reporters that it, "isn't so much getting ready to play as much as it is a progression in his rehab."

For much of the season, the Jets defense has been able to keep them competitive. That hasn't been the case the last two weeks. The Bills and Dolphins combined to score 66 points in blowouts.

The Falcons aren't as good as those teams, though. Perhaps a chance to let loose against Desmond Ridder will bring back the Jets defense that was 4-3 before a four-game skid.

Browns over Rams

AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Joe Flacco

The Vikings are the most important team to root against right now. They are just a half-game ahead of the Packers right now and currently have the final wildcard.

However, they are on a bye week so they can't surrender that title just yet.

Lurking just below the 6-6 Vikings are the Packers, Rams and Saints at 5-6. We've already discussed how the Packers should be rooting for the Lions to help the Packers out with the Saints. The Rams get an easy matchup to pick a rooting interest with the Cleveland Browns.

The 7-4 Browns already have a strong likelihood of grabbing a wildcard spot over in the AFC. But with a questionable quarterback situation there's still pressure on them to win every week.

That'll be especially true with a decent Rams team up next.

The Rams got off to a 3-6 start, but have quietly worked themselves into the fringe of the playoff chase with back-to-back wins over the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals.

The Browns have one of the best defenses in the league this season, but have been up-and-down on offense. Deshaun Watson is out for the season and they've turned things over to rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The problem is that he's in concussion protocol and the Browns have elevated 38-year-old Joe Flacco to the backup quarterback position.

Relying on Flacco who just signed with the Browns just under two weeks ago is a scary proposition, but the defense should continue to keep them in games.