Packers Playoff Picture: What History Tells Us About Green Bay as Every Seed

The Green Bay Packers have won an unprecedented 13 NFL titles. No team has won more. However, the Packers won 11 of those championships before 1970, when the wild card came into play in the postseason of the NFL.

In 1970, the three division winners and the non-division-winning team (the wild card) with the best won-loss percentage qualified for the playoffs. A predetermined post-season schedule was produced that rotated the home teams based on divisions, regardless of winning percentage.

The 1972 Packers, who won the NFC Central that year with a 10-4 record, played under these playoff rules. The Packers had to travel to Washington that year and lost to the Redskins 16-3. The '72 Packers were coached by Dan Devine.

In 1978, the NFL adopted a new 16-game schedule. An additional wild card team in each conference was added to the playoffs with the two wild cards going at it during the first weekend of the post-season.

These rules were thrown out the window in 1982, when there was a player's strike that interrupted the season. The NFL instead used a Super Bowl tournament in the postseason.

The Packers were 5-3-1 in 1982, and won the first postseason game at Lambeau Field since the Ice Bowl in 1967, by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 41-16.

The Packers lost the next weekend on the road to the Dallas Cowboys, 37-26. The '82 Packers were coached by Bart Starr.

In 1990, two more wild card teams were added to the equation. That meant that each conference would have three wild card teams, along with the three division winners in each conference. There would be 12-of-28  teams in playoffs under those rules.

Then, in 2002, the league expanded to 32 teams, the NFL realigned into eight four-team divisions.

The playoff format included four division winners and two wild card teams from each conference. The Wild Card games that kick off the post-season play feature two division winners hosting wild card teams.

Those rules still apply today in the postseason.

The Packers currently are 8-4 so far this season, and are the No. 3 seed in the NFC, if the playoffs were held today. They are in 1st place in the NFC North, tied with the Chicago Bears. The Packers hold the tiebreaker however, due to a better divisional record, plus have beaten da Bears once this season already.

There are four games left in the 2012 season for the Packers, including another date with Chicago at Soldier Field on December 16th.

It's hard to say where the Packers will be seeded once the regular season ends, but the Packers want to try and get up to No. 2 seed, which would mean a bye the first weekend of the playoffs. 

I'm going to look at where the Packers were seeded from 1993-2011 (14 playoff appearances), and how the Packers did in the postseason, based on those seeds.

1993 Packers

Head coach: Mike Holmgren

Finished 9-7, and in third place in the NFC Central. Were the No. 5 seed in the NFC.

Beat the Detroit Lions 28-24 at the Pontiac Silverdome in a NFC Wild Card Playoff Game.

Lost 27-17 to the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium in a NFC Divisional Playoff Game.

1994 Packers

Head coach: Mike Holmgren

Finished 9-7, and in second place in the NFC Central. Were the No. 4 seed in the NFC.

Beat the Detroit Lions 16-12 at Lambeau Field in a NFC Wild Card Playoff Game.

Lost to the Dallas Cowboys 35-9 at Texas Stadium in a NFC Divisional Playoff Game.

1995 Packers

Head coach: Mike Holmgren

Finished 11-5, and in first place in the NFC Central. Were the No. 3 seed in the NFC.

Beat the Atlanta Falcons 37-20 at Lambeau Field in a NFC Wild Card Playoff Game.

Beat the San Francisco 49ers 27-17 at Candlestick Park in a NFC Divisional Playoff Game.

Lost 38-27 to the Dallas Cowboys at Texas Stadium in the NFC Championship Game.

1996 Packers

Head coach: Mike Holmgren

Finished 13-3, and in first place in the NFC Central. Were the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

Beat the San Francisco 49ers 35-14 at Lambeau Field in a NFC Divisional Playoff Game.

Beat the Carolina Panthers 30-13 at Lambeau Field in the NFC Championship Game.

Beat the New England Patriots 35-21 at the Louisiana Superdome (New Orleans) in Super Bowl XXXI.

1997 Packers

Head coach: Mike Holmgren

Finished 13-3, and in first place in the NFC Central. Were the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

Beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21-7 at Lambeau Field in a NFC Divisional Game.

Beat the San Fransisco 49ers 23-10 at 3Com Park in the NFC Championship Game.

Lost 31-24 to the Denver Broncos at Qualcomm Stadium (San Diego) in Super Bowl XXXII.

1998 Packers

Head coach: Mike Holmgren

Finished 11-5, and in second place in the NFC Central. Were the No. 5 seed in the NFC.

Lost 30-27 to the San Fransisco 49ers at 3Com Park in a NFC Wild Card Playoff Game.

2001 Packers

Head coach: Mike Sherman

Finished 12-4, and in second place in the NFC Central. Were the No. 4 seed in the NFC.

Beat the San Fransisco 49ers 25-15 at Lambeau Field in a NFC Wild Card Playoff Game.

Lost 45-17 to the St. Louis Rams at the Dome of America's Center in a NFC Divisional Playoff Game.

2002 Packers

Head coach: Mike Sherman

Finished 12-4, and first place in the NFC North. Were the No. 3 seed in the NFC.

Lost 27-7 to the Atlanta Falcons at Lambeau Field in a NFC Wild Card Playoff Game. 

2003 Packers

Head coach: Mike Sherman

Finished 10-6, and in first place in the NFC North. Were the No. 4 seed in the NFC.

Beat the Seattle Seahawks 33-27 (OT) at Lambeau Field in a NFC Wild Card Playoff Game.

Lost 20-17 (OT) to the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in a NFC Divisional Playoff Game

2004 Packers

Head coach: Mike Sherman

Finished 10-6, and in first place in the NFC North. Were the No. 3 seed in the NFC.

Lost 31-17 to the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field in a NFC Wild Card Playoff game.

2007 Packers

Head coach: Mike McCarthy

Finished 13-3, and in first place in the NFC North. Were the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

Beat the Seattle Seahawks 42-20 at Lambeau Field in a NFC Divisional Playoff Game.

Lost 23-20 (OT) to the New York Giants at Lambeau Field in the NFC Championship Game.

2009 Packers

Head coach: Mike McCarthy

Finished 11-5, and in second place in the NFC North. Were the No. 5 seed in the NFC.

Lost 51-45 (OT) to the Arizona Cardinals at Univ. of Phoenix Stadium in a NFC Wild Card Playoff Game.

2010 Packers

Head coach: Mike McCarthy

Finished 10-6, and in second place in the NFC North. Were the No.6 seed in the NFC.

Beat the Philadelphia Eagles 21-16 at Lincoln Financial Field in a NFC Wild Card Playoff Game.

Beat the Atlanta Falcons 48-21 at the Georgia Dome in a NFC Divisional Playoff Game.

Beat the Chicago Bears 21-14 at Soldier Field in the NFC Championship Game.

Beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 at Cowboys Stadium (Arlington) in Super Bowl XLV.

2011 Packers

Head coach: Mike McCarthy

Finished 15-1, and in first place in the NFC North. Were the No.1 seed in the NFC.

Lost 37-20 to the New York Giants at Lambeau Field in a NFC Divisional Playoff Game.