play

Packers receiver Matthew Golden said he’s healthy for Bears game

After dealing with a wrist injury, Green Bay Packers receiver Matthew Golden said he’s ready to contribute against the Chicago Bears.

It’s a new week for the Green Bay Packers.

And that means it’s a new opportunity to move on from last week’s loss and move closer to a playoff berth.

After falling to the Denver Broncos in a game that included the devastating season-ending injury to defensive end Micah Parsons, the Packers dropped in the division and playoff standings.

But all is not lost on the season. A win for the Packers over the Chicago Bears on Saturday night, which would be their second in the last three weeks, moves them back up in the NFC North and postseason picture. And by the end of the weekend they can even clinch a playoff berth.

With just three games left in the season, it’s crunch time for teams looking to secure their postseason position.

Here’s what to know about the Packers’ playoff chances, the NFL playoff picture and schedules ahead of the Week 16 weekend games.

Packers playoff odds

Entering Saturday’s game against the Chicago Bears (10-4), the Packers (9-4-1) have a 91% chance of making the playoffs, according to the New York Times’ simulator.

If they beat the Bears, they all but assure themselves of a playoff berth at over 99%. A loss to the Bears drops their odds to 83% before Sunday’s games are played. But if the Packers lose and the Detroit Lions lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday their odds increase to 95%. The Lions are the only team that can keep the Packers from the playoffs.

Ahead of their Week 16 game, the Packers have less than a 1% chance of being the No. 1 seed, a 43% of hosting a wild-card game, which means they’re a top 4 seed and a 48% chance of being a wild-card team (seeds 5-7).

Packers playoff chances: How the Packers can clinch a playoff berth this weekend

Two outcomes need to happen: beat the Bears and have the Lions lose on Sunday.

Who could help the Packers in this situation? The Packers’ old friend, Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers and the Steelers play at the Lions in the late afternoon time slot at Ford Field.

Packers playoff scenarios

Overall, the Packers’ magic number for a playoff berth is “2.”

That’s any combination of Packers wins or Lions losses equaling two. We’re just looking at the Lions (8-6) since Detroit is the only team that could stand in the Packers’ way of a playoff berth.

So, two wins in the next three weeks for Green Bay will put the Packers in the playoffs.

Or at least one win, which would put the Packers at 10-6-1, and one Lions loss, which would put Detroit at 10-7.

Put another way, the Packers will miss the playoffs if they lose twice and the Lions finish 3-0. In that scenario, which would put the Packers at 10-6-1 and the Lions at 11-6. But two wins by the Packers gives them an 11-5-1 record. And even if the Lions win out they would just have an 11-6 record, sending Green Bay to the playoffs.

Buy Packers tickets on StubHub

Bears playoff chances

The Bears also can clinch a playoff spot with that same result as the Packers’ this weekend. Beat the Packers and have the Lions lose to the Steelers. In this scenario, the Bears would have a three-game lead over the Lions with two games to play.

Despite holding the No. 2 seed and the division lead, the Bears have lower odds (83%) than the Packers entering Week 16 of making the playoffs, according to the New York Times’ simulator. That’s mostly due to their schedule and because Chicago has already lost to the Lions this season so they don’t hold the tiebreaker with Detroit at the moment.

But if the Bears beat the Packers, their odds increase to 96%.

Entering Week 16, the Bears have a 6% chance of getting the No. 1 seed, a 46% chance of hosting a wild-card game and a 31% chance of being a wild-card team.

The only way the Bears miss the playoffs is if they lose their final three games and the Lions win out.

NFL playoff picture

Here are the AFC and NFC standings heading into the weekend games in Week 16:

AFC standingsDenver Broncos: 12-2 (AFC West leader, clinched a playoff berth)New England Patriots: 11-3 (AFC East leader)Jacksonville Jaguars: 10-4 (AFC South leader)Pittsburgh Steelers: 8-6 (AFC North leader)Los Angeles Chargers: 10-4 (first wild-card team)Buffalo Bills: 10-4 (second wild-card team)Houston Texans: 9-5 (third wild-card team)

In the hunt: Indianapolis Colts: 8-6, Baltimore Ravens: 7-7

Eliminated: Kansas City Chiefs: 6-8, Miami Dolphins: 6-8, Cincinnati Bengals: 4-10, New York Jets: 3-11, Cleveland Browns 3-11, Las Vegas Raiders: 2-12, Tennessee Titans: 2-12

NFC standings

The Packers will move up to the No. 2 spot in the playoffs with a win over the Bears. A loss will keep them at No. 7 heading into Week 17 regardless of what happens elsewhere.

Seattle Seahawks: 12-3 (NFC West leader, clinched a playoff berth); beat the Los Angeles Rams, 38-37, on “Thursday Night Football.”Chicago Bears: 10-4 (NFC North leader)Philadelphia Eagles: 9-5 (NFC East leader)Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7-7 (NFC South leader)Los Angeles Rams: 11-4 (first wild-card team, clinched a playoff berth); lost to the Seattle Seahawks, 38-37, on TNFSan Francisco 49ers: 10-4 (second wild-card team)Green Bay Packers: 9-4-1 (third wild-card team)

In the hunt: Detroit Lions: 8-6, Carolina Panthers: 7-7, Dallas Cowboys: 6-7-1

Eliminated: Minnesota Vikings: 6-8, Atlanta Falcons: 5-9, New Orleans Saints: 4-10, Washington Commanders: 4-10, Arizona Cardinals: 3-11, New York Giants: 2-12

NFC North standings

The Bears returned to the top of the division after their win last week over the Cleveland Browns and the Packers’ loss to the Denver Broncos. The Bears, Packers or Lions can still win the division, though Detroit’s chances are getting slimmer.

The earliest the division can be won is in Week 17 by either the Bears or Packers. The Packers would have to win both Week 16 and 17 and the Bears lose both in this scenario. Two wins for the Bears in the next two weeks locks up the division. The Bears’ magic number overall is “3” to clinch the division. Any combination of three wins or Packers losses. A Packers loss on Saturday doesn’t take them out of the running for the division title. But they would need to win their last two games and have the Bears lose their final two.

The Lions would win the division only if they win their next three games, coupled with the Packers and Bears both losing at least two of their final three games.

Chicago Bears: 10-4Green Bay Packers: 9-4-1Detroit Lions: 8-6Minnesota Vikings: 6-8Packers remaining scheduleWeek 16: at Chicago Bears, 7:20 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20Week 17: vs. Baltimore Ravens, 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 27Week 18: at Minnesota Vikings, Date/Time TBDBears remaining scheduleWeek 16: vs. Green Bay Packers, 7:20 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20Week 17: at San Francisco 49ers, 7:20 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 27Week 18: vs. Detroit Lions, TBD, Date/Time TBDLions remaining scheduleWeek 16: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 3:25 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 21Week 17: at Minnesota Vikings, 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 25Week 18: at Chicago Bears, Date/Time TBD