The Green Bay Packers enter week 15 of the NFL season atop the NFC standings with a record of 10-3. The New Orleans Saints are also 10-3, but Green Bay owns the head-to-head tie breaker courtesy of a 37-30 win in week 3.
With three games to play, the Packers control their own destiny.. Wins over the Carolina Panthers, Tennessee Titans and Chicago Bears means the road to the Super Bowl will run through Green Bay.
“I feel pretty good about,” Packers Radio Network co-host Gabe Neitzel tells Wisconsin’s Afternoon News. “As long as the Packers don’t stub their toe against the Carolina, or, you also have the Bears at the end of the season…the Packers are in a pretty good position tie-breaker wise.”
With three weeks to play, the Packers, Saints, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Buccaneers remain mathematically alive for the NFC’s top seed. Of the teams mentioned, who would be most challenging for the Packers to knock off?
“If the Packers are the number-1 seed, the team that is sticking out to me right now is the Rams,” Neitzel explains. “Aaron Donald is still, to me, the best defensive player out there. He’s just so disruptive. Plus, they have Jalen Ramsey on the outside who could be an interesting match-up against Davante Adams.”
Adams’ 14 touchdowns are tied with Kansas City Chiefs speedster Tyreek Hill for the league lead. Robert Tonyan is tied with Chiefs all-pro Travis Kelce for the most touchdowns among tight ends (9). And quietly, Jeckyl-and-Hyde wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling is coming off one of the best performances of his career: 6 receptions for 85 yards and a touchdown in a 31-24 win over the Detroit Lions.
“I think that’s something worth keeping an eye on. If he can figure it out, and kinda take that next step forward, he becomes another weapon in the arsenal for Aaron Rodgers.”
The Packers enter week 15 with the NFL’s highest scoring average at 31.5 points per game. Green Bay will close out the season at home against the Panthers and Tennessee Titans, before visiting Chicago to face the Bears in the regular season finale.