The Green Bay Packers’ ongoing difficulties in games against NFC North teams are making it less likely that they will win the division title this season.
After losing 34-31 to Detroit on Thursday night, the Packers’ record in divisional games dropped to 1-3. Their only win in the division was a 20-19 victory over Chicago on November 17, which they only managed thanks to Karl Brooks blocking a 46-yard field goal attempt at the end of the game.
The Packers are now three games behind Detroit (12-1) and 1 ½ games behind the Minnesota Vikings (10-2) in the NFC North. Detroit also has the advantage in tiebreakers over the Packers, having won both of their regular-season matchups.
Despite this, the Packers are still in a good position to earn a wild-card playoff spot, with a strong 8-1 record against teams outside the NFC North.
“The main thing is getting into the dance for sure,” said center Josh Myers. “Would we like to be higher up? Absolutely. But we’ll live with where we’re at and we’ll make the most of it.”
If the Packers make the playoffs, their route to their first Super Bowl appearance since their 2010 championship could require them to go on the road and beat the Lions or Vikings in the postseason. The Packers lost 31-29 to the Vikings at home on September 29 and will face them again in Minnesota on December 29.
On Thursday, the Packers came back from a 17-7 halftime deficit and briefly took the lead. However, Jake Bates’ 35-yard field goal on the final play gave Detroit the win.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur said, “I thought we just started, especially on the offensive side of the ball, too slow.”
The Packers have consistently fallen behind early in NFC North games, something that hasn’t happened in their other matchups.
In their four NFC North games, the Packers have trailed at halftime every time and have been outscored 72-24 in the first half. In their other nine games, they’ve outscored opponents 151-86 before halftime.
With the loss, the Packers have now dropped six of their last seven games against the Lions, with the only win being a 29-22 victory on Thanksgiving Day last year. However, they remain confident that they could succeed if they meet Detroit again in the playoffs.
“I think we could beat them,” linebacker Isaiah McDuffie said. “And I think at the end of the day, I hope we see them again and I hope we prove ourselves and we do beat them.”
