NFL Playoff Picture 2023-24: Standings, Scenarios After Packers, Cowboys, 49ers Wins | News, Scores, Highlights, Stats, and Rumors
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It should be a fairly stress-free Sunday for the Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers in Week 12.
That is because they already have wins under their collective belts thanks to their performances during the annual Thanksgiving games. Dallas and San Francisco further solidified their spots in the NFC playoff picture, while the Packers moved to within one game of the No. 7 seed.
Green Bay still plays the Minnesota Vikings later this season, so Jordan Love and Co. are very much alive in the postseason race with six games remaining.
Here is a look at where that postseason race stands following Thursday’s results.
1. Baltimore Ravens (8-3, first-round bye)
2. Kansas City Chiefs (7-3, tiebreaker over Jacksonville Jaguars and Miami Dolphins) vs. 7. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4)
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-3, tiebreaker over Miami Dolphins) vs. 6. Houston Texans (6-4, tiebreaker over Pittsburgh Steelers)
4. Miami Dolphins (7-3) vs. 5. Cleveland Browns (7-3)
1. Philadelphia Eagles (9-1, first-round bye)
2. San Francisco 49ers (8-3, tiebreaker over Detroit Lions) vs. 7. Seattle Seahawks (6-5)
3. Detroit Lions (8-3) vs. 6. Minnesota Vikings (6-5, tiebreaker over Seattle Seahawks)
4. New Orleans Saints (5-5) vs. 5. Dallas Cowboys (8-3)
The AFC standings look the same as the start of the day since all three games were on the NFC’s side.
While the Cowboys and 49ers are in solid position after two more wins, the biggest storyline from Thanksgiving was the emergence of the Packers as a true playoff threat thanks to their 29-22 victory over the Detroit Lions that wasn’t as close as the final score indicated.
Green Bay scored 20 points in a first quarter that saw Jordan Love throw two touchdowns and the defense return a Jared Goff fumble for a touchdown. The Lions closed the gap to nine in the third quarter with a David Montgomery touchdown and two-point conversion, but the Packers responded with another touchdown pass from Love.
A touchdown in the final minute for the Lions made the final score more respectable, but Green Bay was in full control throughout.
And now it is just one game out of the final playoff spot in the NFC.
NFL @NFL
WOW. <a href=”https://twitter.com/packers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>@packers</a> defense forces the fumble and takes it in for the touchdown<br><br>?: <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/GBvsDET?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#GBvsDET</a> on FOX<br>?: Stream on <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/NFLPlus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#NFLPlus</a> <a href=”https://t.co/N5H8NbZZUE”>https://t.co/N5H8NbZZUE</a> <a href=”https://t.co/Tok9YTIwQ5″>pic.twitter.com/Tok9YTIwQ5</a>
The 2023 campaign seemed to be a lost one for the Packers when they went 2-5 in their first seven games. That Aaron Rodgers was no longer under center only highlighted the overall struggles and made the future seem rather bleak for the storied franchise.
Yet the Packers have now won three of four, none of which were more impressive than Thursday’s victory over the 8-3 Lions. Suddenly they are well within striking distance of that last spot and are playing as well as most teams in the league.
The upcoming schedule also provides some reason for optimism.
While the next game is a challenging one against the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, Green Bay still faces the New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears. All of those teams have losing records, and the Giants are playing without starting quarterback Daniel Jones.
Throw in a head-to-head contest against the Vikings, which presents an opportunity to pick up a key win in a tiebreaker race with a fellow contender, and things are set up well for a late push from Love and Co.
That is especially the case if he continues to play at a high level after throwing for a combined five touchdowns and zero interceptions the last two games.
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