The stakes are high in several matchups during the final week of the NFL regular season.
That’s not the case for the Green Bay Packers in their game against the Minnesota Vikings.
The Packers’ playoff seed is already set, while the Vikings have been eliminated from postseason contention.
But the Packers’ playoff opponent still has to be determined (a matchup against the Bears is very likely) and the NFL playoff bracket still has to be finalized. All of that provides more than enough intrigue for Packers fans.
Here’s what to know about the Packers’ playoff seed, the NFC playoff picture and bracket before the games kick off on Sunday, Jan. 4:
Are the Packers in the playoffs?
The Packers are in the playoffs and their seed cannot change from the outcome of their game today against the Vikings.
The Packers are the seventh seed in the NFC playoffs for a third straight year.
As the final seed, all of the Packers’ postseason games will be on the road.
Packers playoff scenarios: Who will the Packers play in the playoffs?
The Packers will play the No. 2 seed in the first round of the playoffs as part of the wild-card games.
That will be either the Chicago Bears (11-5) or Philadelphia Eagles (11-5).
The Bears, champions of the NFC North, control their path to the No. 2 seed. The Bears will be the No. 2 seed with a win on Sunday over the Detroit Lions or an Eagles loss to the Washington Commanders.
The Eagles need a win over the Commanders and a Bears loss to get the second seed.
The Bears hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Eagles so that’s why if the teams finish with the same record Chicago gets the No. 2 seed.
If the Packers win their wild-card round game, they already know their next opponent. The Packers would face the top-seeded Seattle Seahawks in the divisional round. The Seahawks secured the NFC’s No. 1 seed and a first-round bye with their win over the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night.
Packers playoff picture: NFC playoff standings
Here are the NFC standings heading into the final day of the regular season:
Seattle Seahawks: 14-3 (NFC West champion, clinched No. 1 seed)
Chicago Bears: 11-5 (NFC North champion, clinched playoff berth)
Philadelphia Eagles: 11-5 (NFC East champion, clinched playoff berth)
Carolina Panthers (8-9)/Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9): Panthers will be the No. 4 seed if the Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints on Sunday; Bucs will be the No. 4 seed if the Saints beat the Falcons.
San Francisco 49ers: 12-5 (first wild-card team, clinched playoff berth; will drop to the sixth seed if the Los Angeles Rams beat the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday)
Los Angeles Rams: 11-5 (second wild-card team, clinched playoff berth; will move up to the fifth seed with a win over the Cardinals)
Green Bay Packers: 9-6-1 (third wild-card team, clinched playoff berth; will be the seventh seed)
Eliminated: Minnesota Vikings 8-8, Detroit Lions 8-8, Dallas Cowboys 7-8-1, Atlanta Falcons 7-9, New Orleans Saints 6-10, Washington Commanders 4-12, Arizona Cardinals 3-13, New York Giants 3-13
Stream the Packers-Vikings on Fubo
NFL playoff bracket
Ahead of the Sunday games, here’s what the NFL playoff bracket looks like:
San Francisco 49ers (5) at Carolina Panthers/Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4)
Los Angeles Rams (6) at Philadelphia Eagles (3)
Green Bay Packers (7) at Chicago Bears (2)
First-round Bye: Seattle Seahawks
AFC
Houston Texans (5) at Pittsburgh Steelers/ Baltimore Ravens (4)
Los Angeles Chargers (6) at Jacksonville Jaguars (3)
Buffalo Bills (7) at New England Patriots (2)
First-round Bye: Denver Broncos
When are the NFL playoffs?
The NFL playoffs begin with three games in each conference for the wild-card round.
The wild-card round will be played Jan. 10-12 with two games on Saturday, Jan. 10, three on Sunday, Jan. 11, and one on Monday, Jan. 12.
NFL games today, Week 18 schedule
Playoff positioning, draft positioning and a winner-take-all game (Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh) in what could be the final game of Aaron Rodgers’ career. The final week of the NFL season is full of drama.
Here’s the schedule for Week 18:
Sunday, Jan. 4
New Orleans Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons, noon, Fox
Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals, noon, CBS
Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings, noon, CBS
Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants, noon, Fox
Tennessee Titans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, noon, Fox
Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans, noon, CBS
New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills, 3:25 p.m., CBS
Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears, 3:25 p.m., Fox
Los Angeles Chargers vs. Denver Broncos, 3:25 p.m., CBS
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Las Vegas Raiders, 3:25 p.m., CBS
Arizona Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Rams, 3:25 p.m., Fox
Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots, 3:25 p.m., Fox
Washington Commanders vs. Philadelphia Eagles, 3:25 p.m., CBS
Baltimore Ravens vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 7:20 p.m., NBC
Saturday, Jan. 3 scores
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16, Carolina Panthers 14