With Chicago’s rather dominating win over the Vikings last Sunday, it seems that the NFC North is now officially a two-team race. If Minnesota had won, I think they could have made it a three-team struggle, but they seem too far gone now for that scenario to unfold.
And so our focus will be on the Bears -- beating them out to win the Division. If, in fact, that is the plot line for the second half of our season, then you couldn’t ask for a better Week 17!
I have created a chart below that reflects, side-by-side, the Packers’ and Bears’ remaining schedules. As you can see at the bottom, both teams have four road games and three home games left. Also, you’ll observe that, in terms of opponents’ records as of this day, Chicago has a slightly more difficult schedule.
A closer look at the two schedules reveals a lot of overlap. In addition to playing each other on the final week of the season, we both face the Vikings, the Lions, and the Patriots. Meanwhile, Green Bay faces the Giants, 49ers, and Falcons while the Bears get the Dolphins, Eagles, and Jets.
In terms of the weekend just ahead of us, it’s hard to say who has the more difficult task. We both hit the road. They play a team with more to play for, but one that is badly hobbled. We play a team in disarray without much to play for, but a talented team that knows us and knows how to beat us. Also, beating the Packers is about all Brett Favre has left to play for now. Sad stuff.
In the end, it’s certainly more of a must-win week for the Packers, for a win against the Vikings is more useful to us in tie-breaking scenarios than a win against the Dolphins would be for the Bears.
| Week | Packers (6-3) | Bears (6-3) |
| 11 | at Vikings (3-6) | at Dolphins (5-4) |
| 12 | at Falcons (7-2) | Eagles (6-3) |
| 13 | 49ers (3-6) | at Lions (2-7) |
| 14 | at Lions (2-7) | Patriots (7-2) |
| 15 | at Patriots (7-2) | at Vikings (3-6) |
| 16 | Giants (6-3) | Jets (7-2) |
| 17 | Bears (6-3) | at Packers (6-3) |
| Records | (34-29) | (36-27) |
Finally, Don Banks (at SI.com) has given his first handicapping of the playoff race. He notes, on the one hand, that if the playoffs began today, the Packers would not make the cut in the NFC. On the other hand, of all the teams in the Conference, he regards Green Bay as the “Team Most Likely to Surge,” while he labels the Bears as the “Team Most Likely to Fade.”
Team most likely to surge: Green Bay -- The Packers' three-game winning streak means the surge has already begun. Green Bay's Dom Capers-coordinated defense is becoming a factor again, and only trips to Atlanta and New England look like games that might be beyond the Packers' reach in the final seven weeks.
Team most likely to fade: Chicago -- The Bears have got miles and miles to go before they have anything to truly celebrate this season. Five of Chicago's final seven games are against winning teams, including trips to Miami and Green Bay, and there are tough home games looming against Philadelphia, New England and the Jets.
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