4) Green Bay Packers
Five weeks ago, the Packers were practically eliminated from the playoffs. Following a Week eleven loss to the Redskins, the Packers would have to win out to make the postseason.
Fast forward five weeks and the Packers are 5-0 and control their own destiny. Heading into a Week 17 game at the Detroit Lions, a victory gives them the division.
While the Packers don’t have the best defense or a consistent running game, they have Aaron Rodgers, who has thrust himself into the MVP conversation while almost single-handedly carrying Green Bay to the postseason.
While the Giants have a terrific defense, Aaron Rodgers is genuinely the last player any team wants to face right now. Unfortunately, the likelihood of the Giants facing Rodgers and the Packers is higher than facing any other team. If the Packers beat the Lions, and the Seahawks beat the lowly 49ers, the Giants will be heading to Lambeau for the Wild Card Round.
The Giants have beaten the Packers twice in the postseason over the last decade, in the NFC Championship game in 2008 and the Divisional Round in 2012 (The Packers were 15-1 that year, the best record in the NFL). However, neither Packers team had a quarterback quite as hot as Rodgers, who has 11 touchdowns and no picks during Green Bay’s five-game win streak.
While it is the most likely scenario, playing Rodgers and the Pack is effectively the worst case scenario for Big Blue in Wild Card Weekend.
