Whatever happened in Week 18, the path is the same for the Packers.
The Packers’ Week 18 loss to the Bears was a disappointment. Losing to the Bears always is, even if there were plenty of understandable reasons that the Packers didn’t put their best foot forward on Sunday. Between injuries and the murky path toward the game actually meaning something, there’s at least a partly forgivable aspect to the Packers flopping in their regular season finale.
But here’s the ultimate bottom line: whatever happened in that game didn’t matter because the Commanders beat the Cowboys, locking up the six seed. Even if the Packers had beaten the Bears, they’d still be in the exact same position today.
The focus, then, is entirely the same. The Packers enter the playoffs after a stumble, sure, but the path is the same and the goal is the same. They’re off to Philadelphia for a challenging first-round game, but this is where they were always going to be.
And now, after about a month of jockeying for position, the real work begins. There won’t be any outside influences on the Packers’ game on Sunday. For better or for worse, they’re in full control of their own destiny.
Road to the Super Bowl: For Packers, this is their chance | Packers.com
The path to the prize starts in Philadelphia.
Packers’ season may depend on Jeff Hafley’s ability to keep Eagles guessing | Packers News ($)
Whether Jalen Hurts plays this week or not, the Eagles have a challenging offense.
‘He’s different’: Inside the mind of Xavier McKinney, face of the Packers defense | The Athletic ($)
McKinney’s value to the Packers this season has been incalculable. Here’s a little more about what makes him tick.
Packers retake NFL record for most postseason appearances in league history | Packers Wire
Next goal: make that playoff appearance matter.
The NFL players who earned — or missed — their 2024 bonuses | ESPN
The effort to get players bonuses — or keep them from getting them — is always an interesting part of late-season football.
Man uses rude driver’s license plate to play the lottery, wins $500,000 | UPI
Stick it to the haters however you can.