Christmas came early for the Green Bay Packers, but the holiday spirit quickly faded as the team stumbled into the postseason with a third consecutive defeat. Thanks to the Minnesota Vikings’ 23-10 victory over the Detroit Lions on December 25, 2025, the Packers clinched a playoff berth before even taking the field for their Week 17 clash. Yet, any hopes of a triumphant late-season surge were dashed two days later when the Baltimore Ravens rolled into Lambeau Field and handed Green Bay a stinging 41-24 loss, sealing the Packers’ fate as the seventh and final seed in the NFC playoffs.
The Packers’ journey to the postseason has been anything but smooth. Entering Week 17, Green Bay (9-6-1) had already locked up a playoff spot, courtesy of Detroit’s misfortune, but their own on-field struggles have raised eyebrows around the league. Saturday night’s defeat to Baltimore marked their third straight loss, leaving fans and analysts alike questioning whether this team is truly ready for the intensity of playoff football. The defense, once a point of pride, was shredded by Derrick Henry and the Ravens’ relentless ground attack. Meanwhile, Malik Willis stepped in admirably for an injured Jordan Love, but his efforts weren’t enough to overcome a porous defensive showing.
"You couldn't tell by the way the slumping Packers, who dropped their third straight game, looked as they were being shredded by Derrick Henry and the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night," noted one observer, capturing the mood in Green Bay. The loss not only locked the Packers into their seed for the 2025 NFC playoffs, but also extinguished any hope of a late push for the NFC North crown.
Let’s break down the NFC North standings as of December 27, 2025: The Chicago Bears sit atop the division at 11-4, officially clinching the title with Green Bay’s defeat. The Packers follow at 9-6-1, with the Vikings and Lions both at 8-8. For Bears fans, it’s a moment to savor—their first division championship since 2018. For the Packers, it’s a familiar, if not entirely comfortable, position. For the third consecutive year, Green Bay enters the playoffs as the NFC’s seventh seed, meaning their postseason journey will begin—and continue, if they advance—on the road.
The NFC playoff picture is coming into focus, but there’s still drama to be found. Six of the seven playoff berths have been clinched, with only the NFC South champion yet to be determined. Here’s how the seeding currently stands:
1. Seattle Seahawks (12-3) – NFC West leader, clinched playoff berth
2. Chicago Bears (11-4) – NFC North leader, clinched playoff berth
3. Philadelphia Eagles (10-5) – NFC East champion, clinched playoff berth
4. Carolina Panthers (8-7) – NFC South leader (spot not yet clinched)
5. San Francisco 49ers (11-4) – first wild-card team, clinched playoff berth
6. Los Angeles Rams (11-4) – second wild-card team, clinched playoff berth
7. Green Bay Packers (9-6-1) – third wild-card team, clinched playoff berth
In the hunt: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8) can only win the NFC South and claim the fourth seed. The rest of the field—including the Vikings and Lions, both at 8-8—has been eliminated from postseason contention.
For the Packers, the path to the Super Bowl is daunting. As the lowest seed, they’ll face the No. 2 seed in the wild-card round, which, as things stand, would be a third meeting with their storied rivals, the Chicago Bears. The schedule for these wild-card games is set for January 10, 11, or 12, 2026. Of course, the seeding could still shift depending on the outcomes of the final regular-season games, but one thing is certain: Green Bay’s playoff road will be a challenging one, starting away from the friendly confines of Lambeau Field.
The Packers’ regular season isn’t over yet. They’ll close things out on the road against the surging Minnesota Vikings in Week 18, with the game set for either January 3 or 4, 2026. The Vikings, buoyed by their recent four-game winning streak, have already played spoiler by sending the Packers to the playoffs with their Christmas Day win over Detroit. Now, they’ll look to add to Green Bay’s woes by handing them a fourth straight loss heading into the postseason.
Despite the clinched playoff berth, the mood in the Packers’ locker room is anything but celebratory. The team’s recent slide has exposed weaknesses on both sides of the ball. The defense, in particular, has struggled to contain opposing offenses, and the absence of Jordan Love has put added pressure on backup Malik Willis. While Willis showed flashes of promise, the consistency just hasn’t been there. If the Packers hope to make any noise in January, they’ll need to rediscover their early-season form—and fast.
Looking back, the Packers’ playoff fate was sealed not by their own heroics, but by the missteps of others. The Detroit Lions’ Christmas Day loss to the Vikings was the deciding factor, clinching Green Bay’s postseason spot before they even took the field against Baltimore. It’s a gift the Packers gladly accepted, but one that now comes with the weight of expectation and the pressure to prove they belong among the NFC’s elite.
For Chicago, the division title is sweet vindication. The Bears entered the season with high hopes and have delivered, securing their first NFC North crown in seven years. With a strong defense and a balanced offense, they look poised to make a deep playoff run. The possibility of a third matchup with Green Bay in the wild-card round adds even more intrigue to an already heated rivalry.
Elsewhere in the NFC, the playoff race remains fierce. The Seahawks have locked up the top seed for now, but both the 49ers and Rams are still in the hunt for the division title and a potential first-round bye. The Eagles, Panthers, and Buccaneers are all jockeying for position, with the NFC South still up for grabs. Every game in the final week could have major implications for the postseason landscape.
As the regular season winds down, questions abound in Green Bay. Will the Packers rest their starters in a game that can’t improve their playoff seeding? Can they snap their losing streak and build momentum before the wild-card round? Or will their postseason be a brief one, undone by the same issues that have plagued them down the stretch?
One thing’s for sure: the NFC playoff picture is as unpredictable as ever, and the Packers’ journey is far from over. With a playoff berth secured but plenty of work to do, Green Bay will need to dig deep if they hope to make this a January to remember.