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Packers Playoff Picture: Green Bay Now Controls Its Own Destiny

After the Ravens upset the Lions on Monday Night Football, the left-for-dead Packers find themselves in control of their playoff fate.

Leon Halip

Following their Thanksgiving loss in Detroit, the Packers stood at a scant 7.1% chance of making the playoffs as calculated by Football Outsiders. That figure constituted an improvement from a week earlier, when their postseason odds were estimated at roughly 5%. The reason for the low percentages was obvious. Green Bay had not won in over a month, and their star quarterback was sidelined indefinitely during perhaps the worst stretch of performance for Dom Capers' defense. The Packers were done.

Or so it seemed.

Following an incredible string of events, the Packers (7-6-1) find themselves back in control of their own playoff destiny. Such is the result of not only their implausible come-from-behind shocker in Dallas, but also the Lions' latest implosion on Monday Night Football. No longer will Green Bay have to root for outcomes in other games. All that's needed for their fifth consecutive playoff berth are two wins over the Steelers and Bears.

Further aiding the Packers chances is the impending return of Aaron Rodgers. While Mike McCarthy expectedly remained hazy on whether Rodgers will return this week, ESPN's Ed Werder reported that the Packers believe their star quarterback will return in time for week 16. If Rodgers can play the next two weeks, Green Bay stands a good chance of taking the division.

It's the latest example of what's great about the NFL. No other sports league offers this kind of excitement and unexpected thrill. It took a lot to keep the Packers alive, but suddenly their odds aren't so long anymore.

Jason Hirschhorn covers the Green Bay Packers for Acme Packing Company. He also serves as a senior writer for Beats Per Minute, and his work has appeared on Lombardi Ave, College Hoops Net, and the List Universe.