The Packers return from the bye week with the number one seed in the NFC at stake in a primetime match-up with the San Francisco 49ers. This week also kicks off the final stretch of the regular season where the Packers will play 4 of their final 6 games on the road.
A win against the 49ers in San Francisco would put the Packers on top of the NFC, as they would hold the tiebreaker. A loss would put them in a dogfight for the 3rd playoff spot and tied with Minnesota for the Division lead.
As of right now, the stakes do not get any higher for first year head coach Matt Lafleur. The Packers are sitting in great position to finish out the regular season. They are extremely healthy and arguably the healthiest they have been in several years. They also hold the keys to their own success. They don’t have to rely on any other team they just have to take care of their own business.
The focus right now is about winning the division. If you can take care of that everything else will fall into place. Plus, then we can say the Pack is Back!
These next 6 weeks will be a battle in the NFC. There are 6 six who are leading the way in a deep NFC. And yet, every single one of them has their flaws. You have San Francisco at 9-1, Green Bay at 8-2, New Orleans at 8-2, Seattle at 8-2, Minnesota at 8-3 and Dallas at 6-4.
This is arguably the toughest challenge of the season for Matt Lafleur and his team this season. Bigger challenges will come as the season progresses and we enter the playoffs but for now, this game looms large. After the last fiasco when the Packers went out to California, coach Lafleur is making some changes to the schedule. Most notably, the team will leave for California on Saturday.
This game on Sunday will also have special meaning for coach Lafleur, as he will be facing his mentor Kyle Shanahan. He will also be facing his younger brother Mike Lafluer, who is the 49ers WR/passing game specialist.
It’s game week and a big one at that. Meaningful late season football has returned to Green Bay. Go Pack Go!
Anthony Haag is a writer for PackersTalk.com. He has been a Packers fan since the day he was born and truly bleeds green and gold. He makes annual visits to Lambeau Field and has attended his fair share of games. You can follow Anthony on Twitter at @anthony_haag
