To say that the Green Bay Packers' Week 15 matchup with the Seattle Seahawks is an important one would be an understatement. Yes, the Packers could technically lose this game and hold on to their playoff seeding. They're 9-4 despite an extremely tough loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 14 and still in the NFC's sixth seed.
That said, the Packers don't have a ton of room for wiggle. The Washington Commanders are holding onto the seventh seed with an 8-5 record and they're coming off a big win over the Titans. The Los Angeles Rams are riding high after beating the Buffalo Bills at home, and they're 7-6 and capable of going on a run.
All that means is that this Week 15 game against the Seahawks isn't a must-win by any means for Green Bay, but things could get dicey from here on out if they enter a two-game losing skid with four games to go.
Not only that, but an argument could be made that the Packers still need to collect a statement with this season and they still have a ton to prove. Yes, they've beaten the lesser teams on their schedule, and that's what good teams do, but great teams win no matter who lines up across from them. To that point, the Packers have lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, and Detroit Lions (twice). Those are three of the five teams ahead of Green Bay in the playoff standings, with the others being the third-seeded Seahawks and the fourth-seeded Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Packers haven't played the Buccaneers this season and they won't, but they obviously will get a chance against the Seahawks in Week 15 and they still have a game coming up against the Vikings in Week 17.
Are the Packers a great team? They haven't proven that yet this season. They've proven that they can be explosive on offense when everything is clicking — they've averaged 26.3 points this season despite not really putting it all together on offense — and they can be opportunistic on defense. The Packers are top five in turnovers with 24 this season and their 12 fumble recovered are behind only the Pittsburgh Steelers' 13.
They've proven that they're one of the best running teams in the NFL thanks to Josh Jacobs and his 1,053 yards and 11 touchdowns (10 of which have come since October 27), and they're also one of the more healthy teams in the NFL. Star cornerback Jaire Alexander has not played much of this season but even he has at least played in seven games and he has been upgraded as questionable to return against the Seahawks.
Basically, the Packers have proven that they have what it takes to play winning football. Heck, they even proved earlier this season that they can get hot when they went on a four-game winning streak.
They have all the pieces you look for in a Super Bowl contender, but can they beat a good team?
The Packers still need to prove they can beat a good team
Green Bay Packers head coach Matt LaFleur is shown during the first quarter of their game against the Minnesota Vikings Sunday, September 29, 2024 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay,
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They haven't proven that yet this season and if they can't go into Seattle and come away with an important win, there will be serious doubts as to whether or not this Packers team can be a true playoff contender.
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As of right now, we know they can hang with the Lions, Eagles, and Vikings in the NFC, but until they can prove to be on that level, hanging around is all we know they're able to do. Hanging around is fine in the regular season when you've got 17 chances, but the playoffs are a one-and-done situation. Being close only counts for horseshoes and hand grenades.
If the Packers are a true contender, they'll walk into Lumen Field on Sunday Night Football and make a statement. It's especially important for Green Bay to win considering the fact that the Packers have had a mini-bye of sorts thanks to their last game being on Thursday Night Football.
When they take the field on Sunday night they'll be on nine days rest. The Seahawks on the other hand have the typical six days between games.
“It’s a mini-bye. I think it affords people to rest, most importantly, and kind of recover and just try to gear up for the final stretch. Because, from here on out, it’s going to be a gut check,” head coach Matt LaFleur said earlier in the week, according to Sports Illustrated. “You’ve got to take advantage of the moments, take advantage of the opportunities, and you got to earn the right to get whatever is after the regular season. And that’s where we’re at right now.”
LaFleur is right that this moment and every one from here on out is a gut check for the Packers, and it starts with beating the Seahawks. If they can't do that, we'll know exactly how to categorize them moving forward, because being close is just not enough at this point of the season.