Packers Possible Playoff Path Could Be A Lot Like 2010
Charles Woodson celebrates Green Bay's last NFC Championship win, a 21-14 victory over the rival Chicago Bears. This year's playoff run for the Packers has a chance to be very similar to 2010.
Playing the last game of the season at home against the Chicago Bears, followed by a wild-card matchup at the Philadelphia Eagles. If that sounds familiar for the Green Bay Packers, then just look no further than the end of the 2010 season.
For the 2024 Packers, the possible path to a 5th Lombardi Trophy has some very eerie similarities to the path of the team that won the 4th trophy.
There’s a realistic chance the Packers will keep the 7th seed and get into the NFC playoffs as the last seeded team, just like being the 6th seed in 2010.
Next, there could be a home win over the Bears in the final week of the season. The stakes are much different this year, than 14 years ago, when it was win or go home in Week 17. The Packers defeated the Bears 10-3 in a slug-fest that was a preview of the NFC Championship game just a few weeks later.
Back in 2010, the #Packers faced the Bears twice in the span of 4 weeks...
Once for a playoff spot.
Once for a trip to the Super Bowl.
Both had very similar endings 😏 pic.twitter.com/hbHUrRXQqd
— Eli Berkovits (@BookOfEli_NFL) November 28, 2020
The second part to Deja Vu from 2010 is going to Lincoln Financial Field and taking on a favored Philadelphia Eagles team in the Wild Card round. The 2010 contest was also a rematch from Week 1 of that year, when the Packers won 27-20 in Philadelphia. However this season, the Eagles got the Week 1 victory. A rematch this year would at least be played on a more even playing surface than the one both teams endured in Sao Paulo, Brazil in early September.
We take you back to the 2010 Wild Card matchup between @AaronRodgers12's @packers and Michael Vick's Eagles! (Jan. 9, 2011)#PHIvsGB: Thursday 8pm ET on @nflnetwork | @NFLonFOX | @PrimeVideo pic.twitter.com/lGH0FGA117
— NFL Legacy (@NFLLegacy) September 25, 2019
The third, fourth and fifth wins to end the 2010 season were against the 1 seeded Atlanta Falcons, the divisional rival Chicago Bears and an AFC titan in the Pittsburgh Steelers that was going for its 3rd Super Bowl title in six seasons.
The possible route this time around could be: 1 seed Vikings or Lions, at a division rival in the NFC Championship game (Vikings or Lions) and another AFC titan in the Super Bowl (Kansas City Chiefs).
The 2010 team also ended the season in a similar fashion the last six regular-season games. The Packers lost to the two top seeds: Week 12 to the Falcons, Week 15 to the Patriots and sandwiched in there was a loss at Ford Field to the Lions.
In the last six weeks this season, the Packers have two losses, but they are both 14-win teams; the Lions and Vikings. If the Packers are to get to New Orleans this season, they could very well need a revenge tour like they went through in 2010.
Last 6 games of seasons:
2010
Week 12 - Atl (7-4)
Week 13 - SF (8-4)
Week 14 - Det (8-5)
Week 15 - NE (8-6)
Week 16 - NYG (9-6)
Week 17 - Chi (10-6)2024
Week 13 - Mia (9-3)
Week 14 - Det (9-4)
Week 15 - Sea (10-4)
Week 16 - NO (11-4)
Week 17 - Min (11-5)
Week 18 - Chi— MMcLaugh (@McLaughlinMitch) December 31, 2024
A win over the Bears could be a springboard to a possible another special run as a wild card for this year’s Packers.
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Mitch McLaughlin is a Packers fan and shareholder residing in Sacramento, California. He will be writing Packers stories each week on Cheesehead TV. He can be found on Twitter: @McLaughlinMitch
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Comments (11)
LLCHESTY
December 31, 2024 at 06:35 pm
Only problem is they don't have a Woodson. McKinney is excellent but he's not Woodson. Cooper shows signs of possibly being that disruptive but he's a rookie. Cooper right now is an impact player with some blemishes, Woodson was a straight up DPOY year candidate as was Matthews. Nobody is terrorizing the edge like Matthews was in 2010.
Lphill
December 31, 2024 at 06:56 pm
Alexander shut down for good, knee swelling .
TOMMY'63
December 31, 2024 at 09:46 pm
Alexander, swollen knee? Out for the playoffs? Should have had swollen elephant balls!,and unfortunately not able to wear his trousers!! The man his happy to earn his millions! He got is millions and gives a fuck! At the end of season he gets it pay,why play!
splitpea1
December 31, 2024 at 07:58 pm
The NFC playoff field in 2010 was not as strong as it is now, especially when you consider two of the opposing QBs we played were Michael Vick and Jay Cutler.
We still have a good shot at capturing the #6 providing we beat the Bears. Washington has to play the Cowboys in Dallas. If anyone saw the Cowboys/Bucs game a couple weeks ago (a great game), the Cowboys played hard and won despite being eliminated from playoff contention. So you know they'll be jacked up for this one. No Cee Dee Lamb, though, as he's out with an injury.
TOMMY'63
December 31, 2024 at 09:24 pm
What we accomplished with 16 players on injured reserve as the 6th seed was impressive, the disappointment was the following year 2001-12 ,15-1 ,home field advantage at lambeau field,by week,players rested.4 turnovers,9 dropped passes, couldn't take,a hail mary thrown by manning at seconds before half time? Wtf? 1997-98 sb against Denver? Remember? The pack favourites by the bookmakers 13 points! Most ever in a superbowl! The result, couldn't stop the broncos run game,trailed the whole match and got fucked in the arse!!
murf7777
January 01, 2025 at 08:08 am
Wasn’t Michael Vick the offensive player of the year? I’d say he was a very great QB that year. Overall, I wouldn’t put Vick into the one of the greatest, but that year he was.
splitpea1
January 01, 2025 at 11:05 am
He was Comeback Player of the Year. Tom Brady was OPY, though Vick did finish second.
JJB
December 31, 2024 at 08:07 pm
And they have a average QB and average WRs.
TOMMY'63
December 31, 2024 at 08:54 pm
What the pack accomplished with 16 players on injured reserve to win the sb with our reserves was incredible! I believe Detroit with their 22 players on injured reserve can accomplish their superbowl! Next week Detroit- Minnesota, for me they bust the vikings arse! Unfortunately for us ,we don't have the talent to win the superbowl. We just not good enough! We could have won a couple in arods prime, but tt never gave him a bloody defence!! 31,45,points ,never enough! Arod had to cary on his back, tt? Enough,!!
MitchAnthony
January 01, 2025 at 12:43 pm
I'm afraid the deja vu will look more like the years of one and done. Sorry, but the odds just aren't there. Would a miracle be great? Sure it would and I'd love for that to happen but in all likelihood it won't. You'd be asking for a lot based on what we've already observed from this current team.
This Packers team is a good team that can beat the teams they should beat but can't beat the teams they really need to beat, in their current configuration. That's just the way it is. Just being realistic here. Some of the guys you are expecting to step up, aren't (Gary, Clark, LVN, the receivers). You think that this current defensive line has been saving their best for the playoffs? That now we are going to finally see a bunch of sacks and pressures? That the receivers are going to quit dropping catches they should all be making? There's nothing wrong with playing number one by committee when those guys catch what comes their way.
Every team suffers injury problems, some more than others, and surprise surprise one of the key players that GB counted on to not be injured - again, is out again. The cornerback problem was not adequately addressed in the last off season and it could look a lot worse except for the play of the safety group. It was big big ask that Alexander would remain healthy and Stokes would be a better version of - Stokes.
Overall as a team, will the penalties and untimely mental lapses be finally out of the way for the playoffs? I think we all hope so.
Packerlifer
January 02, 2025 at 11:10 am
This isn't 2010, this team isn't the 2010 team and the overall situation isn't 2010. The only thing then has to do with now is it shows a Super Bowl run is possible from the final Wild Card position. IF everything clicks right at the right time and against the right competition.
Don't bet your lunch money on it this time, though.