Packers playoff picture: How Green Bay can clinch No. 1 seed in NFC playoffs in Week 17

The Pack could lead the pack after Week 17.

The Packers (12-3) could take home the top spot in the NFC on Sunday, secure a first-round Bye in the 2021 playoffs and clinch homefield advantage if a few scenarios break their way — but they won’t know for sure until they take the field late on Sunday.

Green Bay takes on division-rival Minnesota on “Sunday Night Football,” and they should know entering that game whether or not they have an opportunity to clinch the No. 1 seed with a victory. They’ll need a small bit of help from 

Here’s how it could go down:

How the Packers can clinch No. 1 seed

The Packers can clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC with the following scenarios playing out in Week 17:

• The Cowboys lose to the Cardinals (4:25 p.m. ET) AND;
• The Packers beat the Vikings on Sunday night (8:20 p.m. ET).

So, before the Packers even take the field, they should know whether or not they have an opportunity to clinch the top seed in the NFC, if Dallas falls to Arizona at home.

The Packers faced off against the Vikings in Week 11, and Minnesota took a 34-31 overtime win over Green Bay. The Packers have had the most difficulty of any of their division rivals in recent years, with the Vikings holding a 7-5-1 record over Green Bay dating back to 2015. In that span, the Vikings are 3-2-1.

The Packers can also clinch the No. 1 seed if the following happens over Week 17 and 18:

• The Packers win Week 17 (vs. Vikings) and Week 18 (vs. Lions);
• Any combo of Packers wins/Cowboys losses between Weeks 17 and 18.

In the event that the Packers and the Cowboys end up with the same record, the tiebreaker would go to Dallas, who owns the better conference record over Green Bay.