Who should Packers fans cheer for in Week 15 to help playoff position?

With four weeks remaining in the NFL’s 2025 regular season, it’s time to start scoreboard watching in earnest. That is especially true for Green Bay Packers fans, with their team sitting in the #2 spot in the NFC and being surrounded by a cluster of 9-4 and 10-3 teams across the conference.

Green Bay’s big task this weekend is, of course, to beat the Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon. Doing so would ensure that they will remain ahead of the Chicago Bears in the NFC North standings before the teams’

big rematch next Saturday evening. However, Chicago also plays this weekend, and Packers fans should be cheering hard for their opponents in the early afternoon time slot, while also keeping a close eye on several of the other games taking place around the NFL this weekend.

Let’s get to a breakdown of who to root for as a Packers fan this week. To get you primed, here’s a quick reminder on the NFC playoff standings as we head towards Week 15.

Let’s get to the games.

Cleveland Browns vs. Chicago Bears

Verdict: Cleveland Rocks

Packers fans definitely should be pulling for Shedeur Sanders, Myles Garrett, and company on Sunday. This is an easy one: The Bears are a half-game back of the Packers in the NFC North race with only this week’s games left before the rematch next Saturday. If Chicago loses and the Packers beat the Broncos, Green Bay would be up by 1.5 games, guaranteeing that they would remain in the lead in the North even if they were to lose at Soldier Field next weekend.

If Chicago and Detroit both lose this Sunday and the Packers win, Green Bay could even have a chance to clinch the division title next weekend with two games remaining.

Detroit Lions vs. Los Angeles Rams

Verdict: Pull for Detroit, but begrudgingly

Yes, the Lions could still sneak into the playoffs and make things difficult for the Packers, potentially as a 7 vs. 2 matchup in the Wild Card round. Yes, them losing (plus a Bears loss and a Packers win) would set up a division-clinching scenario next week. But Green Bay still does have a real chance at the #1 seed if they can win out, and right now the Rams are the team ahead of them in that race. They need LA to lose at least one of their last four games to have a chance, and this week is one of the best opportunities for that to happen. That is a worthy goal, and the Rams won’t have many more tough games left.

Indianapolis Colts vs. Seattle Seahawks

Verdict: Root for Philip Rivers in his return

Like the Rams, the Seahawks are 10-3, though LA has the tiebreaker for now with a head-to-head win. Seattle could vault into the #1 seed with a win and a Rams loss to Detroit, so Green Bay needs Seattle to also drop another game to get a shot at the playoff bye. Can 44-year-old Philip Rivers help lead the Colts to an upset win in a hostile environment? Packers fans should hope so.

Tennessee Titans vs. San Francisco 49ers

Verdict: Go Titans (LOL)

Basically, every one of those top 3 NFC West teams losing is helpful for the Packers, especially since there are a couple of head-to-head games among them across the final four weeks. The Niners losing helps the Packers’ odds of staying ahead of them in the final standings, whether that would end up being important in a divisional or Wild Card perspective. Then again, Tennessee has just two wins all season and is on the road. It would be a fun upset, but don’t get your hopes up.

Las Vegas Raiders vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Verdict: Black and Silver

The Eagles are 1.5 games back of Green Bay; dropping another game would squarely put them well back in 3rd or 4th place among NFC division leaders, making it pretty tough to catch the Packers if Green Bay can hold on for a division title.

Minnesota Vikings vs. Dallas Cowboys (on SNF)

Verdict: Maybe Minnesota?

First of all, shame on the NFL for leaving this game on Sunday Night Football and subjecting a national television audience to 3.5 hours of J.J. McCarthy. How dare they?

In terms of affecting the Packers, this has minimal bearing, but just a little bit. If the Cowboys lose, they cannot pass up the Packers in the final three weeks, even if the Packers lose out. In that situation, the best they could do would be tying Green Bay at 9-7-1 and going to a conference or common games tiebreaker; that would require them to win all of their last three while the Packers lose all of their final four games. So let’s just pull for Minnesota, I suppose; if Green Bay wins in Denver and Dallas loses, then that fully clinches the Packers finishing ahead of the team they tied earlier this season.

The rest of this week’s games, which are listed below, have virtually no impact whatsoever on the Packers’ playoff chances. The NFC South race — with the Bucs and Panthers tied at 7-6 heading into Tampa’s matchup with Atlanta on Thursday Night Football — should minimally affect the Packers, as it’s unlikely that the division gets more than one team in the playoffs or that the division winner could catch the NFC North winners.

Other games on this weekend: