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Foxboro - Talk about the pressure being taken off.

Before the Packers even take the field today, they know they can make the playoffs as a wild card if they win their final two games at home against the New York Giants and Chicago Bears.

They have the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles to thank for being put in this position.

By virtue of Detroit's 23-20 overtime victory at Tampa Bay and Philadelphia's dramatic 38-31 come-from-behind victory over the New York Giants, the Packers are now in a position to make the playoffs. They still have to take care of some major business - beating both the Giants and the Bears won't be easy - but they have a better shot tonight than they did at noon.

(This assumes a Bears victory over Minnesota Monday night, which coupled with a Packers loss to the Patriots would clinch the NFC North for the Bears. If the Packers win tonight, they know at the very least the NFC North won't be decided until next week).

Here's why:

If the Packers win their final two games, the best the Giants (9-5) and Buccaneers (8-6) can do is finish 10-6.

At best, the Giants and Buccaneers can finish is 8-4 in the conference. With victories in their final two games, the Packers would also finish 8-4.

In order for there to be a three-way tie between the two teams, Tampa Bay would have to win at home against Seattle and on the road at New Orleans. The Saints could still be playing for the NFC South title, but chances are they will be out of it. The Giants would have to win at Washington on the final week.

In a three-way tie, the first couple of tiebreakers are head-to-head sweep of one team over the other two, best conference record, best record in common games (minimum of four), best strength of victory (combined victories of opponents who were beaten).

There is no head-to-head sweep with the Packers Giants and Bucs, and conference record would be 8-4. There are only three common games between the three teams so you'd go to strength of victory and the Packers are way ahead on that. If you played out the season with home teams winning except for TB at NO and NYG at Washington, the Packers' strength of victory would be 74, compared to the Giants' 59 and the Buccaneers' 54..

If the wild card tiebreaker came down to just the Packers (10-6) vs. Giants (10-6), the Packers would win based on a head-to-head victory.

If the wild card tiebreaker came down to just the Packers (10-6) vs. Buccaneers, there would be no head-to-head, the conference record would be tied at 8-4 and common games record would be tied at 2-3. This became possible only after the Buccaneers lost to the Lions. Had they won, they would have had a better common games record.

Once again, the tiebreaker between the Packers and Buccaneers would go down to strength of victory and the Packers are way ahead on that.

If the Packers sweep their last three games, they're obviously in, but if they lose to the Patriots, they only need to win their final two to get a wild card. It would more than likely be the No. 6 seed, but they would be in.

There is a way the Packers could wind up being the No. 5 seed without beating the Patriots (assuming a Bears victory over Minnesota Monday night).

If the Packers win their final two and:

Tampa Bay wins at home against Seattle, Atlanta beats New Orleans at home and Minnesota wins at Philadelphia next week;

And the Giants win at Washington, the Buccaneers win at New Orleans and Dallas wins at the Eagles.

The Packers, Giants, Buccaneers and Eagles would be 10-6. The Eagles would win the NFC East over the Giants. The Saints would be out. because they would have lost an AFC South tiebreaker to the Buccaneers and the Packers would be matched with the Giants and Buccaneers again and would win the highest seed. The Giants would beat out the Buccaneers for the 6th seed.