There’s still a tough road ahead, as the Packers will have to beat the NFC North champion Vikings next week, followed by the Lions in Week 18 when Detroit might be fighting for a playoff spot as well.
But both of those games are at home, with indoor teams visiting the cold at Lambeau Field (though next weekend isn’t supposed to be a typical New Year’s Day in Wisconsin, according to the long-range forecast).
The Packers also continue to need some help in the form of either one loss by Washington or two by the Giants for a potential 9-8 record to get into the dance.
It’s still not a great position to be in, but it’s a position that has kept improving in recent weeks, and improved immensely the past two days.
“I’d like to be … what are we, 7-8? I’d like to be 10-5, 11-4,” Rodgers said, smiling. “But considering where we were a few weeks ago …
“Now, there’s obviously much left, but we’ve played meaningful games in December and we won all three of those. Now we’re playing meaningful games in January, and we’ve got to win those.”
Having this chance felt like a pipe dream at best after the Packers dropped an awfully frustrating Thursday night game at home to Tennessee, followed by a shootout loss at Philadelphia a month ago, falling to 4-8.
But while one story of this team’s season has been missed opportunities, and the Packers had those galore again in Miami, another story has been this team’s refusal to quit.
Even in games they lost to teams headed to the playoffs, such as on the road in primetime at Buffalo and Philadelphia, the Packers battled to the end.
They’re doing the same now, and their chances to salvage what appeared to be a lost season are very real.
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