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Packers have 4 possible opponents in NFC Divisional Round

The NFC playoff field is set, and now the top-seeded Green Bay Packers know their four possible opponents for the NFC Divisional Round.

Two of the other six NFC playoff qualifiers can’t come to Lambeau Field in the second round of the playoffs: the No. 2 seeded Tampa Bay Buccaneers and No. 3 seeded Dallas Cowboys.

Seeds No. 4-7 are capable of winning in the wild-card round and coming to Lambeau Field in two weeks.

Here are the four possible opponents for the Packers:

NFC playoff field

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams (17).

No. 1: Green Bay Packers (13-4)

No. 2: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13-4)
No. 3: Dallas Cowboys (12-5)
No. 4: Los Angeles Rams (12-5)
No. 5: Arizona Cardinals (11-6)
No. 6: San Francisco 49ers (10-7)
No. 7: Philadelphia Eagles (9-8)

Packers get only first-round bye and homefield advantage

Packers win tiebreaker over Buccaneers based on conference record
Cowboys win tiebreaker over Rams based on conference record
Eagles win tiebreaker over New Orleans Saints based on head-to-head win

Possible opponent: No. 4 Rams

Green Bay Packers running back A.J. Dillon (28)

Record: 12-5 (NFC West champion)
Week 18 result: Loss, vs. San Francisco 49ers (27-24 OT)

First round opponent: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Faced the Packers in 2021? Yes. Packers won 36-28 at Lambeau Field in Week 13.

Possible opponent: No. 5 Arizona Cardinals

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 11-6 (second in NFC West, wild card)
Week 18 result: Loss, vs. Seattle Seahawks (38-30)

First round opponent: at Los Angeles Rams

Faced the Packers in 2021? Yes. Packers won 24-21 at State Farm Stadium in Arizona in Week 8.

Possible opponent: No. 6 San Francisco 49ers

(AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

Record: 10-7 (third in NFC West, wild card)
Week 18 result: Win, at Los Angeles Rams (27-24 OT)

First round opponent: at Dallas Cowboys

Faced the Packers in 2021? Yes. Packers won 30-28 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara in Week 3.

Possible opponent: No. 7 Philadelphia Eagles

Dan Powers-USA TODAY NETWORK

Record: 9-8 (second in NFC East, wild card)
Week 18 result: Loss, vs. Dallas Cowboys (51-26)

First round opponent: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Faced the Packers in 2021? No. The Packers last faced the Eagles in 2020 (30-16 at Lambeau Field)

Poll

Quick breakdown

Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The Packers beat three of the four possible teams during the regular season and were undefeated at home overall.

The 49ers and Eagles both have tough, physical run games and the players up front on both sides of the ball to compete with the Packers at the line of scrimmage, but Green Bay would also have a sizable advantage at quarterback over both teams.

Matthew Stafford and Kyler Murray are both playmaking quarterbacks, and there’s no doubting the talent on the rosters in Los Angeles and Arizona, but the Packers would probably like their chances against both indoor teams at Lambeau Field. Green Bay already beat Stafford and the Rams in Green Bay and beat Murray and the Cardinals with a short-handed roster on a short week on the road.

Matt LaFleur’s team shouldn’t fear anyone in the field, but missing out on the Cowboys and Buccaneers in the divisional round is probably a good thing. Dallas and Tampa Bay have to be the favorites to come to Lambeau Field for the NFC title game if the Packers can win in two weeks. There’s a chance the Packers will have to beat the 49ers and Buccaneers – the two teams that beat them in the last two NFC title games – in consecutive games to get to the Super Bowl.

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