GREEN BAY, Wis. – If the Green Bay Packers can defeat the Detroit Lions on Thursday night, the NFC North championship and the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs will be within their reach.

The Lions, with their 10 consecutive victories, have the best record in the NFC at 11-1. The Packers, who have three in a row since their bye, are behind two games at 9-3. The Minnesota Vikings, who are on a five-game winning streak, are sandwiched at 10-2.

While Green Bay is in good shape to clinch a playoff spot whatever the outcome, a victory opens the door to tantalizing possibilities.

“We don’t avoid smoking,” cornerback Keisean Nixon said Tuesday. “We don’t worry about their record or who they are. We have our own destiny and our own goals as a team, and they get in the way.

NFC North closing times

Detroit Lions

against the Green Bay Packers (9-3), against the Buffalo Bills (10-2) against the Chicago Bears (4-8), against the San Francisco 49ers (5-7), against the Minnesota Vikings (10-2).

Minnesota Vikings

against the Atlanta Falcons (6-6), against the Chicago Bears (4-8), against the Seattle Seahawks (7-5), against the Green Bay Packers (9-3), against the Lions of Detroit (11-1).

Green Bay Packers

at the Detroit Lions (11-1), at the Seattle Seahawks (7-5), against the New Orleans Saints (4-8), at the Minnesota Vikings (10-2), against the Chicago Bears ( 4-8).

Clearly, this is a must-win game for the Packers. In fact, to win the division and have a chance at the No. 1 seed, they will likely have to sweep the rest of their matches. This would include Week 17 at the Vikings.

For tiebreaker purposeshead-to-head is first, followed by division record. In the first loop, Detroit is 3-0, Minnesota is 2-1 and Green Bay is 1-2. This gives the Lions a big advantage over Green Bay, forcing the Lions to lose three of their last five games.

The third tiebreaker concerns joint games. If Green Bay and Minnesota tie, the Packers beat the Rams and the Vikings lose to the Rams.

Path to NFC North title

Here is the realistic path for the Packers to win the NFC North, which would make the No. 1 seed a possibility.

Week 14: The Packers beat the Lions, the Vikings beat the Falcons. The key game: This is a must-win for the Packers. Ranking: Lions 11-2, Vikings 11-2, Packers 10-3.

“We are always looking for the best. We’re looking for greatness,” wide receiver Jayden Reed said. “We want to win the division, so we are going to play a tough battle. Either way, that’s what’s going to happen, so we’re going out there to execute and do our job.

Week 15: The Packers beat the Seahawks, the Bills beat the Lions, the Vikings beat the Bears. The key game: In what will be billed as a potential Super Bowl preview, the Bills must beat the injury-plagued Lions. Ranking: Vikings 12-2, Lions 11-3, Packers 11-3.

Week 16: The Packers beat the Saints, the Seahawks beat the Vikings, the Lions beat the Bears. The key game: Seattle beating Minnesota would not be a necessity due to the aforementioned common games tiebreaker. It will be a short week for the Vikings, who just played a game Monday night. Ranking: Lions 12-3, Packers 12-3, Vikings 12-3.

Week 17: The Packers beat the Vikings, the Lions beat the 49ers. The key game: The Packers will need to sweep NFC North road games in Detroit and Minnesota. It will be a short week for Green Bay, which just played a game Monday night. Ranking: Lions 13-3, Packers 13-3, Vikings 12-4.

Week 18: The Packers beat the Bears, the Vikings beat the Lions. The key game: If the Lions win, they will have the division tiebreaker against Green Bay. So grab your Gjallarhorn and shout “Skol!” Ranking: Packers 14-3, Lions 13-4, Vikings 13-4.

And seed number 1?

You can’t be seeded #1 without being #1 in the division. With that out of the way, the Packers need to not only catch up but overtake the Philadelphia Eagles, who are 10-2 and have the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Here is Philadelphia’s shutdown schedule:

against the Carolina Panthers (3-9), against the Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3), against the Washington Commanders (8-5), against the Dallas Cowboys (5-7), against the New Giants York (2-10).

The Eagles have had eight consecutive victories. The Panthers, Cowboys and Giants look like easy wins on paper. That means Philadelphia has to lose these back-to-back games against the Steelers and Commanders.

Seed #2 is not bad

Even if Green Bay wins the NFC North but finishes behind Philadelphia, the No. 2 seed would be a big prize.

That would mean the Packers would host the No. 7 seed (presumably the NFC East runner-up) while the Lions and Vikings would have to hit the road for the wild-card round. No. 2 would also get a home game in the divisional round. How about Lions-Packers, Round 3, at Lambeau Field?

NFC Playoff Rankings

1. Detroit Lions: 11-1 (first place, NFC North)

2. Philadelphia Eagles: 10-2 (first place, NFC East)

3. Seattle Seahawks: 7-5 (first place, NFC West)

4. Atlanta Falcons: 6-6 (first place, NFC South)

5. Minnesota Vikings: 10-2 (second place, NFC North)

6. Green Bay Packers: 9-3 (third place, NFC North)

7. Washington Commanders: 8-5 (second place, NFC East)

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8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 6-6 (second place, NFC South)

9. Arizona Cardinals: 6-6 (second place, NFC West)

10. Los Angeles Rams: 6-6 (third place, NFC West)

11. San Francisco 49ers: 5-7 (last place)

12. Dallas Cowboys: 5-7 (third place, NFC East)

13. New Orleans Saints: 4-8 (third place, NFC South)

14. Chicago Bears: 4-8 (last place, NFC North)

15. Carolina Panthers: 3-9 (last place, NFC South)

16. New York Giants: 2-10 (last place, NFC East)

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