News Packers Team Notes

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

gettyimages-1872639107.jpg


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.

SeedTeamRecord
1Los Angeles Rams (NFC West leader)10-3
2Green Bay Packers (NFC North leader)9-3-1
3Philadelphia Eagles (NFC East leader)8-5
4Tampa Bay Buccaneers (NFC South leader)7-6
5Seattle Seahawks (Wild Card)10-3
6San Francisco 49ers (Wild Card)9-4
7Chicago Bears (Wild Card)9-4
8Detroit Lions8-5
9Carolina Panthers7-6
10Dallas Cowboys6-6-1

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:

  • Falcons vs. Buccaneers (TNF)
  • Panthers vs. Saints
  • Commanders v s. Giants
  • Cardinals vs. Texans
  • Bills vs. Patriots
  • Chargers vs. Chiefs
  • Ravens vs. Bengals
  • Jets vs. Jaguars
  • Dolphins vs. Steelers (MNF)
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...cheer-for-in-week-15-to-help-playoff-position
 
Rank the Green Bay Packers’ Wide Receivers

gettyimages-2171178966.jpg


The Green Bay Packers are getting healthier on offense at the right time in the season. WR Christian Watson was brought back from IR in October, Jayden Reed returned from IR last week in their win over the Chicago Bears, and Dontayvion Wicks and Matthew Golden are slowly but surely healing from injuries that have plagued them the last few weeks. That being said, the wide receiver room is getting a little crowded. So much so that the Packers had to cut Malik Heath, a UDFA who’s been with the team since 2023, in order to activate Jayden Reed off of IR. He was claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Falcons, so he did not make it back to Green Bay’s practice squad.

Speaking of which, Pack-A-Day Podcast owner Andy Herman ruffled some feathers on Twitter among Packers fans this week when he ranked his Green Bay wide receivers (when fully healthy).

Grades aside, if I had to rank the Packers WR's by who I'd want on the field right now if everyone were healthy:

1. Watson
2. Reed
3. Wicks
4. Golden
5. Doubs
6. Melton
7. Williams https://t.co/hDu0GABVVb

— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) December 9, 2025
Click to expand...

Most notably, Andy has Romeo Doubs in the #5 spot ahead of only Bo Melton (who also plays CB sometimes) and rookie WR Savion Williams. Some fans weren’t too thrilled to see Doubs that low, which got me thinking where I’d rank these players if they’re all fully healthy.

My answer: I’m going to stick to looking at them from the eyes of THIS SEASON and moving into the playoffs. I’m aligned on Christian Watson at 1, Jayden Reed at 2, and Dontayvion Wicks at 3. Watson has looked like a superstar since coming back from this ACL tear and has opened up this offense to solidify himself as WR1. Jayden Reed is lethal in the slot and can be a reliable yards-after-catch threat, especially after losing TE Tucker Kraft earlier this season. From there, I would put Wicks ahead of Doubs. Wicks is a better blocker and has better route running and separation ability than Doubs, which is why I have Wicks at WR3 for this season.

I would differ on the next 2. I would put Romeo Doubs over Matthew Golden for the current season. Jordan Love and Golden have had some troubles connecting on throws, and it doesn’t seem like Golden has become a major key in this offense yet. I have always compared Romeo Doubs to James Jones. He’s reliable on late downs and will make some incredible catches, but he will also drop some obvious ones and doesn’t excel at any particular “skill.” Golden is faster and has better hands, but where I give the nod to Doubs for the remainder of the season is the chemistry he has with Love. Going into the postseason, I want the guy who has had multiple years in this offense with QB1 over the rookie who’s missed some time with injury and is still finding his chemistry with the QB. While you could argue that Doubs also has the benefit of health going his way this season, since he’s the only Packers receiver that hasn’t missed a game, he has dealt with several concussions, including multiple last season. Those concussions were also the driving force behind him wearing a guardian cap over his helmet as a precaution starting last year.

I also agree with Andy on Bo Melton over Savion Williams when evaluating this season. For similar reasons as Doubs over Golden: experience. Melton knows the offense, has a relationship with the QB, but Williams is also more of the “gadget guy” for wildcat plays and end-arounds.

However, as for priority for the future, I would rank the WRs in this order: Watson, Reed, Golden, Wicks, Doubs, Williams and Melton. While Wicks is WR3 in my mind right now, I believe Golden will climb his way up the depth chart moving forward. They drafted a wide receiver for the first time in decades for a reason. While I don’t have Doubs in last, I do still think he will be leaving this offseason in free agency, which has been rumored to be the case by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. Unless he takes a team-friendly deal, which he shouldn’t, I don’t see him returning to the team after how well Watson has played since rejoining the lineup.

Your turn, Packers fans! What’s your ranking? Where do you agree with me and/or Andy? Where do you differ?
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...274/rank-the-green-bay-packers-wide-receivers
 
NFL Draft: 2026 Underclassmen Declaration Tracker

gettyimages-2249433329.jpg


NFL draft prospects have until January 14th to declare for the 2026 draft, but some of these players are already making their decisions clear. So far, 23 players have already declared for April’s draft, which is a fairly significant amount considering how few underclassmen have come out in recent years.

From 2019 to 2021, before the extra eligibility for Covid seasons, NIL payments and the transfer portal really started to kick in, the league averaged 126 underclassmen declarations per class. From 2023 t0 2025, though, that number dropped to just an average of 70, 56 fewer underclassmen per class and a 44 percent overall drop in underclassmen declaring.

With direct payments from schools to players now allowed, plus the NFL still having a rookie wage scale, you could see even more kids elect to return to college football this season. With that in mind, let’s take you through the position-by-position breakdown of who is in or out of this class. We’ll update this page through the league’s official underclassmen announcement date, likely the week after the January deadline.

All rankings below come via the consensus draft board. We’ll also highlight which top-150 prospects have yet to make a decision at this time.

Quarterbacks​

Declarations​

  • None

Undecided (Top 150)​

  • #2 Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
  • #4 Ty Simpson, Alabama
  • #6 Dante Moore, Oregon
  • #30 LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina
  • #62 Jayden Maiava, USC
  • #101 Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
  • #109 John Mateer, Oklahoma

Running Backs​

Declarations​

Undecided (Top 150)​

  • #13 Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
  • #40 Jadarian Price, Notre Dame
  • #83 Justice Haynes, Michigan

Receivers​

Declarations​

Undecided (Top 150)​

  • #11 Carnell Tate, Ohio State
  • #18 Makai Lemon, USC
  • #24 Denzel Boston, Washington
  • #32 Kevin Concepcion, Texas A&M
  • #63 Ja’Kobie Lane, USC
  • #71 Zachariah Branch, USC
  • #95 Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana
  • #114 Kyck Harbor, South Carolina
  • #121 Eric Singleton Jr., Auburn
  • #125 Ian Strong, Rutgers

Tight Ends​

Declarations​

  • None

Undecided (Top 150)​

  • #17 Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
  • #67 Max Klare, Ohio State
  • #139, Jack Endries, Texas

Offensive Linemen​

Declarations​

Undecided (Top 150)​

  • #8 Spencer Fano, Utah
  • #12 Francis Mauigoa, Miami
  • #20 Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
  • #23 Caleb Lomu, Utah
  • #50 Trevor Goosby, Texas
  • #66 Connor Lew, Auburn
  • #69 Case Bisontis, Texas A&M
  • #76 Austin Siereveld, Ohio State
  • #79 Carter Smith, Indiana
  • #82 Brian Parker II, Duke
  • #98 Iapani Laloulu, Oregon
  • #110 Kolt Dieterich, Sam Houston State
  • #115 Cayden Green, Missouri
  • #118 Parker Brailsford, Alabama
  • #134 Monroe Freeling, Georgia

Edge Defenders​

Declarations​

Undecided (Top 150)​

  • #3 Rueben Bain, Miami
  • #9 Keldric Faulk, Auburn
  • #29 Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon
  • #44 Quincy Rhodes Jr., Arkansas
  • #70 Damon Wilson Jr., Missouri
  • #116 Kenyatta Jackson, Ohio State

Interior Defensive Linemen​

Declarations​

Undecided (Top 150)​

  • #28 Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
  • #34 Amauri Washington, Oregon
  • #42 Christen Miller, Georgia
  • #99 Anthony Smith, Minnesota
  • #106 Bear Alexander, Oregon
  • #132 Mateen Ibirogba, Wake Forest

Off Ball Linebackers​

Declarations​

Undecided (Top 150)​

  • #1 Arvell Reese, Ohio State
  • #26 C.J. Allen, Georgia
  • #85 Caleb Woodson, Virginia Tech
  • #96 Taurean York, Texas A&M
  • #100 Whit Weeks, LSU
  • #122 Josiah Trotter, Missouri
  • #130 Harold Perkins Jr., LSU

Cornerbacks​

Declarations​

Undecided (Top 150)​

  • #33 Colton Hood, Tennessee
  • #49 Keith Abney II, Arizona State
  • #65 A.J. Harris, Penn State
  • #72 D’angelo Ponds, Indiana
  • #88 Malik Muhammad, Texas
  • #108 Kelley Jones, Mississippi State
  • #135 Jyaire Hill, Michigan
  • #144 DJ McKinney, Colorado

Safeties​

Declarations​

Undecided (Top 150)​

  • #5 Caleb Downs, Ohio State
  • #59 Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
  • #64 Kamari Ramsey, USC
  • #89 Genesis Smith, Arizona
  • #147 Keon Sabb, Alabama

Specialists​

Declarations​

Undecided (Top 150)​

  • None
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...-draft-2026-underclassmen-declaration-tracker
 
Josh Jacobs expected to play vs. Denver Broncos despite injury concerns

gettyimages-2242081675.jpg


According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the expectation is for Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs to play against the Denver Broncos on Sunday. Jacobs has only missed one game in his two years in Green Bay, but was a non-participant in both Wednesday’s and Thursday’s practices this week as he continues to deal with swelling in his knee from a knee bruise sustained against the New York Giants on November 16th.

Jacobs stated on Thursday that he felt better then than he did on Wednesday, but the root issue was a swelling problem. On Friday, he returned to practice as a limited participant, but he was listed as questionable for the Broncos game by the Packers.

To complicate matters, backup running back Emanuel Wilson was also given a questionable status on Saturday with an illness, prompting the Packers to elevate running back Pierre Strong Jr. to the gameday roster for his third and final elevation from the practice squad. Moving forward, if Green Bay wants to use Strong on gamedays, they’ll need to make him a member of the 53-man roster.

Schefter added that Wilson will be a game-time decision as he deals with a virus. If he’s not active, Strong will probably make the cut for the Packers’ 48-man gameday roster.
Click to expand...

Source: https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/...lay-vs-denver-broncos-despite-injury-concerns
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top