Packers limping into playoffs, expectations evaporate in NFL power rankings

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The Green Bay Packers have lost three straight games and are limping toward the postseason. Matt LaFleur's team will be the No. 7 seed in the NFC for the third consecutive season, which will require going on the road to play the No. 2 seed. In 2023, the Packers were able to produce a shocking upset of the Dallas Cowboys in the postseason, but that team was playing its best football late in the season. This year feels much more like 2024, when the Packers lost three of their last five games and then were defeated by the Philadelphia Eagles in the wildcard round.

Can the Packers rest up in the regular season finale and give the No. 2 seed a challenge in two weeks? We'll see. The team that showed up on Saturday night against the Baltimore Ravens won't compete with anyone in the playoff field. Not surprisingly, expectations for the Packers from those crafting power rankings have all but evaporated.

Here's where the Packers stand in NFL power rankings after losing to the Ravens in Week 17:

USA Today

Week 18 ranking: No. 12 (no change)

From Nate Davis: "They haven't been better than a seventh seed post-Aaron Rodgers. Hard to see this battered team being much more than one-and-done in the playoffs."

ESPN

Week 18 ranking: No. 12 (down 1 spot)

From Rob Demovsky on what was learned this year: "It would be shortsighted to say Parsons' Week 15 knee injury changes the outlook on that trade. He is the star the Packers needed -- and will need in future years -- on defense. They had several good players but no standouts, as proved by Parsons being the team's only Pro Bowl selection. He changed games and will do so in the future."

The Athletic

Week 18 ranking: No. 13 (down 1 spot)

From The Athletic: "Matt LaFleur is not the most popular man in Green Bay these days. The Packers have lost three in a row, and a bad loss against the NFC’s No. 2 seed in the playoffs could convince the Packers to make a change. LaFleur can do no wrong in the Willis household, though. Green Bay’s backup quarterback, who not long ago was an NFL afterthought, was 18-of-21 for 288 yards in place of Jordan Love on Saturday. Willis has a 145.5 passer rating, three touchdown passes and no interceptions this season. He has made himself some money somewhere."

FOX Sports

Week 18 ranking: No. 12 (down 1 spot)

From Ralph Vacchiano: "What the heck happened to this defense? The Packers gave up 307 rushing yards to the Ravens and now 457 over the past two weeks. That’s the opposite of playoff-ready."

CBS Sports

Week 18 ranking: No. 12 (no change)

From Pete Prisco: "They have lost three straight games as they ready for the playoffs, which is not a good look. They have nothing to play for this week, so it will likely be four straight as they rest guys."

The Ringer

Week 18 ranking: No. 10 (down 1 spot)

From Diante Lee: "The Packers are back to being one season away from being a real contender."

Yahoo Sports

Week 18 ranking: No. 12 (no change)

From Frank Schwab: "It’s not like the teams behind the Packers in these power rankings deserve to be above Green Bay, but the Packers don’t feel like a top-12 team anymore. Their defense without Micah Parsons got exposed against the Ravens, allowing Derrick Henry to rush for 216 yards and four touchdowns. Had the Packers still had Parsons and maybe another injured player or two like Tucker Kraft, they’d be a popular pick to make a run in a wide-open NFC. As is, it might be a decent outcome if the Packers aren’t one-and-done in the playoffs."

This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Packers limping into playoffs, expectations evaporate in NFL power rankings

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