Green Bay Packers Get A Lot Of Help Then Do Their Part To Keep Chasing A Playoff Spot

In a season filled with so many regrets, mistakes and missteps, the Green Bay Packers are getting some breaks now. And Aaron Rodgers really appreciates it.

The Packers quarterback was asked Sunday afternoon what he thought of his team's playoff standing given the good fortunate the Packers are benefitting from now.

"I don't think we struggle with confidence but definitely didn't have a lot of believers outside the locker room, I think," Rodgers said. "This gives us a couple on the bandwagon."

Green Bay's good fortune includes the fact the Detroit Lions lost over the weekend.

And the New York Giants lost.

So did the Seattle Seahawks. And the Washington Commanders.

Every team in jeopardy of getting passed by the Packers in the chase for one of the final undecided playoff spots in the NFC lost. And the Packers managed a 26-20 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

Aaron Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers scrambles during the first quarter of the game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. (Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)

Aaron Rodgers Sees Packers Getting Results

"I'd like to be, what are we, 7-8? I'd like to be 10-5 or 11-4," Rodgers said. "But considering where we were a few weeks ago, a lot has happened in our favor."

Four weeks ago the Packers seemed ready to pack for the offseason. They had lost 7 of their previous 8 games and the idea of making the postseason was more imagination than intention.

Well, the Packers have won three in a row since then. And they're getting help from other teams that earlier forged ahead of them in the postseason race.

"All the games that needed to go a certain way went a certain way," Rodgers said. "Now there's obviously much left. But, again, we played meaningful games in December and won all three of those. Now we're playing meaningful games in January. We've got to win those."

The Packers are not one of the top seven teams that earn a playoff spot. But they're in a group of three teams, along with the Lions and and Seahawks that are "in the hunt" only 1/2 game behind the Commanders.

Kader Kohou of the Miami Dolphins tackles Allen Lazard of the Green Bay Packers during the first quarter of the game at Hard Rock Stadium. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Packers Team Of Destiny?

And the Packers are starting to resemble a so-called team of destiny. It's hard to say a team can rely on luck to get into the playoffs. The NFL is too competitive for that. But there's no denying good things are happening around this team.

That was the case Sunday when the Packers desperately needed a big play to help tie the game in the second half. Rodgers connected on a 31-yard pass play with tight end Marcedes Lewis.

The chunk play put the Packers at the Miami 7 yard line and soon they scored the game-tying touchdown.

But it never should have happened.

The FOX replay clearly showed Lewis lost possession of the ball when he hit the ground after the catch. Officiating analyst Mike Pereira said the catch would have been overturned if challenged.

But Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel didn't challenge the catch.

Head coach Mike McDaniel of the Miami Dolphins reacts during the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium earlier this season. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

McDaniel Replay Failure Helps Packers

"Well, obviously I didn’t get access, nor did the people upstairs really get access to the review in time," McDaniel said. "That’s something that’s standard operating procedure where especially in a game like that, you have to be right with your challenges because those timeouts are costly.

"If I would have received any sort of concrete information, I definitely would have thrown it, but from the coaches upstairs, they didn’t receive clean information fast enough, nor did I. Unfortunately, hindsight is 20/20 on that one.

"Obviously I would have loved to challenge that had I gotten the information quick enough."

Too bad for the Dolphins.

Great for the Packers. And maybe this is meaningful because things are simply starting to go in Green Bay's favor.

"Definitely better than three weeks go, or four, I guess because of the bye," Rodgers said. "It's getting better. A lot of things happening our way."

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