The Packers clinched a playoff spot with the Lions loss on Christmas day, but postseason positioning is still up for grabs in Week 17.

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff, left, speaks with head coach Dan Campbell during the first half of an NFL football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Detroit Lions have gifted the division rival Green Bay Packers a spot in the playoffs.

The Packers are headed back to the playoffs before they even set foot on the field in Week 17. We break down how they clinched a spot in the 2026 NFL Playoffs on Christmas.

The Packers are still alive in the chase for #1 seed in the NFC. They’d need to win their final two games, while the Bears would have to lose their final two games. The Packers play Baltimore on Saturday night at Lambeau Field.

It's an intense week in the NFL world. The league will have three games on Thursday with a special Christmas slate, two games on Saturday (including the Green Bay Packers' one), and several of those in Week 17 have significant playoff implications.

Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions formally gifted the division rival Green Bay Packers a spot in the playoffs, with six turnovers that sealed their fate in a loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Detroit's grip on the NFC North,

The Lions were the last team that could have pushed the Green Bay Packers out of the 2025 NFL playoffs. To do so, they need to win their final two games of the season, while the Packers lost out. With a loss to the Vikings,

Alternatively, a Lions loss this Sunday makes a Packers playoff berth a near certainty before Green Bay even takes the field. While the Packers are quite injury rattled and there’s doubt about how far they can take a playoff run,