The Green Bay Packers will play host to the Pittsburgh Steelers next Sunday in what will be a rematch of Super Bowl XLV.
It’s only fitting that these two former Super Bowl foes will square off in this game with so much on the line. The chance to get to the NFL playoffs—aka the road to the Super Bowl—is still a very realistic one for both teams, but winning becomes paramount from here on out.
The Packers, despite missing Aaron Rodgers for what seems like an eternity, control their own destiny heading into Week 16. Thanks to a Lions loss against the Ravens on Monday Night Football, all the Pack has to do is win their final two games—the last one against the Bears—and they’ll earn the NFC North Crown.
Beating Pittsburgh isn’t an absolute necessity, because Chicago could always lose to Philadelphia and its hard to trust the Lions to win anymore, but heading into Week 17 on a winning streak could do wonders for the Pack.
The best way to get in is to win.
The Steelers on the other-hand, kept their season alive with a clutch 30-20 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football. Unlike the Packers, the Steelers have to win their two remaining games against Green Bay and Cleveland, and then they’ll need a bit of help as well. For a breakdown of those scenarios, check out this piece from Teresa Varley of Steelers.com.
Pittsburgh is 6-8 and started off the season 0-4. Green Bay lost arguably the best quarterback in the NFL and its season looked lost.
Both teams still have playoff hope though, and that’s the magic of December football.