Reverse psychology: 3 NFL postseason contenders, 2 pretenders fans won't expect

NFL postseason contender: Green Bay Packers (6-6)

And just like that. The Green Bay Packers are back from the dead. They are 6-6 on the season and winners of their last three games, including two huge wins back-to-back over Detroit on Thanksgiving and home vs. Kansas City last week. The craziest part for Green Bay is they do not face a team with a winning record the rest of the way. Their hardest remaining game feels like a must-win at Minnesota.

Right now, Atlanta is the only team of significance that has the head-to-head tiebreaker over Green Bay. The Packers own the tiebreaker over New Orleans and the Los Angeles Rams, making it pretty likely they will get into the playoffs as a wild card team, especially if Atlanta wins its division. Outside of Minnesota on the road, their other potentially challenging game is at home vs. middling Tampa Bay.

Assuming the Packers handle business vs. the New York Giants, the Carolina Panthers and the Chicago Bears, they are in a great position to get in as a wild card team at 9-8. Should they split with Minnesota and Tampa Bay, you could probably argue that they are a lock to get in at 10-7. I cannot emphasize how big the Packers' last two wins over Detroit and Kansas City were. Totally unexpected.

Of the five teams mentioned on here, I feel the most confident about the Packers' playoff chances.