Ranking possible Packers playoff opponents: Best-case, worst-case and likeliest matchup

The Packers currently sit in the No. 3 spot in the NFC North standings but they still have a great shot to make the playoffs with their 7-3 record. The chances of them overtaking the Lions for the top spot in the division aren't great. That's why quarterback Jordan Love and his teammates should be prepared to enter the playoffs as a Wild Card team.

It is too early for head coach Matt LaFleur and his staff to be overly concerned with their potential matchups in the Wild-Card round but it is intriguing for Green Bay fans to start paying attention to who their favorite team might encounter during the first weekend of the postseason.

Packers fans who want to look ahead past the second-half of the regular season should read on to preview who might stand in their way towards making an extended playoff run.

Packers best-case playoff matchup: Atlanta Falcons

The idea here is for the Packers to overcome their division rivals, the Minnesota Vikings, to secure the five seed in the NFC. That should allow them to take on the weakest division winner, which projects to be the Falcons, via the NFC South crown.

The Packers would still be on the road in this scenario but Atlanta is not an overly difficult place to play. The downside to this matchup is that veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins will not be wowed by the occasion. He has plenty of postseason experience and his cadre of young offensive weapons could pose difficulties for a Packers defense that hasn't been overly impressive this year.

The good news for Green Bay is that Love and his group of skill position players should fare well against the Falcons' defense. Safety Jessie Bates is a player the Packers would need to account for in the secondary, but the lack of pass-rushers on the Atlanta roster would give Green Bay's offense a lot of chances to take deep shots via the pass-game. Playing on the road in the playoffs is never a straightforward proposition but the Packers would like their chances of going down to Georgia and stealing a win away from the Falcons.

Packers worst-case playoff matchup: Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles currently project to finish with the No. 2 seed in the NFC behind the Lions. The Packers need to do all they can to avoid finishing with the No. 7 seed which would send them to Philadelphia for the wild-card weekend matchup.

The Packers have struggled all season long with mobile quarterbacks. Philadelphia's signal-caller Jalen Hurts would present Jeff Hafley's defense with a lot of problems with his ability to get outside the pocket and make plays with his legs. Throw in the challenge of competing with A.J. Brown on the outside and it's easy to see why the Packers' defense could give up a lot of points in this potential matchup. There's also the small matter of stopping Saquon Barkley from running wild in a game with massive stakes.

Philadelphia's defense is also built to perform at its best during the postseason. Their secondary features a nice balance of veterans like Darius Slay and up-and-coming young players like Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell.

Unlike Atlanta, Philadelphia's defense has an abundance of quality pass-rushers in their fron seven. Zack Baun is enjoying the best season of his career at outside linebacker. Jalen Carter is one of the best pass-rushing defensive tackles in the NFC in his second season as a pro. The Packers would no go into this game scared of playing against the Eagles' defense but they would operate with a healthy respect for their worst-case opponent.

Packers most likely playoff matchup: Arizona Cardinals

The current standings would pit the Packers against the Cardinals in a three-versus-six matchup in the NFC. That's far from locked in at this point in the season but it is the most likely matchup by a slight margin heading into Week 12.

The mobile quarterback theme would pop up here again for the Packers. Kyler Murray is not running as much as has in previous seasons, but his run percentage might increase as he's allowed to take more hits by his coaching staff in the postseason. Murray is even more dangerous as a passer when he evades pressure and stays inside the pocket. His ability to dance around behind the line of scrimmage would present a massive challenge for Green Bay's front-seven.

This matchup would have a strong chance of turning into a shootout. Green Bay would like its chances of taking a high number of deep shots down the field against Arizona's secondary. The Packers would need to avoid challenging Budda Baker on deep routes but the depth of Green Bay's receiver corps would be a stern challenge for the Cardinals.

What do the Packers need to get the best matchup?

The simple motivation for Green Bay moving forward should be to win as many games as they can down the stretch. Getting up to the No. 5 seed should be the goal for the team to make sure they don't enter wild-card weekend as significant underdogs.

Some Packers fans might still want to see their favorite team going for the division crown but the Lions have earned their reputation as the best team in the NFC during the first half of the campaign. It's hard to imagine them dropping enough games to let Green Bay overtake them for the NFC North crown. The Packers should remain focused on playing their best football when the postseason arrives no matter what seed they're able to garner.