NFL 2011 Week 16 - Packers Wrap Up Top Seed in NFC

Packers Wrap Up Top Seed in NFC
Jojo Doria

Green Bay, WI

The Green Bay Packers are going to be the top seed in the NFC playoffs this season, how hard they go after a 15th win in the regular season remains to be seen.

The Packers locked up the No. 1 seed in the NFC Sunday night with a 35-21 victory over the Chicago Bears. Green Bay closes out the regular season by hosting the Detroit Lions on New Years Day.

The game will mean a lot more to the Lions than the Packers. Detroit can improve its playoff seeding and the five seed could mean a game against the struggling New York Giants or Dallas Cowboys rather than red-hot Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.

Meanwhile the Packers are already locked into a bye and home field up to the Super Bowl, creating a bit of a dilemma.

"We'll look at all of our options," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "But I'm not going to stand here and tell you we want to give away opportunities to win the game. We're going to play to win the game next week. I'm not real excited about a division opponent coming in here and think we're not going to do everything we can to get to 15-1. But health is an issue for us. I think that's stating the obvious."

Green Bay is obviously weary of getting quarterback Aaron Rodgers hurt. Rogers is having an MVP season and the Packers' Super Bowl hopes go from favorite to nearly non-existent without him. Rodgers threw five touchdown passes against the Bears, his first career five-TD game.

While Green Bay is rolling toward a chance to defend its Super Bowl title, Chicago is finishing out a tough season that once showed a lot of promise.

The loss to the Packers was the Bears' fifth straight since they lost starting quarterback Jay Cutler with a broken right thumb. Cutler was hurt in Chicago's victory over San Diego on Nov. 20.