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Week 16:
• Green Bay at Chicago
• Atlanta (6-4) at Minnesota

Now comes the big one in Chitown.

The Packers did dominate in every facet of play Sunday at Lambeau, but this is a grudge match in Soldier Field, and Lovie Smith loves to respond to grudges.

I think the Packers would win this one...the majority of the world's pundits probably won't, despite seeing the 34-point margin from Sunday.

Home vs. slightly on-paper better tend to even out, and in this case against Atlanta, it probably will.

Forecasted "on-paper" standings after Week 16:
• Chicago 9-6
• Minnesota 9-6
• Green Bay 7-8

That would, in the probable paper pundit's (say that three times fast) thoughts, eliminate the Packers before they even get to the Lions game in Week 17, when the Bears are at Houston and the Vikings host the probably-clinched-everything-in-sight Giants.

How Can Packers Pulverize the Paper Pundits' Probable Predictions?

Simple, but not easy: win two games they're "not supposed to" win.

One of them needs to be either this Monday night in New Orleans - a game I think they would win anyway - or at home against Carolina, a game I'm not so sure of.

The other MUST be the Chicago game on Dec. 22.

If they get that done, their 8-8 end-of-season mark jumps to 10-6, the best Chicago could do in the same time frame considering the Packers would beat them.

Minnesota would probably not go 6-0 in the same stretch, so at best, they'd go 10-6, too.

Let's go to the good-old tiebreaking computers with three scenarios, each including the Packers going 5-1 in the last six, including a win over Chicago:
• Packers and Bears tied for NFC North at 10-6: Packers win North based on head-to-head (2-0).
• Packers and Vikings tied for NFC North at 10-6: Packers win North based on divisional record (Green Bay 5-1, Minnesota 4-2 at best).
• Packers, Bears and Vikings tied for NFC North at 10-6: see Packers-Vikings tiebreaker and smile again.

Bottom Line

To take care of business and pulverize the paper pundits' probable predictions, the Packers probably need to go 5-1, win one of the next two games, beat the Bears on Dec. 22 and do what they're supposed to do against Houston, Jacksonville and Detroit.

Otherwise, the paper pundit's probable predictions probably pulverize the Packers' postseason possibilities.