Closer Look

Packers settle in for what may be a long playoff ride

By Don Banks, SI.com

Brett Favre and Bubba Franks celebrate a 23-yard touchdown reception. AP

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- You can stash the silly Cheesehead hats and fold up the green and gold parkas. They're done playing football for another year at frosty Lambeau Field.

Ah, but that's OK because the Packers playoff drive is just getting started. Besides, they could play until Memorial Day in Green Bay and not improve upon the grand finale that this venerable venue played host to on Sunday, a 33-27 overtime Packers victory against Seattle -- just the 18th overtime game in NFL postseason history and the first decided by a defensive touchdown.

As the lowest-seeded team among the four remaining NFC playoff contenders, Green Bay (11-6) must hit the road from here on out. But the Packers will venture to top-seeded Philadelphia (12-4) next Sunday brimming with the confidence that comes from surviving a brush with elimination and winning their fifth consecutive game since a galling Thanksgiving Day loss at Detroit.

"The confidence we have is at a high level, but our team realized [Sunday] at some point, we could lose this game,'' Packers quarterback Brett Favre said of Green Bay's narrow escape against the Seahawks (10-7). "It only gets tougher from here. We played basically a mistake-free game and barely won.''

The Packers earned the win on cornerback Al Harris' 52-yard interception return for a touchdown 4:25 into overtime -- the only turnover of the game. Green Bay committed just five penalties for 30 yards against Seattle, with Ryan Longwell's miss on a potential game-winning 47-yard field goal into the wind on the final play of regulation representing a missed opportunity.

Instead, what Packers fans were treated to was a performance that in no way resembled last year's humbling 27-7 first-round playoff exit at the hands of Atlanta -- Green Bay's first-ever postseason loss at Lambeau after 13 wins.

"Certainly, last year walking off that field after the Atlanta game was one of the low points of my coaching career,'' said fourth-year Packers head coach Mike Sherman, who evened his playoff record at 2-2. "It was nice to win this football game. That simple.''

Nothing about next week will be quite so simple. The Eagles were one of three teams that beat the Packers at Lambeau this season, earning a 17-14 comeback victory on Nov. 10 on Monday Night Football. The rematch at Philadelphia's new Lincoln Financial Field will feature a revenge-minded theme this week.

"We owe those guys,'' Packers receiver Donald Driver said. "Those guys beat us at home last time. It's payback. It's called a rematch. It's just like playing a Madden game -- you get beat and you want a rematch. We want a rematch.''

The loss to the Eagles in Week 10 dropped the Packers to 4-5, the last time they had a losing record this season. Since then, Green Bay has gone 7-1, losing only at the Lions. While Sherman has refused to buy into the notion that the Packers have some late-season magic building, preferring to credit hard work and preparation for his team's lofty status, on Sunday he showed signs of giving in to the good-karma storyline.

"We'll take whatever we can get,'' Sherman said. "Our guys are just looking forward to playing another game, and it happens to be against Philly.''

The Eagles have won 10 of 11 themselves after starting the season 2-3, and next week will represent their first step toward the goal of qualifying for their third consecutive NFC title game. Philadelphia failed to punch either of those tickets to the Super Bowl, and many consider Andy Reid's team the most balanced squad in the NFC.

"They're a dangerous football team,'' said the Packers' Harris, a former Eagles nickelback. "Everybody pretty much knows that. It's a plus [for me] going against guys that you practiced with and pretty much know, but they're probably looking at it as a plus for them also. We're trying to win every game we're able to win. Whoever it may be, we just want to win.''