News - Ravens' playoff dreams alive, Packers' division hopes dashed

In a pivotal Week 17, the Baltimore Ravens claimed a crucial victory over the Green Bay Packers, securing a 41-24 triumph to keep their playoff ambitions alive. The win pushed the Ravens to an 8-8 record, keeping them in the hunt for a division title, contingent on the outcome of the Pittsburgh Steelers' game against the Cleveland Browns. Attention turns to Sunday as a Steelers' victory or tie would spell the end of the Ravens' playoff campaign. Meanwhile, the Green Bay Packers' loss has significant ramifications for the NFC North standings. The defeat at Lambeau Field means the Packers can no longer vie for the division title, as the Chicago Bears clinched the NFC North by virtue of this result. Although the Packers have secured a playoff spot, they will enter the postseason as the No. 7 seed. Amid the shuffle of playoff possibilities, the Packers are grappling with quarterback concerns heading into their final matchups. Jordan Love remains sidelined with a concussion, and backup Malik Willis is battling both a shoulder injury and illness. Should Willis be unable to play, third-string quarterback Clayton Tune may find himself at the helm, tasked with leading the team in their concluding regular-season contest. The spotlight now turns to the remaining games, where every outcome could reshape the postseason landscape for both the AFC and NFC. For Baltimore, Saturday's success against such odds keeps their faint hopes alive, reliant on external results to determine their fate. For Green Bay, despite the loss of divisional prospects, the path to the playoffs is still assured, even as questions loom around their quarterback situation in the lead-up to the playoffs. As the intensity mounts, both franchises brace for a climactic end to the regular season, knowing that both fortune and fate lie beyond their immediate control.