Matt LaFleur’s Green Bay Packers teams have all but owned December football since he became the Packers head man in 2019. In five-plus years as the Packers head coach, LaFleur has now had winning seasons in five out of six years (2022 only losing season at 8-9) and his regular-season record after December 1 is an impressive 21-4.

The success from LaFleur and the Packers includes undefeated 5-0 runs to end both 2019 and 2020. They lost the season finales in both 2021 and 2022 after going 4-0 in December. The only season with multiple losses in the last five weeks of the season was last year, with back-to-back December losses against the Giants and Bucs.

Last year’s win over the Lions on Thanksgiving was a springboard to the Packers playing well in December, including a win over the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.

This magical throw and catch between Jordan Love and Romeo Doubs against the Chiefs has foreshadowing all over it 👀pic.twitter.com/zSJGJlyiLk

— IKE Packers Podcast (@IKE_Packers) February 14, 2024

Playing its best football late in the season is nothing new in Green Bay. This dates back to the days of Mike Holmgren and Brett Favre. From 1993-1998, the Packers had six straight playoff appearances and were 3-1 or 4-0 in December in five of those six seasons. Those teams made five divisional playoff appearances, three NFC Championship games, two Super Bowls and the Super Bowl win in 1996.

This success late in seasons was also on display under both Mike Sherman and Mike McCarthy. In the 13 seasons that ended in postseason berths: (Sherman 2001-2004, McCarthy 2007, 2009-2016), only three times did the Packers lose multiple games after December. Those seasons were: 2004 (2-3), 2010 (3-2), and 2015 (3-2).

Based on the team’s history the last 32 years, how the team plays in December is generally an indicator of the success come playoff time. The one exception to that rule is 2010, where the team had back-to-back December losses after Aaron Rodgers was injured.

McCarthy’s teams made four NFC Championship games, and two came after winning a road playoff game (2010 and 2016). It was in 2016, where the Packers won their last six regular-season games, including five straight after December 1.

Last year the Packers won 29-22 on Thanksgiving at the Lions, as Jordan Love threw three touchdown passes, one each to Jayden Reed, Tucker Kraft and Christian Watson.

Every Jordan Love completion of 10+ yards in today’s win over the Lions.

Packers have a guy. pic.twitter.com/aNwYGC2ZBc

— Daire Carragher (@DaireCarragher) November 24, 2023

This year’s Packers are 3-0 coming off their bye last month, but the December and January schedule will be very challenging. The team will travel to three of the tougher road environments in the NFC: December 5 at Detroit, December 15 at Seattle, and December 29 at Minnesota.

All three teams are in the current NFC playoff standings, but all three teams have also lost at home this season. The Lions lost to the Bucs in Week 2, the Vikings lost to the Lions in Week 7 and the Seahawks are just 3-4 at home, including four straight home losses.

Going into Week 14, the Packers are a likely wild card team for the NFL postseason, but a strong showing in these next five games will be a big determining factor in if this team will go far in January, or if its playoff visit will be a short one.