Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, right, is congratulated by teammates after his 6-yard run for a touchdown during the second half of a game against the Detroit Lions Sunday in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

By The Associated Press

The Green Bay Packers have clinched their second straight NFC North title and put themselves in position to earn the conference’s top playoff seed because of a championship-caliber offense.

Their chances of reaching the Super Bowl for the first time in a decade could rest on whether they improve in the other two phases of the game.

Green Bay (10-3) controls its chances in the race for the NFC’s No. 1 seed after winning 31-24 at Detroit on Sunday while the New Orleans Saints (10-3) lost 24-21 at Philadelphia. Although the Packers and Saints own the same record, Green Bay has the tiebreaker after winning 37-27 at New Orleans on Sept. 27.

Under the new 14-team playoff system, only one team in each conference earns a first-round playoff bye.

“I think it’s extremely critical,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said Monday. “Once you get in the playoffs and you accomplish your first goal, it’s on to the next goal. We know that, again, we’re not going to change our approach. We’re going to take it one game at a time.”

The Packers host Carolina (4-9) on Saturday night and welcome Tennessee (9-4) to Lambeau Field on Dec. 27 before ending the regular season Jan. 3 at Chicago (6-7).

LaFleur said Rodgers should be the MVP front-runner after the 37-year-old quarterback threw for 290 yards and three touchdowns without an interception Sunday. Adams set a franchise record by catching a touchdown pass in his eighth consecutive game.

“It’s camaraderie and chemistry and ability to deal with adversity and not starting to point fingers, that resolve, that grit,” Rodgers said after Sunday’s game. “I feel like this team has a lot of those characteristics. I think we’re built a little bit differently.”