Teams that take care of business at home in the regular season are typically first in line for a first-round bye in the NFL postseason, and it’s not difficult to imagine the Green Bay Packers—the NFL’s most dominant home team of the 2014 season, at least so far—riding wins at Lambeau Field to a week off this coming January. 

Six clubs finished the 2013 season with home records of 7-1 or better. Not surprisingly, all four top-two seeds came from that pool of six. The New England Patriots finished a perfect 8-0 at home and secured the No. 2 seed in the AFC, while the Broncos went 7-1 in Denver and took the conference’s home-field advantage. In the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks (top seed) and Carolina Panthers (No. 2) both finished 7-1 at home. All six of the teams with a 7-1 record or better at home made the postseason. 

The Cincinnati Bengals and New Orleans Saints both went 8-0 at home but finished 11-5 because of marginal 3-5 road records. 

In 2012, the Packers finished 7-1 at home and hosted a playoff game at Lambeau Field. A year earlier, Green Bay was among three teams (New Orleans, Baltimore) finishing 8-0 at home—and all three were top-two seeds. 

It’s not rocket science. Coaches and players talk year after year about the importance of winning home games. Finish 7-1 or better at home and a team can afford a few slipups on the road. Go 8-0 and an even split on the road can all but secure a first-round bye. 

The Packers finishing 8-0 at Lambeau Field this season is far from a lock, but it isn’t a stretch either.

Green Bay has won its first five home games by a 134-point margin. Amazingly, that stat doesn’t even fully describe the home dominance. The Packers have secured in-game leads of 42 points (Minnesota), 35 (Carolina), 48 (Chicago) and 40 (Philadelphia) in Green Bay, while 48 of the 61 points allowed over the last four home games have come after Aaron Rodgers was pulled from the contest. 

Rodgers has been otherworldly at home. He’s thrown 18 touchdowns and zero interceptions at Lambeau Field, and his home passer rating leads the NFL at a ridiculous 138.1. He’s been so good that the Packers simply haven’t needed him in the fourth quarter of the last four home games. Backup quarterback Matt Flynn has played 57 snaps over four home appearances this season, or the equivalent of almost a full game.  

Looming matchups will test the Packers’ dominance at Lambeau Field. Green Bay throttled the once 7-2 and NFC East-leading Eagles on Sunday, but Mark Sanchez isn’t Tom Brady and the Eagles defense isn’t nearly as fast or talented as Detroit’s. 

A visit from the Patriots in two weeks will be a legitimate litmus test. Hours after Green Bay finished off Philadelphia, New England went into Indianapolis and dusted Andrew Luck and the Colts in primetime. Brady could pick apart the Packers defense and the Patriots’ secondary is an underrated unit. 

Week 17’s showdown with the Lions will almost certainly determine something postseason related—whether it’s the NFC North title, Green Bay’s shot at a top-two seed or a Wild Card spot. Detroit beat up the Packers in the first meeting and actually hung around at Lambeau Field in 2013 without receiver Calvin Johnson. That said, the Lions haven’t won in the state of Wisconsin in nearly a quarter century. 

Let’s say, for a moment, the Packers answer the call against both New England and Detroit and finish 8-0 at home. Again, not a huge stretch considering how well Rodgers and the opportunistic defense has played at Lambeau Field in 2014. A perfect home finish would mean three more wins (including over 4-6 Atlanta), getting Green Bay to at least 10 victories. The Packers will be favorites in road games at Minnesota (on Sunday), Tampa Bay (currently 2-8) and Buffalo (5-5), although the Vikings are pesky-dangerous, the Buccaneers showed a pulse Sunday and the Bills can rush the quarterback. Any loss to those three teams would still be deemed an upset, putting a 13-3 record and a first-round bye well within reach. 

An 8-0 home record would also allow room for a hiccup on the road. Considering the Arizona Cardinals (9-1) are only NFC team with fewer than three losses, finishing 12-4 should still be good enough to secure a first-round bye. Even one home loss and an upset-free run on the road would provide the necessary 12-4 finish. 

Who knows what a first-round bye could mean for the Packers. Green Bay has been outclassed on the road in Seattle, Detroit and New Orleans this season, losing by a 99-46 margin. Securing January games at Lambeau Field could be the difference between a Super Bowl run and another one-and-done postseason exit. Then again, the Packers have just one home playoff win—over the Joe Webb-led Vikings—since Rodgers took over as Green Bay’s starting quarterback. The New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers have both come to Lambeau Field and won playoff games in recent years. 

The Packers did win three straight road games to get to Super Bowl XLV in 2010-11, but that’s a trail few teams want to take to the final game. The path of least resistance is still through Lambeau Field. 

The Packers’ dominance at home in 2014 has opened the door to the real possibility of a 12-4 or 13-3 finish. How Green Bay closes the season at home will likely determine whether or not the Packers can secure the week off in January.

Zach Kruse contributes to Cheesehead TV. He is also the Lead Writer for the NFC North at Bleacher Report. You can reach him on Twitter @zachkruse2 or by email at [email protected].