NFC playoff picture, Week 13: Mad scramble at the bottom

The NFL has five weeks remaining in the regular season, and things are starting to shake out in the NFC playoff picture. Unlike the AFC, where a record-11 teams own winning records, the NFC is keeping things traditional with only eight such teams. Of course, there is also the dumpster fire known as the NFC South.

Before we get into scenarios and schedules, let’s take a look at the playoff picture:

1. Arizona Cardinals (9-2)
2. Green Bay Packers (8-3)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (8-3)
4. Atlanta Falcons (4-7)
5. Dallas Cowboys (8-3)
6. Seattle Seahawks (7-4)

In the hunt:

7. Detroit Lions (7-4)
8. San Francisco 49ers (7-4)
10. New Orleans Saints (4-7)
13. Carolina Panthers (3-7-1)

Before be go further, the NFC South is absolutely rancid and should not get a playoff team. The NFL should change the rules, only mandating that the four division winners in each conference make the playoffs if they have a record of 8-8 or better. However, the current rules force us to take the NFC South winner as the No. 4 seed. Atlanta owns the tiebreaker over New Orleans because of a Week 1 head-to-head victory.

Elsewhere, the Eagles technically hold the NFC East lead because of a better divisional record than the Cowboys. With the two tangling on Thanksgiving, that tiebreaker will soon be busted. The Packers are the second seed over Philadelphia because of head-to-head win two weeks ago at Lambeau Field.

At the bottom, divisional ties always come first. The Seahawks beat out the 49ers in divisional record and then the Lions based on their records in common games.

This week, we see some massive contests between NFC contenders. On Thanksgiving, we have the aforementioned Philadelphia-Dallas tilt followed by the 49ers and Seahawks getting after it at Levi’s Stadium. On Sunday, the only notable game between two playoff teams that affects the NFC is the Packers hosting to the Patriots. For the Lions, who only trail Green Bay by a game in the NFC North, this is a massive contest. Should the Packers lose while Detroit beats the Chicago Bears, the Lions would jump back into the division lead.

There is still plenty of fighting to be done for spots. The Seahawks still travel to Arizona and Philadelphia, and play the 49ers twice, with San Francisco yet to host the Cardinals. Detroit visits Green Bay in Week 17, while Philadelphia and Dallas play twice in the next three weeks. In the NFC South, the Saints still host the Falcons and Panthers. Atlanta also is home against Carolina, giving the Panthers, who have already lost at home to the Saints and Falcons, the hardest road to the division crown.

About Matt Verderame

Matt Verderame, 26, is a New Yorker who went to school at the frozen tundra of SUNY Oswego. After graduating, Verderame has worked for Gannett and SB Nation among other ventures.

Quantcast