Now officially past the halfway point in the 2024 NFL season, the NFC playoff picture is starting to take shape. Coming out of Week 10, the Detroit Lions have shown they are the elite team of the conference this season after their comeback win over the Houston Texans. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Eagles leaped ahead in the NFC East with their resounding win over the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Commanders loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Though there’s still a long season ahead, with the remainder of November, December, and part of January still to play, teams will begin to reveal their true colors. However, with that much time left, some teams can still make a last-minute push to become one of the seven NFC teams to earn a playoff berth. Let’s take a look at 12 teams that are currently in the hunt to make the 2024 NFL playoffs.
1. Detroit Lions (8-1, 1st in NFC North)
The Lions have been dominant, boasting the best record in the NFC. They haven’t lost a game since Week 2 against the Buccaneers. Their come-from-behind win on the road against the Texans in Week 10, securing their seventh straight victory, solidifies them as the current No. 1 seed in the NFC.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (7-2, 1st in NFC East)
After starting the season 2-2, the Eagles have surged ahead in their division, recently overtaking the Commanders for the top spot. With their dominating win over the Cowboys in Week 10, they've now won five straight, quieting any critics of head coach Nick Sirianni, at least for now. Philadelphia will face Washington in Week 11 in a pivotal NFC East matchup.
3. Atlanta Falcons (6-4, 1st in NFC South)
The new-look Falcons this season are doing exactly what most had predicted: ruling over the NFC South. Not until their upset Week 10 loss to the Saints did they suffer their first division loss. Raheem Morris, Kirk Cousins, and others have given this team a fresh outlook. Atlanta hopes to make its first trip back to the playoffs since 2017.
4. Arizona Cardinals (6-4, 1st in NFC West)
The Cardinals have emerged as a surprise contender in the NFC playoff race, currently leading the NFC West. Their recent 31-6 victory over the Jets in Week 10 marked their fourth consecutive win, a significant turnaround from their 1-3 start to the season. If the Cardinals maintain this momentum and secure a playoff berth, it would be their first appearance since 2021 and only their second in the past nine years.
5. Minnesota Vikings (7-2, 2nd in NFC North)
The first non-division winner right now would be the Vikings, who are just one game behind the Lions. Even though they've gone 2-2 in their last four games, including a loss to Detroit, the Vikings easily could have gone 0-4 during that stretch. Thankfully, led by their third-ranked scoring defense, they've maintained a good standing within the NFC.
6. Washington Commanders (7-3, 2nd in NFC East)
Another surprise team this season has been the Commanders, who currently hold the sixth seed in the NFC playoff standings. Led by rookie quarterback sensation Jayden Daniels and a new coaching staff under Dan Quinn, Washington has made a huge turnaround this season. This was a four-win team last season and a franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2020. The Commanders are now just two wins away from surpassing their best win total since 2015.
7. Green Bay Packers (6-3, 3rd in NFC North)
Currently, the final NFC playoff seed belongs to the Packers, who hold third place in the tightly contested NFC North. This team has some solid wins under its belt, including victories over the Texans and Cardinals—despite Jordan Love dealing with injuries and some regression this season. Green Bay remains in a good position.
8. San Francisco 49ers (5-4, 2nd NFC West)
Now that the 49ers have Christian McCaffrey back, they may start to right themselves after weeks of dealing with injuries to their star players. Week 10 marked the first time this season that San Francisco won back-to-back games. The schedule ahead gets much tougher, with a matchup against the Seahawks followed by back-to-back road games against the Packers and Bills. Right now, the 49ers are the first team on the bubble.
9. Chicago Bears (4-5, 3rd in NFC North)
Right behind them are the Bears, who had hoped they finally found all the offensive pieces needed to make this a playoff-ready team. Nine games in, rookie Caleb Williams looks lost, and offensive coordinator Shane Waldron has been fired after a three-game losing streak in which they averaged just nine points. Unless there’s a huge turnaround, this team does not look playoff-worthy in the least.
10. Los Angeles Rams (4-5, 3rd in NFC West)
Based on head-to-head win percentage, the Bears actually hold a tiebreaker over the Rams (per ESPN), who took a surprising loss to the Dolphins at home in Week 10. However, Los Angeles holds a head-to-head tiebreaker over their NFC West foes, the Seahawks. If the Rams hope to become one of the seven NFC playoff teams, they face a tough second half of the season with games against the Eagles, Bills, 49ers, and Cardinals. At least there isn't must separation in the NFC West.
11. Seattle Seahawks (4-5, 4th in NFC West)
The Seahawks rattled off three straight wins to start their season but have since gone 1-5, losing their last three games. They had a much-needed bye in Week 10 to hopefully shore things up before notable NFC matchups against the 49ers, two games against the Cardinals, and matchups with the Packers and Vikings to finish out the season.
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-6, 2nd in NFC South)
The Buccaneers had hoped to compete for their fourth straight NFC South title this season, but things aren’t looking so promising. Tampa Bay has lost four straight and five of their last six, struggling to close out games, with their last three losses by just one score. Over these six games, they rank last in the league in both scoring defense and total defense. It also hasn’t helped that, during this stretch, they lost two of their best wide receivers, Chris Godwin Jr. and Mike Evans. They're still just two games behind the Falcons in the NFC South, though they were swept by Atlanta in both games.
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