The defending champion Philadelphia Eagles have had a rollercoaster of a season following their Super Bowl victory. Despite the drama that can't seem to escape Philadelphia, the team has still been able to win games and maintain the top seed. That is no longer the case, though, as they were leapfrogged by the Los Angeles Rams during Week 12. With six weeks left, how does the playoff picture stack up in the NFC?
NFC standings
- Los Angeles Rams, 9-2, NFC West
- Philadelphia Eagles, 8-3, NFC East
- Chicago Bears, 8-3, NFC North
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 6-5, NFC South
- Seattle Seahawks, 8-3, NFC West
- Green Bay Packers, 7-3-1, NFC North
- San Francisco 49ers, 8-4, NFC West
- Detroit Lions, 7-4, NFC North
- Carolina Panthers, 6-6, NFC South
- Dallas Cowboys 5-5-1, NFC East
- Atlanta Falcons, 4-7, NFC South
- Minnesota Vikings, 4-7, NFC North
- Arizona Cardinals, NFC West, 3-8
- Washington Commanders, 3-8, NFC East
- New Orleans Saints, 2-9, NFC South
- New York Giants, 2-10, NFC East
NFC divisional leaders
The Los Angeles Rams jumped into the one seed with their dominant win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The team's offense is elite. Matthew Stafford is the odds-on MVP favorite, as he is finding loads of success throwing to Davante Adams in the red zone and Puka Nacua everywhere else. Both players are among the best receivers in the NFL. The team has won six straight games and has a fairly easy schedule going forward, so securing the first-round bye certainly seems realistic.
While the Rams won, the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Dallas Cowboys. Philadelphia was up big before squandering the lead. The defending champions can still make another push for the Super Bowl, but it has to be worrisome how ineffective Saquon Barkley has been in a year following a 2,000-yard rushing season.
The Chicago Bears are continuing to prove the doubters wrong. They won a close game yet again, further demonstrating that Caleb Williams and company have the clutch gene. Chicago thrives at creating turnovers at opportune times, but there is still tons of talent just on their tail in the NFC North.
Despite fading as of late, the Buccaneers still lead the NFC South with a 6-5 record. They've lost three straight games, as the injury bug has seemingly caught up to them. Bucky Irving is expected to return in Week 13, and Chris Godwin could take on a bigger role. However, an even more significant injury struck the team, as Baker Mayfield's status is now in doubt after he was knocked out of the last game with a shoulder injury.
NFC Wild Card teams
On the back of Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who is having a historic season, the Seattle Seahawks are 8-3. Most recently, Smith-Njigba had 167 yards and two touchdowns. Sam Darnold had a bounce-back game, granted it came against the Tennessee Titans. The Seahawks also have one of the best defenses in the league.
Emanuel Wilson had an impressive game in relief of Josh Jacobs for the Green Bay Packers. The Packers didn't need to do much to beat the Minnesota Vikings, considering how bad J.J. McCarthy has been. Their dominant win keeps their divisional title hopes alive.
The current seventh seed in the NFC is the San Francisco 49ers. They have overcome injuries all season long, and they just keep adding wins to their record. Brock Purdy had three interceptions in the 49ers' most recent win, and that won't be acceptable going forward.
In the hunt
The Detroit Lions are the best team in the hunt for a postseason spot. They again have an incredible offense, which was highlighted by a magnificent performance from Jahmyr Gibbs last week. Just like last year, though, injuries on the defense are preventing them from reaching their fullest potential.
The Carolina Panthers lost this week, but they are staying in the race for the NFC South title because the Buccaneers can't seem to get back in the win column. The NFC South is arguably the worst division in football, so the Panthers aren't out of it yet. They appear to be quite a ways away from competing with any of the other postseason teams, though.
The Dallas Cowboys have surged late and are back in the playoff hunt. They have tough matchups against the Kansas City Chiefs and the Lions coming up, both of whom are also desperate to push for the playoffs. The Dallas defense has improved ever since the trade for Quinnen Williams, and this offense can keep up with anybody.
Outside looking in
Only the New York Giants have officially been eliminated from NFC playoff contention, but the odds are stacked against the Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Commanders, and New Orleans Saints. All six of those teams may be without the quarterback that they started the season with in Week 13.
Michael Penix Jr., Kyle Murray, and Jayden Daniels are all dealing with significant injuries. J.J. McCarthy just entered concussion protocol, but he probably deserved to be benched regardless. Jaxson Dart is also dealing with a concussion. The Saints hope that rookie Tyler Shough is the future at the quarterback position for the team, but he started the season on the bench as well after losing a quarterback battle to Spencer Rattler.
