There are two games left in the NFL regular season, and everything is pretty much up for grabs in the NFC Playoff Race. Especially in the Wild Card race, where several teams remain in contention for just two stops.
By now, we know the Philadelphia Eagles clinched a first-round bye. We also know the Minnesota Vikings clinched their division. But after that, things get quite blurry. Let’s start analyzing the NFC Playoff Picture with just two weeks left on the schedule.
What do we know regarding seeds from #3 to #6?
Currently, the Los Angeles Rams are third with a 10-4-0 record, and only need one more win to secure the NFC West and, most likely, the third seed. The New Orleans Saints are fourth with a 10-4-0 record, and even though they are tied with the Carolina Panthers, they have the edge on the tiebreaker. The Atlanta Falcons currently rank as the sixth seed with a 9-5 mark. As things stand right now, we could have three NFC South teams making the playoffs.
But that’s not all. The Wild Card race is quite complicated because even though Panthers or Saints will likely grab one of those spots, the sixth seed is up for grabs. Behind the Falcons, we find the Detroit Lions, the Seattle Seahawks and the Dallas Cowboys with an 8-6-0 record. The Green Bay Packers are out despite their 7-7 mark since the Falcons’ win on Monday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was the nail in the coffin for Aaron Rodgers and company.
So who has the edge on that sixth and final seed on the NFC? Right now it seems the Falcons have the best chance to grab it. The problem is that they have games remaining against the Panthers and the Saints. So it is not going to be a walk in the park. Their fate is up in the air, as they could potentially clinch the division, grab a Wild Card berth, or miss out on the playoffs entirely in the upcoming three games.
Several teams are in the hunt
The Lions have an easy schedule, as they will take on the Cincinnati Bengals and the Packers. Cincinnati is already out of the playoff race, while the Packers could be out as well by the time they take on Detroit. But the Lions have things to iron out. They don’t have a running game, and Matthew Stafford has been playing hurt. They need their star QB to be healthy if they want to reach the postseason, but it sounds as if the defense will have to carry them.
The Seahawks and Cowboys both sit at 8-6 and will play next Sunday at AT&T Stadium. Things are quite simple – whoever wins that game will live for one more week, while the loser will probably be out of the playoff race altogether. Dallas will receive a major boost with the return of Ezekiel Elliott for this Week 16 tilt, but the Seahawks have a competent defense capable of slowing him down. The biggest problem for Seattle will be how to protect Russell Wilson, though. Their offensive line is quite bad, and they don’t have much of a running game, either. It seems Seattle’s season cringes on Wilson’s shoulders.
Seattle and Dallas would have one more game left either way, though. The Seahawks will take on the Arizona Cardinals at home, while the Cowboys will play their season finale against the Eagles who already clinched a first-round bye.
The Falcons have the edge, but the Lions and the Cowboys could make a case for the sixth seed, too. But the one thing we know is that we are in for a treat when it comes to the final two weeks of the regular season in the NFC.