(Getty)
The Giants may have slipped up in Philadelphia on Thursday, but they still have plenty of chances to clinch this week.
Any one of the Lions, Packers, Bucs or Falcons could lose and send the Giants into the playoffs this week. Of course, if all of those teams win out, the Giants could fall out of the playoffs altogether.
The hottest team in the conference is Green Bay, winners of four straight and hosting the Vikings this week. The Packers have a very small chance of qualifying without winning out, setting the team up for a massive New Year’s Day showdown with Detroit.
Nobody has scored more points than the Falcons over the last few weeks, but Atlanta still have not clinched their place in the playoffs. They would lock down the NFC South with a win and a Tampa loss, giving them their first division title since 2012.
Winning is the best way in, and the teams at the bottom still have slim chances of snagging a Wild Card spot. Washington, Minnesota, New Orleans, and Carolina can all make miracle rallies, provided they win out and get some help.
For a full list of NFL tiebreaking procedures, click here.
Here’s how the playoff standings look right now:
NFC Seeding
The Division Leaders:
1. Dallas Cowboys — 12-2
2. Seattle Seahawks — 9-4-1
3. Atlanta Falcons — 9-5
4. Detroit Lions — 9-5
The Wild Card Contenders:
5. New York Giants — 10-5
6. Green Bay Packers — 8-6
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — 8-6
8. Washington Redskins — 7-6-1
9. Minnesota Vikings — 7-7
*The Seahawks have clinched the NFC West
**The Cowboys have clinched a playoff berth
Potential Wild Card Matchups:
Giants at Falcons
Buccaneers at Lions