After a Vikings loss, Green Bay can extend their NFC North lead today. (Getty)
The NFC Wild Card picture is starting to make sense, leaving only the NFC East as the biggest remaining mystery. Seattle and Minnesota have a solid handle on the final two playoff spots, despite late-season surges from Tampa Bay, Chicago, and Philadelphia.
If any changes get made to the bracket today, they will happen in the NFC East. The Giants, Redskins and Eagles are all knotted at 5-7, with the Giants and Eagles meeting in the final game of the season. The Redskins face a tough test today, as they head to Chicago to face a Bears team that has lost three straight home games.
The most important question to ask in the NFC is if the Carolina Panthers will lose. They face division-rival Atlanta today, who have been watching the Panthers climb the standings all year. Now the Falcons, who at 6-6 could still make a Wild Card run, get two chances in three weeks to give Carolina their first loss.
The NFL’s playoff format gives the top two seeds in each conference bye weeks. The remaining teams are then matched up 3 vs. 6 and 4 vs. 5. After the first round, the bracket is re-seeded so that the top seed in each conference is matchup up with the lowest remaining seed.
For a full list of NFL tiebreaking procedures, click here.
Here’s how the playoff standings look right now:
NFC Seeding
Teddy Bridgwater and the Vikings could see their playoff lead slip to just one game today. (Getty)
The Division Leaders:
1. Carolina Panthers — 13-0 — clinched NFC South
2. Arizona Cardinals — 11-2 — clinched playoff berth
5. Green Bay Packers — 8-4
4. Washington Redskins — 6-6
The Wild Card Contenders:
5. Minnesota Vikings — 8-5
6. Seattle Seahawks — 8-5
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — 6-7
8. Atlanta Falcons — 6-7
Clinching Scenarios:
– Panthers clinch first-round bye with win/tie OR GBP loss/tie
– Cardinals clinch NFC West with Seahawks loss/tie
Potential Wild Card Matchups:
Seahawks at Packers
Vikings at Redskins
