The NFL Playoffs are right around the corner, and here is how the NFC stacks up after week 14:
1 Seed: San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers currently sit as the top overall seed in the NFC Playoff race. They are the first team to clinch a playoff spot in the entire NFL. San Francisco has huge wins against the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles, which are two of the top teams in the league. They are coming off a big divisional win against the Seattle Seahawks. They are riding high on a five-game winning streak and do not show any signs of slowing down. Deebo Samuel is rolling and Christian McCaffrey is putting on a show. The Niners will be a force in the playoffs and are one of the toughest teams in the NFL right now.
The @49ers are the first team to clinch a playoff spot ⛏️ pic.twitter.com/RQSZvYu2Bt
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 12, 2023
2 Seed: Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys currently hold the second overall seed in the NFL. They just beat down the Eagles in Dallas and took over the division for the time being. Like the 49ers, the Cowboys have also won five consecutive games. They are looking good on both sides of the ball and CeeDee Lamb is playing like the best receiver in football. Dallas has one of the toughest schedules left in the league, playing multiple playoff teams on their way to a potential playoff berth. They will look to ride the hot hand of Dak Prescott and keep their defense as one of the best.
3 Seed: Detroit Lions
The Lions are sitting at the top of the NFC North and as the third seed in the NFC. They are coming off a very tough loss against the Chicago Bears. They will play a red-hot Denver Broncos team next week, which will tell us much of what we do not already know about Detroit. Jahmyr Gibbs has shown lots of flash and potential as a rookie, and David Montgomery has been very good as well. The Lions have multiple opportunities to move up in the current seedings, as they play the Dallas Cowboys in a couple of weeks.
4 Seed: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This may come as a shock to many, but the 6-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers come in as a playoff team. They currently sit at the top of the NFC South, which means they automatically qualify for a playoff spot. They took over this playoff spot after beating the Atlanta Falcons this week, which was very important in the NFC South Divisional race. The Buccaneers have struggled against all the top teams they have played, but can potentially be dangerous if they make the playoffs. Mike Evans is still a top receiver and Rachaad White has been playing very well lately.
5 Seed: Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles have lost in an embarrassing fashion each of the last 2 weeks, but they are still a very good football team. They lost to two of the best teams in the NFL and no longer hold the top seed like they did two weeks ago. Ball control was an issue against the Cowboys, in which their top 3 playmakers, Devonta Smith, AJ Brown, and Jalen Hurts all lost fumbles. They will most likely clinch a playoff spot soon and have an easier schedule than most to end the season. They will look to get back on track against the Seahawks on Monday Night Football next week.
6 Seed: Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings sit in second place in the NFC North, right behind the Lions. They currently have an issue at the quarterback position, as Josh Dobbs is cooling off and has struggled mightily the last couple of weeks. They were able to sneak out of Vegas with a 3-0 win after switching to Nick Mullins midway through the second half. Justin Jefferson also got re-injured on his 2nd catch back from missing multiple weeks with a hamstring injury. The Vikings do not currently have an official starting quarterback named, but they will look to right the ship against the Bengals on Saturday.
7 Seed: Green Bay Packers
The Packers currently sit under .500, like the Buccaneers, but hold a playoff spot nonetheless. Green Bay is the third team in the NFC North that currently holds a playoff position, but they have been very inconsistent this season. They came into this week flying high on two huge wins against the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Detroit Lions, but ended up losing to the lowly Giants in MetLife Stadium. This was a very important game in the NFC playoff race as there is now a five-way tie for the seventh spot, but the Packers hold the tiebreakers. They have a very important game against the Buccaneers this upcoming week, in a matchup that has lots of playoff implications. Jordan Love and a very young receiving core have improved lots throughout the year, and continue to get better. The Packers have shown they are a very dangerous team but just need to be more consistent.
The NFC Playoff Picture 🍿🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/vvxxBAyCK6
— PFF (@PFF) December 11, 2023
Conclusion
The NFC Playoff race will come down to the final week of the season, and is very tight top to bottom. Two teams sit under .500 but currently hold a playoff spot, which makes things wide open for the majority of the NFC. There are many big matchups going on as the season comes to an end and the playoff race will be exciting to watch.
