NFL Playoff Scenarios: What Each Team Needs To Get To The Postseason
By Keith Myers
Current NFC Standings
| Rk | NFC Team | Div | W | L | T |
| 1. | x-Arizona Cardinals | NCW | 11 | 3 | 0 |
| 2. | Detroit Lions | NCN | 10 | 4 | 0 |
| 3. | Dallas Cowboys | NCE | 10 | 4 | 0 |
| 4. | New Orleans Saints | NCS | 6 | 8 | 0 |
| 5. | Seattle Seahawks | NCW | 10 | 4 | 0 |
| 6. | Green Bay Packers | NCN | 10 | 4 | 0 |
| 7. | Philadelphia Eagles | NCE | 9 | 5 | 0 |
| 11. | Carolina Panthers | NCS | 5 | 8 | 1 |
| 12. | Atlanta Falcons | NCS | 5 | 9 | 0 |
x – clinched playoff spot
Unlike the AFC, the NFC is still wide open. Only the Arizona Cardinals have clinched a playoff spot so far, and they haven’t clinched their division yet. Since their third-string quarterback will be starting this week, their spot at the top of the conference is anything but certain.
In fact, there are four teams (Seattle, Dallas, Green Bay and Detroit) that could all finish as high as the No. 1 seed or as low as missing the playoffs altogether. Since the Packers and Detroit play each other in Week 17, the final playoff seeding won’t be decided until all of the games are played.
The NFC playoff race has five good teams fighting for four spots. Right now it is the Eagles who are on the outside looking in, but that could easily change. They need a little help to get in at the moment, but getting what they need isn’t completely far fetched.
The details of exactly what that means will be broken down as we run through each division separately.
Next: NFC South