NFC Playoff Picture: Week 13
By Josh Hill
The NFL Playoff picture is starting to take shape, but what exactly do things look like over in the NFC?
We are almost 13 full weeks through the NFL season, and the playoff picture on the NFC side of things are starting to take shape. Only one team has clinched a spot at this point, as the Panthers have already shored up and won the NFC South after a Falcons loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday.
But from there on down — it’s utter uncertainty. The Panthers are undefeated but hold only a two game lead over the Cardinals for home field advantage in the postseason. If Carolina finishes 13-3 and Arizona 14-2, the road to San Francisco runs west through the Cardinals.
Here’s a look at the current playoff picture in the NFC as we prepare for Monday Night Football:
1. Panthers (12-0)
2. Cardinals (10-2)
3. Packers (8-4)
4. Redskins (5-6)
WC1. Vikings (8-4)
WC2. Seahawks (7-5)
On the outside looking in are:
Buccaneers (6-6)
Falcons (6-6)
Eagles (5-7)
Bears (5-7)
Giants (5-7)
So if the playoffs started today, these would be our matchups in the Wild Card weekend of the postseason:
Packers vs. Seahawks
Vikings vs. Redskins
In that scenario, it’s very easy to see both NFC North teams moving on to the Divisional Round, as Washington is hardly that great and the Packers probably won’t slip up much against the Seahawks in a fit of revenge for how things ended last year. There’s also the fact that it’d be a game at Lambeau — which benefits Green Bay.
That being said, the Cowboys and Redskins game on Monday night could drastically alter the playoff picture, as the poor NFC East is still a wild card in of itself. Every single team is still in the hunt to win the division and earn a home playoff game as the No. 4 seed — so just let that soak in before getting too excited about how things will pan out.