2016 NFC Playoff Picture: Week 13
With 12 weeks of football in the books, the NFC Playoff race is still wide open.
Had the NFC Playoffs started this week, Dallas (10-1) and Seattle (7-3-1) would be the No.1 and No.2 seeds. While the other two division winners, Detroit (7-4) and Atlanta (7-4), would have the No.3 and No.4 seeds.
Both wild card teams would be out of the NFC East, with New York (8-3) and Washington (6-4-1) earning the 5 and 6 seeds.
The final wild card spot is the one that is the most intriguing. With five games left, it looks like the first team to win 10 games will snag the No.6 seed.
NFC Teams playoff chances:
According to FootballOutsiders.com, these are the NFC teams (not currently in) who have over 15 percent chance of making the playoffs.
- Minnesota – 40.8%
- Green Bay – 26.9%
- Tampa Bay – 24.0%
The NFC East is the strongest division in the NFL. The Cowboys and Giants are mortal locks for the postseason, while the Redskins have a good wild card chance. Kirk Cousins will need to continue his elite play, if Washington wants to make their second consecutive playoff appearance.
Football Outsiders has Philadelphia (5-6) with a 14 percent chance of making it to the playoffs.
The NFC North is currently led by Detroit, who owns a 7-4 record.
Even though Minnesota (6-5) is currently in second place, Green Bay has the experience to lead them into the postseason. After starting the season slow, Aaron Rodgers got the Packers back on track with a huge road win on Monday Night Football in Week 12.
The 2010 Packers were in a similar situation. They went on to win the Super Bowl after sneaking into the final NFC Playoff spot at the end of the season.
In the NFC South, the Buccaneers (6-5) have a good opportunity to go to the NFC Playoff. They have won three straight games and are getting great production from Jameis Winston. They are alive in both the division race and the wild card race.
Football Outsiders gives the Saints (5-6) a 12.9 percent chance at making the playoffs.
After the Seattle Seahawks, the NFC West is a complete joke. Per FootballOutsiders.com, the Rams, 49ers, and Cardinals all have less than three percent chance at making the postseason.
Remember that three-year stretch when San Francisco-Seattle was the league’s best rivalry?
Well…that’s completely over with. The 49ers have gone 6-21 since GM Trent Baalke forced head coach Jim Harbaugh out of town. At the time of his departure, Harbaugh had a career record of 44-19 with San Francisco.
Going into Week 13, the San Francisco 49ers are the only team mathematically eliminated from the 2016 NFL Playoffs.
Next: Top 30 NFL Games Of All Time
Best NFC Games of Week 13:
Thursday 12/1:
Cowboys (-4) at Vikings – 8:25 P.M
Sunday 12/4:
Chiefs at Falcons (-4) – 1:00 P.M
Lions at Saints (-6) – 1:00 P.M
Texans at Packers (-6.5) – 1:00 P.M
Eagles (-1) at Bengals – 1:00 P.M
Giants at Steelers (-6.5) – 4:25 P.M
Redskins at Cardinals (-2.5) – 4:25 P.M
Buccaneers at Chargers (-4) – 4:25 P.M
Panthers at Seahawks (-6.5) – 8:30 P.M
(All game information provided by ESPN.com)