NFC playoff picture: Packers clinch the NFC North

Here is how the NFC playoff picture looks following Week 15, after the Green Bay Packers clinched the NFC North title.

It took until Week 15 of the 2021 season, but a team has finally clinched a playoff berth, and it happens to come from the NFC. Of course, that very team is the Green Bay Packers, who clinched the NFC North title with a 31-30 win over the Baltimore Ravens.

There were some stunning end results in the NFC side of things, such as the Arizona Cardinals getting defeated 30-12 by the one-win Detroit Lions. But, how does the rest of the playoff picture look in the NFC after the Packers’ huge win?

Here is the NFC playoff picture after Week 15.

NFC Playoff Picture: NFL Division Standings after Week 15

NFC East

1. Dallas Cowboys (10-4)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (7-7)
3. Washington Football Team (6-8)
4. New York Giants (4-10)

NFC North

1. Green Bay Packers (11-3)
2. Minnesota Vikings (7-7)
3. Chicago Bears (4-10)
4. Detroit Lions (2-11-1)

NFC South

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-4)
2. New Orleans Saints (7-7)
3. Atlanta Falcons (6-8)
4. Carolina Panthers (5-9)

NFC West

1. Arizona Cardinals (10-4)
2. Los Angeles Rams (10-4)
3. San Francisco 49ers (8-6)
4. Seattle Seahawks (5-9)

The Packers already clinched a playoff berth, and the Cardinals continued skidding down the standings. But what else happened in the NFC?

The Dallas Cowboys defeated the New York Giants 21-6 to inch closer to winning the NFC East title for the first time since 2018. The San Francisco 49ers built off their overtime victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last week by handedly beating the Atlanta Falcons 31-13 on Sunday.

On Sunday Night Football, the New Orleans Saints pulled off a stunning, 9-0 shutout victory Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Matchups if the NFL Playoffs started today

Here’s what the NFL Playoffs would look like on the NFC side of the bracket if the season were to end today.

• (1) Green Bay Packers — First round bye
• (2) Dallas Cowboys vs. (7) Minnesota Vikings
• (3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. (6) San Francisco 49ers
• (4) Arizona Cardinals vs. (5) Los Angeles Rams

Teams on the bubble:

• (8) Philadelphia Eagles
• (9) New Orleans Saints
• (10) Washington Football Team
• (11) Atlanta Falcons
• (12) Carolina Panthers
• (13) Seattle Seahawks
• (14) New York Giants

NFL Playoff format: How many teams make the postseason?

This season, much like last year, seven teams will be eligible to make the NFL Playoffs from each conference.

NFL Schedule: How many games are there?

There are 18 weeks in the 2021 season, with each team playing 17 games on their schedule.

NFL tiebreaker scenarios

For division and Wild Card record ties, here is how the seeding will be determined, per NFL.com. Here is how teams are seeded:

1. The division champion with the best record.
2. The division champion with the second-best record.
3. The division champion with the third-best record.
4. The division champion with the fourth-best record.
5. The Wild Card club with the best record.
6. The Wild Card club with the second-best record.
7. The Wild Card club with the third-best record.

Breaking a tie within the division or Wild Card becomes way more complicated, and is determined by any combination of head-to-head record, division record or conference record.