Six teams in the NFC have been eliminated from playoff contention, while only one team has clinched a postseason berth: the Los Angeles Rams. But the later we get into the season, the more teams we’re going to see punching their ticket to January football.
This week, the Eagles, Bears, Packers, 49ers and Seahawks all have an opportunity to get to the postseason. It’s pretty much every eligible team except for the NFC South.
Everyone vs. Detroit
Most of the time playoff-clinching scenarios can get awfully convoluted. Take the Bills: For BUffalo to clinch a playoff spot, they need to both beat the Browns and get losses or ties from the Colts or Texans. It’s messy, and no one likes that. Luckily, that’s not the case in the NFC this week. Almost all of these teams are in a situation where they just need to win — or they just need another team to lose.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles could be the first team to clinch their division this season. The magic number is down to one, meaning that Philly is just one win or one Cowboys loss away from being the first team to repeat as NFC East champions in the past 20 years. If the Eagles beat the Commanders this week, they’re in. OR, if the Cowboys lose to the Chargers this week, Philly is in.
The Eagles play Marcus Mariota on Saturday, and the Cowboys are trying to get out of a two-game skid against Justin Herbert and the Chargers on Sunday. It feels like one of those games is going to go the Eagles’ way.
Chicago Bears/Green Bay Packers
The Bears and Packers play each other on Saturday night. Not only is this a statement game, but the winner will also be set up for a playoff-clinching opportunity.
After Saturday wraps, the focus shifts to the Lions-Steelers game on Sunday afternoon. Luckily for Chicago or Green Bay, they’ll get the very familiar feeling of wanting Detroit to lose — because if the Lions lose, the winner of the Bears-Packers game gets a playoff spot. As for clinching the NFC North, though, that will have to wait at least one more week.
Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks have two ways that they can get to the postseason this weekend. The one that’ll benefit them the most is to just beat the Rams on Thursday night. Seattle still has a chance to claim the top seed in the NFC, and winning against L.A. is paramount to that objective.
OR the Seahawks can team up with the Bears and Packers and hope that Detroit loses to the Steelers. It’s going to be a tough weekend for Lions fans, with everyone wanting them to lose and whatnot.
San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers have two ways they can grab a playoff spot. The easy way is for them to beat the Colts on Monday night. OR, they get in if — surprise, surprise — the Lions lose to the Steelers.
To sum it up:
The Eagles win, or the Cowboys lose.
The Bears win, and the Lions lose.
The Packers win, and the Lions lose.
The Seahawks win, or the Lions lose.
The 49ers win, or the Lions lose.
It’s really crazy how much is riding on that game between Detroit and Pittsburgh. As of Dec. 18, the Lions are 7-point favorites over the Steelers. They’re also coming off a loss, and the Steelers are on a short week, and this game is in Detroit, so the rest of the NFC hopefuls shouldn't get their hopes up. But hey, it’s the NFL. Maybe the Lions will lose, and three of the conference's seven playoff spots will get taken in one fell swoop.