Updated NFC Playoff Picture after NFC North continues to dominate in Week 6
The NFL playoffs might be three months away, but that isn't stopping fans from thinking about what the field might look like. Sure, most of the 16 teams in the NFC are still very much alive, but some teams are starting to stick out as legitimate threats, notably in the NFC North .
The 5-0 Minnesota Vikings enjoyed a stress-free bye week after a Week 5 win in London, but the other three teams are in action this week. The Green Bay Packers dominated the Arizona Cardinals at home. Jordan Love threw four touchdown passes, Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson returned with a bang, and the team won a laugher by a final score of 34-13.
The Chicago Bears continued to look legit with a dominant 35-16 win in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Caleb Williams had his best game one week after his previous best game, and their defense continued to excel. As of this writing, all four NFC North teams are at least two games over .500. Only two other teams in the NFC as a whole are two games over .500, which shows how dominant the NFC North has been.
NFC Playoff Picture after Week 6: NFC North continues to dominate
NFC Playoff seed | AFC team | Record |
|---|---|---|
1 | Minnesota Vikings | 5-0 |
2 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4-2 |
3 | Washington Commanders | 4-2 |
4 | San Francisco 49ers | 3-3 |
The top of the NFC playoff bracket is flooded with good stories. The Vikings are 5-0 with Sam Darnold leading the way, the Buccaneers are 4-2 after dropping 51 points on the road in New Orleans, and the Washington Commanders, despite a tough loss on the road against the Baltimore Ravens, still lead the NFC East pending the result of the Dallas Cowboys game.
The San Francisco 49ers pulled into first place in the NFC West with a massive win over the Seattle Seahawks. Chances are, once they get healthier, they'll start to pull away in what looks to be one of the weaker divisions in the league.
NFC Wild Card standings: Which teams have the edge?
Wild card teams:
- Detroit Lions (3-1)
- Green Bay Packers (4-2)
- Chicago Bears (4-2)
On the bubble:
- Atlanta Falcons (3-2)
- Dallas Cowboys (3-2)
- Philadelphia Eagles (3-2)
- Seattle Seahawks (3-3)
It's still too early to put together an entire NFC Wild Card picture, but if the season were to end today, all three Wild Card spots would be filled by NFC North teams. That shows not only how dominant that division has been, but how mediocre the rest of the NFC outside of Tampa Bay and Washington have been .
Realistically, teams like the Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys among others all have great chances to make it to the playoffs, especially since the NFC North teams have to play each other twice (and will presumably beat each other up), but it wouldn't be surprising at all to see three or even all four teams in that division find a way to get in. They've all looked good, and continue to look better as the season progresses.
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