This season the NFC has been as tight as imaginable. Numerous teams are in play to grab the No. 1 seed in the conference and get home-field advantage in the playoffs. Every division, except the NFC East, has at least one team in play who could get that top spot, thus earning a first round bye week in the postseason.

The Carolina Panthers lead the way in the NFC South thanks to their perfect 8-0 record. The Panthers continue to defeat great teams and prove their doubters wrong. In their last game they beat the Green Bay Packers in a high scoring affair. The Panthers are trying to win the NFC South for a third consecutive year, which no other team has accomplished.

The Panthers are an old school football team. They rank No. 1 in rushing yards, and they play terrific defense. Outside of wide receiver depth, the Panthers really don't have a glaring weakness to pick apart. Thankfully for the Panthers, their next four games will be against teams with a losing record.

Over in the NFC West, it's the Arizona Cardinals who are on top of the division instead of the defending conference champions. The Seattle Seahawks haven't looked like themselves this year, and the Cardinals have taken full advantage so far. The Cardinals are 6-2 coming off their bye week, and they will face the Seahawks this weekend. What a game that should be.

Let's not forget that the Cardinals were a perfect 6-0 last season before Carson Palmer was lost for the year. Palmer has played terrific this season with 20 touchdowns and six interceptions, and you can bet if he stays healthy, Palmer will win the Comeback Player of the Year Award. The biggest difference with the Cardinals from last year has been running. Offseason free agent signing Chris Johnson is averaging nearly five yards per carry. That's crucial because it takes a lot of pressure off Palmer.

Because the Cardinals are 6-2, they don't control their own destiny for the top spot in conference. If the Cardinals are going to finish with the No. 1 seed, they are going to need the Panthers to lose at least two more games. They do, however, control their fate in the NFC West.

The Panthers and Cardinals are looking good, but let's not take our keep our eyes off the NFC North. The Packers have won this division the last four consecutive seasons, but the Vikings aren't giving up. After back-to-back losses, there's some doubt creeping in Wisconsin. The Packers take on the Detroit Lions this week at Lambeau Field this weekend, a place the Lions haven't won since 1991. As long as the Packers have Aaron Rodgers, they will be favored to win the NFC North.

The Vikings have missed the playoffs four of the last five years, but they are getting value from almost every position this year. As usual, Adrian Peterson is playing at an elite level. One of the biggest stories with the Vikings has been rookie wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Diggs has been phenomenal this year so far leading the team in receiving yards. More importantly, the Vikings defense ranks No. 2 in points allowed behind only the Denver Broncos. Things won't get easier for the Vikings going forward. They have an extremely tough schedule remaining.

If the season were to end today the Panthers would be the No. 1 seed in the NFC because they have the best record. The Packers would be the No. 2 seed followed by the Cardinals. The New York Giants would get the No. 4 spot based on winning the NFC East. The Vikings are currently the No. 5 seed.

Follow Damon Salvadore on Twitter @DamonSalvadore1