NFL Football Playoff Picture, Standings & Rankings: Who's In, Who's Out, & Who's in the Hunt
What a 2014 NFL season it has been so far.
With just two weeks left in the season, there are so many different playoff scenarios that could take place in the NFC. None of the four divisions have been clinched in the NFC, setting up for a all-time great dramatic regular season finish.
Let's break it down:
No. 1 seed
Grabbing the No. 1 seed is extremely important because that team will get home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and be rewarded with a bye-week in the postseason.
Right now, the 11-3 Arizona Cardinals hold the top spot with the best record in the league. As long as the Cardinals win their last two games, they will be the No. 1 team in the NFC. As crazy as it may seem, the No. 5 seed Seattle Seahawks can get that top spot if they simply win their last two games, and the Dallas Cowboys lose just once more. The Seahawks defeated the Cardinals in Week 12, thus opening the door for a season sweep.
Last season, the Seahawks won the Super Bowl as the No. 1 seed with home-field advantage.
Dallas Cowboys Madness
The Cowboys are the ultimate X factor in the NFC. At 10-4 and with a win over the Seahawks, the Cowboys could still grab the No. 1 seed, as well. Unfortunately for the Cowboys, they did lose to the Cardinals, so they don't fully control their own destiny. The Cowboys could finish anywhere from the No.1 seed all the way down to the No. 7 seed, missing the playoffs altogether.
Wild Card
Right now, the Green Bay Packers sit at the second wild card spot with a 10-4 record, but it's most likely that they will finish the season as a division winner in the NFC North. The Packers face the 2-12 Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week and the Detroit Lions in Week 17 at home. It's not a knock against the Lions, but they haven't won a game at Lambeau Field since 1991. Most Likely the Lions will end up being a wild card team.
As for the second wild card spot, it looks like either the Cardinals or the Seahawks will get it, depending on which team finishes second in the NFC West. The Cardinals and Seahawks will face each other in Week 16 in Arizona.
Who Takes the NFC South
Whether or not fans like it, the winner of the NFC South will automatically get the No. 4 seed and host a home game against the No. 6 seed who has a superior record. The New Orleans Saints lead the division this season with a 6-8 record, and their last two games will be against the Atlanta Falcons at home and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Expect the Saints to win the NFC South and get the No. 4 spot in the NFC.
So Who Misses the Playoffs?
With the Cardinals, Lions, Cowboys, Packers and Seahawks all having double digit victories, they all control their playoff fate. Those teams don't all control which playoff spot they will get, but as long as they win just one game, they should be playing in January.
The Philadelphia Eagles will miss the postseason because they lost their last two games, both of which were at home. Not only have the Eagles lost three of their last five games, but their 1-5 record against NFC teams with a winning record doesn't do them any good. The Eagles have losses to the Seahawks, Cowboys, Packers and Cardinals, all of whom are above the Eagles in the standings.
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