Five weeks remain in the regular season before the knockout rounds of the playoffs begin and the NFC playoff picture is looking somewhat clear with the Eagles (11-1) on top and the Vikings (10-2) sitting close behind.
Minnesota, to claim the No. 1 seed and first-round bye that comes with being the top team, needs to finish with a better record than the Eagles because they lost the tiebreaker in their Week 2 defeat in Philadelphia.
If the playoffs started this week, these would be the seeds.
- Philadelphia Eagles (11-1) – NFC East champ and best record
- Minnesota Vikings (10-2) – NFC North champ
- San Francisco 49ers (8-4) – NFC West champ
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-6) – NFC South champ
- Dallas Cowboys (9-3) – first wild card
- New York Giants (7-4-1) – second wild card
- Seattle Seahawks (7-5) – third wild card
Wild Card Weekend if the season ended today
- 2) Vikings vs. 7) Seahawks
- 3) 49ers vs. 6) Giants
- 4) Buccaneers vs. 5) Cowboys
That would set the stage for a potential Vikings-49ers matchup in the divisional round, assuming both win. If the Giants (or whomever the 6 seed is) were to win, the Vikings would host the winner of the 4/5 matchup.
With Jimmy Garoppolo possibly out for the season the 49ers could be working with third string rookie Brock Purdy at quarterback, which is one reason the hypothetical scenario above could be perfect for Minnesota.
At this point, Minnesota’s chances of rising to the No. 1 seed or falling to the No. 3 seed seem about equal. The odds of the 49ers or Seahawks passing Minnesota are seem slim, especially with Garoppolo out injured. The No. 2 seed comes with a guaranteed two home games in the playoffs, and a third if the Vikings reach the NFC title game and the Eagles get knocked out.
Games with playoff implications in Week 14
- Vikings at Lions
- Texans at Cowboys
- Eagles at Giants
- Buccaneers at 49ers
- Panthers at Seahawks
