Week 9 is in the books, and the NFC playoff picture continues to evolve. Which teams have the best shot of playing into the postseason?
Division Leaders
NFC East: Philadelphia Eagles
Record: 3-4-1
Next game: Nov. 15 at Giants
After a bye week, not much has changed in the NFC East. Somehow, with a 3-4-1 record, the Eagles are more than one game clear of Washington, their next closest competitor. On Sunday they will play the Giants, and while it seems like a high chance of victory, New York won a divisional game just last week against the aforementioned second-place team.
NFC North: Green Bay Packers
Record: 6-2
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. Jaguars
After a convincing 34-17 win against the 49ers on Thursday Night Football, the Packers head into a game that should not be close. They will be home at Lambeau on 10 days of rest, hosting a 1-7 Jacksonville team missing Gardner Minshew. The Packers seem to control their own destiny as the next closest in-division competitor, the Bears, are 5-4 and losers of three straight. Nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, but the NFC North race is currently the least attainable for the other teams.
NFC South: New Orleans Saints
Record: 6-2
Next game: Nov. 15 vs. 49ers
The Saints demolished the Buccaneers on Sunday, putting up 38 points on offense and forcing three interceptions of Tom Brady on defense, reminiscent of the Jameis Winston era. While Drew Brees led the Saints back to the top of the division with a four-touchdown game (completing 81 percent of his passes), they are not out of the woods yet. The Saints hold only a half-game lead over Tampa Bay for the NFC South
NFC West: Seattle Seahawks
Record: 6-2
Next game: Nov. 15 @ Rams
Surprisingly, Seattle was on the receiving end of a statement win by the Bills, losing 44-34. The Seahawks gave up 31/38 passes to Josh Allen, a quarterback not known for his accuracy. Looking ahead, Seattle has an important division game as they play the second-place Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. They will hope for a better defensive performance there.
In The Hunt
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-3)
The Buccaneers would likely be 0-9 if they put up similar performances to the showing they had against New Orleans. However, it seems as if the Sunday Night Football game was just an irregularity, and Tampa Bay is still right near the top of their division. They have another divisional game next week as they play the Panthers, losers of four straight.
Los Angeles Rams (5-3)
The Rams are currently tied for second in their division with the Arizona Cardinals, but Los Angeles has a game that affects their season more than Arizona’s matchup against the Bills. The Rams face off against the Seahawks at home for a divisional matchup. If they can win, they will match Seattle’s 6-3 record, where the tiebreaker would put them atop of the NFC West standings.
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