The top NFL Playoff Races to watch

By Levi Coovert December 06, 2024 15:13

Picture used from PrintYourBrackets.com

With five weeks to go of the NFL regular season, the playoffs are just around the corner. Here are the top NFL Playoff Races to watch heading down the home stretch

1. NFC West

The most exciting division in football might just be the NFC West...that is, if you like chaos. None of the NFC West teams look like true Super Bowl contenders, but all four look like they could win the division, depending on the week.

The Seahawks (7-5) lead the division by a game, but still have to play the Cardinals and Rams on the road. They also have tough games remaining against the Vikings and Packers, so it's possible the Seahawks could slide from first place to a losing record.

Arizona (6-6) ripped off four straight wins earlier in the season, but after a 16-6 loss to the Seahawks and heartbreaking 23-22 loss to the Vikings, they are back in the struggle bus. However, a win at home over Seattle this Sunday would put them back in the drivers seat.

The Rams (6-6) have been hovering around .500 for the past month. They climbed out of a 1-4 start, but still have to win a few more games to make the playoffs, and it doesn't help that they have to play Buffalo next Sunday. Still, if they can stay alive until Week 18, they will host Seattle in what could be a defacto NFC West championship.

And don't count out the 49ers. Despite losing three straight to fall to 5-7, San Francisco is always dangerous until they are eliminated. They may need to win out to win the division, but the toughest part of their schedule is over. The 49ers went to the Super Bowl last year, and they will not go down without a fight.

2. NFC South

The South is currently a two-horse race between the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Falcons have two wins over the Bucs, so if both teams tie at the end of the season, Atlanta would be in. However, after a 6-3 start, the Falcons have looked awful their past three games. QB Kirk Cousins has tossed 0 touchdowns and 6 interceptions, leading fans to clamber for Michael Penix to step in.

Meanwhile, Tampa has won back to back games and appear to be back on track now that Mike Evans has returned from his injury. The Bucs would have to finish a game above Atlanta to capture their fourth straight division, so the road is not easy. However both teams have relatively easy schedules moving forward, so anything is possible.

The Saints (4-8) could still try to make noise too, now that QB Derek Carr is healthy. However, they would likely have to win out.

3. NFC North

After the Lions narrow win at home over Green Bay, there is a bit more clarity in the NFC North. However, Minnesota remains only a game behind the Lions. Could the NFC North come down to the Lions and Vikings Week 18 matchup in Minnesota? It's certainly possible. Green Bay could still get back in the mix as well, but they would need Detroit to start losing. The good news? The Lions play the Bills this weekend.

4. AFC North

Pittsburgh, despite being picked to finish last, leads Baltimore by 1.5 games heading into the Ravens bye week. If the Steelers can avenge their loss to the Browns this week, they would open up a two-game lead, which might feel difficult for Baltimore to overcome.

However, the last four weeks are brutal for both teams, so there is a possibility for chaos. Pittsburgh (9-3) plays the Eagles (10-2), Chiefs (11-1), Ravens (8-5), and Bengals (4-8) in their last four games, all of which could be potential losses.

Meanwhile, the Ravens still have games against Pittsburgh, Houston (8-5), the pesky Browns (3-9) and the Giants (2-10). Theoretically, if Baltimore beats Pittsburgh and handles their business against New York and Cleveland, they would finish 11-6 even with a potential loss against Houston.

The Steelers would still need to lose two more games, potentially to Philadelphia and Kansas City, in which case the two teams would be tied.

5. AFC No. 1 Seed

The Chiefs (11-1) currently lead Buffalo (10-2) by one game in the race to be the AFC No. 1 seed, and gain home field advantage in the playoffs. Last year, the Ravens were the top seed, but were beat by Kansas City in Baltimore, so home field advantage isn't the end-all, be-all. Still, it is important, not only for home field advantage but for the first round bye that it brings.

Buffalo is a game back, but holds the head-to-head win over the Chiefs, meaning all it would take is one more Chiefs loss paired with a Buffalo win, and the Bills could be the top seed. The Chiefs still have games against the Chargers (8-4), Broncos (8-5), Texans (8-5) and Steelers (9-3) so there is a good chance they could lost one more.

6. NFC No. 1 Seed

The NFC top seed is also currently just a one-game seperation between the Eagles and Lions. The difference is that those teams do not play this year, so the Eagles would need Detroit to lose twice if they want to pass them for the top seed.

Both teams still have tough division games remaining, with Detroit still needing to beat the Vikings to win the North, while the Eagles will have to fend off to Washington in order to win the East.

7. NFC Wild Card

The No. 7 seed in the NFC is currently held by the 8-5 Commanders. However, a lot can change in the final five weeks. The Rams (6-6), Cardinals (6-6) and Buccaneers (6-6) all have somewhat easy schedules, and Tampa Bay also has a head-to-head win over Washington, meaning if they could catch them, they would win the tiebreaker.

And what about the pair of 5-7 sleeping giants in San Francisco and Dallas. Both teams have shown us in the past that they are capable of going on a run. Will either team wake up and make noise in December? Dallas beat Washington and plays them again...could Cooper Rush do the unthinkable?

8. AFC Wild Card

The AFC Wild Card could also prove to be a fun finish. Currently, Baltimore (8-5) and Denver (8-5) hold the sixth and seventh seeds. However, as we've already discussed, Baltimore's final month is no cakewalk, and Denver still has tough games against Kansas City, the Chargers and the Colts.

If either Denver, Baltimore, or both teams slip up, there are a number of teams licking their chops trying to claw back in. The Colts (6-7) have the best chance, because they have a head-to-head game against Denver. The Colts could beat Denver and put themselves in great position to steal their playoff spot.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins (5-7) and Bengals (4-8) have both shown their ability to be great if things go their way. Could either team go on a run? Miami still has two games against the Jets (3-9), as well as games against the Browns (3-9) and the 49ers (5-7). If they win those games they would reach nine wins. Could that be enough?