Which 6-7 NFC teams will make playoffs: Bucs? Packers? Rams?،
In the AFC, you can have a winning record with four weeks left in the regular season and still stay out of the playoffs.
One or three good teams will likely miss the playoffs.
It is the opposite in the other conference. While the AFC has six 7-6 teams all fighting for the final wild-card spots, the NFC has six 6-7 teams all tied for the seventh-best record and final playoff spot: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay. Packers, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints.
At the top of the conference, it seems likely that two teams from the NFC East – the 10-3 Dallas Cowboys and the 10-3 Philadelphia Eagles – will make the playoffs, one as division winner and l 'other as top wild. -card team. The 10-3 San Francisco 49ers have already clinched a playoff spot and appear to be in cruising control for the West title.
In the North, the 9-4 Detroit Lions have a two-game lead over the Minnesota Vikings, who are the only 7-6 team in the NFC and would currently be the No. 6 seed.
The South has three 6-7 teams: the Buccaneers, Falcons and Saints. One of them will win the division and a playoff spot, with Tampa Bay currently holding the tiebreaker.
The rest are in groups fighting for the final wild card spot, which based on tiebreakers would currently go to the Packers.
With all that in mind, here's a look at the six 6-7 teams, in order of their current conference standings for the NFC's seven playoff spots.
0:34
Why fantasy managers can continue to count on Rachaad White
Eric Moody breaks down the impressive fantasy season Rachaad White is having with the Buccaneers.
Current division rank: 4 (as NFC South winner)
Odds of making the playoffs, according to FPI: 43.0%
Remaining schedule: at Packers, against Jaguars, against Saints, at Panthers
Why they could make the playoffs: They've been here before, literally. They were 6-7 in Week 14 last season, they won the NFC South two years in a row and they have made the playoffs the last three seasons. The offense is on the rise, thanks to a ground game that is finally turning the corner with running backs Rachaad White and Chase Edmonds. The hope is that teams will start to take this into account and give receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin more room to operate on the field. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. is also having a career season.
Why they might not make the playoffs: They still have consistency problems, especially in defense. They'll make key stops at the goal line and force turnovers, but then they'll make huge blunders like last week when Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts scored a 36-yard touchdown or when they didn't had only nine defenders on the field on Bijan. Robinson's score from 3 yards. They have suffered some injuries on defense, but attention to detail remains an issue. –Jenna Laine
2:15 p.m.
Stephen A. calls out Packers' problems after loss to Giants
Stephen A. Smith explains how the Packers' loss to the Giants could be a devastating blow to Green Bay.
Current division rank: 7
Odds of making the playoffs: 48.5%
Remaining schedule: against the Buccaneers, against the Panthers, against the Vikings, against the Bears
Why they could make the playoffs: The schedule and the quarterback. The Vikings game is the only remaining game against a team with a winning record, and they are a mess at quarterback. Before Monday night's loss to the Giants, quarterback Jordan Love had found his rhythm. Try bombing him, and he'll take it down. He has the league's second-best QBR against the blitz — behind Dallas' Dak Prescott — and he may be expected to get his most dynamic player back when running back Aaron Jones returns, perhaps this week, from injury Knee.
Why they might not make the playoffs: The running game – like not being able to stop it. They have allowed four teams to rush for more than 200 yards in a game, most recently the Giants. And it's not just the running backs who hurt them (see quarterback DeVito, Tommy). If this is the season finale, could they stop the Bears' Justin Fields from hurting their feet like he did before? There are also concerns regarding the Packers receiving corps. Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks (three of their top four receivers) are dealing with injuries. –Rob Demovsky
Current division rank: 8
Odds of making the playoffs: 41.4%
Remaining schedule: against the commanders, against the saints, among the giants, among the 49ers
Why they could make the playoffs: The Rams look like a different team since their Week 10 bye. Quarterback Matthew Stafford returned from a thumb injury and is playing his best football of the season. Los Angeles is averaging 34.6 points per game in its last three games, wins over the Cardinals and Browns and a loss to the Ravens in Baltimore. The Rams also have just one game left against a team with a winning record: Week 18 against the 49ers.
Why they might not make the playoffs: Although the defense has undoubtedly kept the Rams in several games and has shown a lot of improvement since the start of the season, this may be the reason they can't close out games and make the playoffs . Against a powerful Ravens offense in Week 14, they showed there was still room for improvement, allowing two touchdowns of 45+ yards. The Rams chose to surround tackle Aaron Donald with a young defense, and while several rookies played important roles, the unit's inexperience could be the Rams' downfall. -Sarah Barshop
Current division rank: 9
Odds of making the playoffs: 25.7%
Remaining schedule: against the Eagles, against the Titans, against the Steelers, against the Cardinals
Why they could make the playoffs: This has more to do with the wild-card race than anything the Seahawks have done in the last month. Despite four consecutive defeats, they have the same record as the current No. 7 seed (Green Bay) and are only one victory behind the No. 6 seed (Minnesota). Three of their recent losses came against two of the NFC's best teams, the 49ers (twice) and the Cowboys. Even with another tough game Monday night against the Eagles (8:15 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN), their remaining schedule is manageable (12th easiest).
Why they might not make the playoffs: Did I mention they lost four games in a row? One of them was against the Rams, who also beat the Seahawks in Game 1 and would thus own a two-way tiebreaker against Seattle. While they nearly upset the Cowboys in Arlington and had a fourth-quarter lead over the Rams, the Seahawks don't do much consistently, meaning even their regular season finale against the Cardinals doesn't look like to a gift. Additionally, they could be without starting quarterback Geno Smith for one more game due to his groin injury. -Brady Henderson
0:29
Why fantasy managers should be encouraged by the use of Bijan Robinson
Matt Bowen says the way the Falcons deployed Bijan Robinson in Week 14 bodes well for his fantasy prospects.
Current division rank: ten
Odds of making the playoffs: 37.0%
Remaining schedule: at the Panthers, against the Colts, at the Bears, at the Saints
Why they could make the playoffs: Someone from the NFC South has to do it. That's part of the math here, but on the ground, Atlanta's defense has largely played well and the Falcons have a top-six game. If Atlanta can lean on these two avenues and find a way to unlock consistent performance from quarterback Desmond Ridder, the talent is there to reach the playoffs.
Why they might not make the playoffs: Inconsistency. Atlanta has yet to win three straight games in a season since Arthur Smith took over as coach in 2021, and watching the Falcons is like being on a roller coaster. The peaks are really high. The lowest ones are breathtaking. And that type of inconsistency can be magnified — for the young quarterback and the team as a whole — as each game reaches a higher level of importance. -Michael Rothstein
Current division rank: 11
Odds of making the playoffs: 39.3%
Remaining schedule: against the Giants, against the Rams, against the Buccaneers, against the Falcons
Why they could make the playoffs: The Saints no longer have teams with winning records on their schedule, and they will get a mini-bye before their final games against the Bucs and Falcons after a Thursday night game in Week 16 They will also be eligible. to bring back wide receiver Michael Thomas and cornerback Marshon Lattimore from injured reserve before those two games. Catcher Rashid Shaheed also returned to practice this week. Getting some players healthy could allow them to go a long way.
Why they might not make the playoffs: The Saints were extremely inconsistent on offense and struggled to score in the red zone, even when more players were healthy. Defensively, they struggled to stop the run; they allowed 228 rushing yards the last time they faced the Falcons, their Week 18 opponent. The Saints held off the one-win Panthers last week, but their offensive struggles early in that game didn't may not bode well for how New Orleans might fare against its final four teams. -Katherine Terrell
