The NFC Playoff Picture Saw Big Changes in Week 14

  |  
Dec 12, 2023
Bleacher Report
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.

Week 14 of the NFL season is in the books.

We now have just four weeks to determine a number of playoff spots. Especially in the NFC, the playoff picture saw some big changes during this past weekend, with a new team entering the fold and multiple others shuffling spots in the standings.

NFL Playoff Picture Through Week 14

Playoff Picture
Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports.

AFC

  1. Baltimore Ravens (10-3)
  2. Miami Dolphins (9-4)
  3. Kansas City Chiefs (8-5)
  4. Jacksonville Jaguars (8-5)
  5. Cleveland Browns (8-5)
  6. Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6)
  7. Indianapolis Colts (7-6)
  1. Houston Texans (7-6)
  2. Denver Broncos (7-6)
  3. Cincinnati Bengals (7-6)
  4. Buffalo Bills (7-6)
  5. Los Angeles Chargers (5-8)
  6. Las Vegas Raiders (5-8)
  7. New York Jets (5-8)
  8. Tennessee Titans (5-8)
  9. New England Patriots (3-10)

Week 14 saw the Baltimore Ravens jump up to the No. 1 seed with a victory over the Los Angeles Rams while the Miami Dolphins fell to No. 2 after their loss to the Tennessee Titans. Baltimore controls their own destiny over the final four weeks, but they have tough games down the stretch, including matchups with Jacksonville, San Francisco, and Miami in the next three weeks.

Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Meanwhile, Cleveland was able to jump up to the No. 5 seed with a win over Jacksonville, and there is a huge logjam between six teams at 7-6 for the final two Wild Card seeds.

NFC

  1. San Francisco 49ers (10-3)
  2. Dallas Cowboys (10-3)
  3. Detroit Lions (9-4)
  4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-7)
  5. Philadelphia Eagles (10-3)
  6. Minnesota Vikings (7-6)
  7. Green Bay Packers (6-7)
  1. Los Angeles Rams (6-7)
  2. Seattle Seahawks (6-7)
  3. Atlanta Falcons (6-7)
  4. New Orleans Saints (6-7)
  5. New York Giants (5-8)
  6. Chicago Bears (5-8)
  7. Washington Commanders (4-9)
  8. Arizona Cardinals (3-10)
  9. Carolina Panthers (1-12)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers leapt back up into the No. 4 seed by defeating the Atlanta Falcons this weekend, and now, there is a three-way tie for the NFC South lead at 6-7. It seems that we are on a collision course for another division champ with a sub-.500 record out of the South, and whoever is the No. 5 seed should be happy to go into that stadium and earn a road playoff win.

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Meanwhile, the 49ers clinched a playoff berth with Los Angeles and Seattle losing while also leaping into the No. 1 seed. Dallas defeated Philadelphia at home and now controls their own destiny to win the NFC East, and the Vikings re-gained a one-game advantage for the No. 6 seed with a number of teams chasing them taking losses this weekend. We remain on track for a Lions/Vikings matchup in the Wild Card round.

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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.

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