The Packers-Vikings game has massive stakes for a wild NFC playoff picture

Here. We. Go.

The NFC is pretty much all locked up in terms of the teams who have clinched playoff spots, save for the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles, who are trying to win the East.

But the seeding? It’s still up in the air.

Going into Monday night’s Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings game, the San Francisco 49ers are the top seed in the conference. But there’s a possibility they’ll either keep that positioning … or they could play on the road in the first week of the playoffs. A win over the Seattle Seahawks next week and they get home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

The New Orleans Saints still have a shot at the No. 1 seed, but that scenario requires the Vikings to beat the Packers and the Seahawks to beat the Niners. New Orleans could also end up with the No. 3 seed if a bunch of stuff happens.

The Packers have quite a range of outcomes. They could end up with the top seed, No. 2, No. 3 … or check out how they could end up with a wild-card spot, via CBS Sports:

If the Packers lose out and the Vikings win out, the Vikings would win the NFC North. The Packers would be relegated to the sixth seed in the NFC because they lose the tiebreaker to both the Seahawks (common games) and 49ers (head-to-head).

Yow.

The Seahawks at 11-4 are all over the place — they could end up anywhere except the fourth seed, where the NFC East winner will reside. The key to their playoff seeding hopes (specifically a bye or hosting a wild card game) rest on beating the Niners in Week 17.

The Vikings can’t get the top seed, but they could still end up with a bye if they win Monday night and in Week 17 AND if the Saints and Packers lose in the final Sunday of the season. They, too, could end up either a wild card team or the NFC North champs and the No. 3 seed.

Whew. The only certainty is that Monday’s Vikings and Packers matchup will clear up some of this.

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