Category: NFC playoff picture

Cardinals back atop NFC with win and help from Vikings

Check out the latest NFC rankings as we enter Week 12.

Entering Week 11, the Arizona Cardinals were tied with the Green Bay Packers for the best record in the conference at 8-2. However, because the Packers beat the Cardinals in Week 8, they were the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

For the Cardinals to be able to reclaim the No. 1 seed, they needed to beat the Seattle Seahawks and get some help.

The Cardinals won and got some help.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers still play Monday night, but this is what the NFC playoff race looks like after Sunday’s games.

  1. Arizona Cardinals 9-2
  2. Green Bay Packers 8-3
  3. Dallas Cowboys 7-3
  4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6-3
  5. Los Angeles Rams 7-3
  6. Minnesota Vikings 5-5
  7. New Orleans Saints 5-5

The San Francisco 49ers are right there in the mix at 5-5, while the Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers are 5-6 and looming in the race.

What happened in Week 11?

  • The Cardinals went on the road and defeated the Seattle Seahawks 23-13 behind backup quarterback Colt McCoy.
  • The Packers lost to the Vikings 34-31 on a last-second field goal by Greg Joseph. Joseph has helped the Cardinals twice — once by missing a game-winning kick against Arizona in Week 2 and then making one on Sunday.
  • The Cowboys were taken down 19-9 by the Kansas City Chiefs.
  • The Bucs play the Giants Monday night.
  • The Rams were on their bye, so they did not play in Week 11.
  • The Saints lost 40-29 to the Eagles.
  • The 49ers beat the Jaguars 30-10.
  • The Panthers lost 27-21 to Washington.

Coming up in Week 12

  • The Cardinals have their bye week.
  • The Packers host the Rams Sunday afternoon.
  • The Cowboys, who play every Thanksgiving at home, host the 5-5 Las Vegas Raiders, who have lost three games in a row.
  • The Buccaneers, after playing Monday night in Week 11, will face the red-hot Indianapolis Colts on the road. Indy has won three games in a row.
  • The Rams are on the road against the Packers.
  • The Vikings and 49ers play in Santa Clara. If the 49ers win, they will move ahead of the Vikings in the playoff race.
  • The Panthers face the Miami Dolphins on the road.
  • The Eagles play the New York Giants on the road.

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Week 11 games that matter to the Cardinals in NFC playoff race

Check out which Week 11 games also affect the Cardinals in the NFC playoff picture.

The Arizona Cardinals are very much in control of their playoff destiny where they stand in Week 11. They lead the NFC West and, at 8-2, are second in the NFC, behind only the Green Bay Packers, who are also 8-2 but hold a head-to-head tiebreaker over them.

However, it never hurts to get help, so, other than their divisional matchup against the Seattle Seahawks on the road, here are the games that matter most to the Cardinals in Week 11 and what outcomes benefit them most.

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Packers overtake Cardinals for top seed in NFC

The Packers and Cardinals both are 8-2 but the Packers hold a tiebreaker that makes them the No, 1 seed in the NFC entering Week 11.

After 10 weeks of the NFL season, there was another change at the top of the NFC standings. The Arizona Cardinals lost to the Carolina Panthers and the Green Bay Packers beat the Seattle Seahawks. As a result, with both teams at 8-2 on the season and with Green Bay holding a head-to-head tiebreaker over Arizona because of their Week 8 win in Arizona, there is a new No. 1 in the conference.

This is what the playoff picture looks like after 10 weeks.

  1. Green Bay Packers 8-2 (6-1 in conference)
  2. Arizona Cardinals 8-2 (4-2 in conference)
  3. Dallas Cowboys 7-2
  4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6-4
  5. Los Angeles Rams 7-3
  6. New Orleans Saints 5-4
  7. Carolina Panthers 5-5

The Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers are all in the mix at 4-5, half a game behind the Panthers.

What happened in Week 10

  • The Packers shut out the Seattle Seahawks 17-0.
  • The Cardinals, missing Kyler Murray, Chase Edmonds, DeAndre Hopkins and two starting offensive linemen, lost 34-10 to the Panthers.
  • The Cowboys walloped the Falcons 43-3.
  • The Buccaneers lost to Washington 29-19.
  • The Rams lost to the 49ers 31-10 on Monday night.
  • The Saints were on their bye.
  • The Panthers beat the Cardinals 34-10 in Cam Newton’s return. He rushed for a touchdown and passed for another in his first two plays of the year.

Coming up in Week 11

  • The Packers are on the road against the Vikings.
  • The Cardinals travel to Seattle to take on the Seahawks.
  • The Cowboys will face the Kansas City Chiefs on the road in a battle between Dak Prescott and Patrick Mahomes.
  • The Buccaneers host the New York Giants on Monday night.
  • The Rams are on their bye.
  • The Saints play the Philadelphia Eagles on the road.
  • The Panthers host Washington as Newton will face former head coach Ron Rivera.

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Packers overtake Cardinals for No. 1 seed in NFC

The Packers overtook the Cardinals for the No. 1 seed in the NFC as we hit the midpoint of the season.

It is only halfway through the 2021 NFL season, but the NFC playoff race is heating up at the top.

The Arizona Cardinals, who lost for the first time all season, lost the No. 1 seed in the conference. The Green Bay Packers, who won their seventh straight game and defeated the Cardinals Thursday night, now are atop the conference.

Here is what the NFC playoff picture looks like:

  1. Green Bay Packers, 7-1
  2. Arizona Cardinals, 7-1
  3. Dallas Cowboys, 6-1
  4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 6-2
  5. Los Angeles Rams, 7-1
  6. New Orleans Saints, 5-2
  7. Carolina Panthers, 4-4

The Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons all follow at 3-4.

The Packers hold a head-to-head tiebreaker with the Cardinals, meaning the Cardinals must finish with a better record than the Packers to finish ahead of them.

This is why the Rams are currently a wild card team at 7-1. The Cardinals hold a head-to-head tiebreaker over them with their 37-20 win in L.A. The Cardinals and Rams will play again in Week 13.

What is on deck in Week 9?

  • The Packers take on the Kansas City Chiefs on the road.
  • The Cardinals are on the road against the 49ers.
  • The Cowboys host the Denver Broncos
  • The Bucs are on their bye.
  • The Rams host the Tennessee Titans, who have lost running back Derrick Henry to a foot injury.
  •  The Saints, who appear to have lost QB Jameis Winston indefinitely, host the Falcons.

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Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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