One week, 16 games. That’s all that remains in the 2024 regular season. The playoffs are right around the corner the picture is almost complete in the NFC.
We knew even before Monday night’s game that the Lions and Minnesota Vikings would meet in Week 18 under the bright lights of Sunday Night Football and Game 272 to decide the No. 1 seed. It’s the first final-week game to decide a conference’s No. 1 seed since the Cowboys and Giants met at the end of the 1993 season.
The winner finishes 15-2, gets the NFC North, the first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. The loser has to go on the road as the No. 5 seed at 14-3, likely to either Tampa Bay or Atlanta but also possibly Los Angeles. We haven’t seen a Wild Card team with this strong of a record since the 1999 Tennessee Titans were 13-3 (the Jaguars won the AFC Central at 14-2). Even then, the Titans still had a home game in the first round, as there were only three divisions in each conference. That game became a little something called the “Music City Miracle,” and the Titans eventually reached Super Bowl XXXIV (beating the Jaguars to win the AFC) before falling one yard short against the Rams.
This time around, the stakes are even higher. We’re talking about the possibility of a 14-3 team going on the road against a team 10-7 or even 9-8 if Atlanta steals the division. Detroit will be rocking Sunday night.
As far as the rest of the playoff picture is concerned, here’s a quick breakdown.
The Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) clinched the NFC East with a 41-7 rout of the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles are locked into the No. 2 seed for the NFC playoffs and will host either the Washington Commanders (11-5) or Green Bay Packers (11-5) in the first round.
The Los Angeles Rams secured the NFC West title thanks to the Commanders’ wild overtime win Sunday night against the Falcons. The division came down to the strength of victory tiebreaker to secure the division title for the Rams. L.A. sits as the No. 3 seed and will secure that spot with a win against the Seahawks or a Buccaneers loss against the Saints on Sunday.
The Buccaneers (9-7) took back control of the NFC South because of that Falcons loss and now just need to beat the Saints on Sunday to secure their fourth straight division title. However, a loss opens the door for the Falcons (8-8) if they defeat the Panthers. The Buccaneers can jump the Rams for the No. 3 seed; the Falcons can only be the No. 4 seed.
Washington is in control of the No. 6 seed by virtue of a better conference record than the Packers (8-3 vs. 6-5). Washington locks up the No. 6 seed with a win over the Cowboys or a Packers loss against the Bears. If Green Bay wins and Washington loses, the Packers move up to No. 6 and the Commanders fall to No. 7.
NFC Playoff Standings
1. x-Detroit Lions 14-2
2. y-Philadelphia Eagles 13-3
3. y-Los Angeles Rams 10-6
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-7
5. x-Minnesota Vikings 14-2
6. x-Washington Commanders 11-5
7. x-Green Bay Packers 11-5
In the hunt:
8. Atlanta Falcons 8-8