Life, Controlling Your Own Destiny, and Everything (NFC Week 16)

The National Football Conference continues to be the hot mess that it has been for the last few years. I still remember last year's final week, which saw two open spots up for grabs between teams who were either 8-8 or 7-9. It was wacky and wild, and this year could top that. I had to separate this week's piece by conference because the American Football Conference could have everything settled, and while the NFC can still leave things unsolved even at the final week, it's still worth a look see.

The NFC playoff picture is as follows: the Detroit Lions' 11-game winning streak coming to an end has now placed them in a tie with the Philadelphia Eagles at 12-2 for the top spot in the conference, though Detroit still has that due to having a better conference record. The NFC South leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers are at the third spot at 8-6, holding that position via tiebreaker over the new #4 in the conference, the Los Angeles Rams. Regarding the Wild Card positions, the playoff bound Minnesota Vikings hold the #5 spot at 12-2, the Green Bay Packers improved to 10-4 and are at #6, and the Washington Commanders improved to 9-5 and hold the #7 spot.

There is still a lot behind the playoff line in the NFC. The Seattle Seahawks are the first team behind the line, giving them an outside shot at possibly being a Wild Card. The Atlanta Falcons and the Arizona Cardinals are both 7-7 and are also closing in. The San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys are pretty much dead, as are the New Orleans Saints.

Now the NFC has two teams who can clinch spots this week, and a division title could be awarded. Let's take a look:

Remember when the Eagles were 2-2 and everybody was saying that Nick Sirianni should be fired as head coach? While the latter half of that question may still have some merit, here's something else that has merit: the Eagles are legit now. Ten straight wins, now the longest winning streak in the NFL. They had a chance to wrap up the division in Week 15, and they almost did; if the Saints had made that two-pointer, that would have done it prior to the Eagles' win. It's Take Two this week, and the Eagles are in DC to face off against the Washington Commanders. All the Eagles have to do is win or tie to take the division. As for the #1 seed, Philly needs to win out and have the Lions drop or tie one of their final three games.

When a clinching scenario doesn't work out, the best thing a team can do is just win. Even if you don't clinch that week, you can on the following week, and the next scenario can get easier. You could be win and in. That is exactly what the Green Bay Packers did in Seattle, and as a result, this week, it's win and in for us. The Packers can actually get in before we take the field on Monday against the New Orleans Saints. If the Falcons lose or tie, and either the Seahawks or Rams lose or tie, then we get in before kickoff at Lambeau Field.

Amazing what getting rid of a racist name, getting rid of a toxic owner, and drafting a phenom at QB can do for a team. The Washington Commanders have flourished this season. It looked like this team would win the NFC East, which they did in their first year without that backwards name, but they did all off a bit. They didn't fall too far; they stayed above ground, and they can get in the playoffs before Christmas. The Commanders are in with a win, a Falcons loss or tie, and either a Seahawks or Rams loss or tie. If they tie, it will take a Falcons loss, a Cardinals loss or tie, and either a Seahawks loss and a Rams loss or tie, or a Seahawks tie and a Rams loss.

Here's where it gets interesting. If the Packers and Commanders both get in, that means that two divisions will be do or die for the rest of the way:

Once again the NFC South is a hot mess, and we are all here for it. At the moment, the Buccaneers are leading at 8-6, which is one game worse than the Commanders in the overall conference standings. Even so, someone must win this division. It's a do or die situation for all three teams who have a pulse in this division race, and it can officially be locked in to that situation if the Packers and Commanders clinch this week. The Bucs have the easiest scenario for the division: just win out. The Falcons (7-7) need to win out and TB has to lose just once, as a tie would give Atlanta the tiebreaker (they swept TB this season). Even the Saints, at 5-9, can win the division at 8-9 after missing the playoffs last year at 9-8. They need to win out, the Falcons have to lose out, and TB has to also lose their next two. The Bucs will be in Dallas on SNF this week, while the Falcons (with Michael Penix, Jr. starting) will host the Giants in the early window.

And then there's the NFC West. The Rams and Seahawks tied at 8-6, with LA having the tiebreaker due to head-to-head. So the Rams an lock up the West by winning out, same for the Seahawks, mainly because the two teams face each other in the final week, and that could end the regular season. As for the Cardinals, at 7-7, they need to win out and have Seattle lose two of three. The 6-8 Niners, though, oh boy. They lose any and all divisional tiebreakers, so their only path to winning the West once again: win out, Cards have to lose their next two, Rams and Seahawks each have to lose their next two, and the SEA/LAR head-to-head finale has to end tied. Rams face the Jets in the early window, Seahawks host the Vikings in the late window, Cards are in Charlotte in the early window, and the Niners head to Miami in the late window.

The NFC playoff picture is deliciously interesting, and the messiness of the South and West are saving Week 18 from being a complete snooze fest. Of course, my main hope is hat the Packers nab that playoff spot this week, and use the final two weeks to simply prepare for postseason play.