As we head into the month of December in the NFL, it is time to start piecing together the potential playoff pictures. There is plenty of parity in the league this season, and there are a handful of teams at or just above the .500 mark that are firmly in postseason position with five games left to play. Because of this, there will be some teams that have a chance to clinch a playoff spot as early as this weekend, and they all come from the NFC.
Three NFL Teams Can Clinch Playoff Spots This Week
The #49ers can clinch a playoff spot with the following scenarios this weekend:
SF Win + GB loss OR
SF Win + MIN loss OR
SF Win + GB tie + MIN tie pic.twitter.com/ryibypAblc
— OurSF49ers (@OurSf49ers) December 5, 2023
The NFC has been the weaker conference overall when it comes to the potential wild card race. Instead of the three wild card spots being occupied by teams with 7–5 records, as is the case in the AFC, the NFC’s are all currently 6-6. With just another loss or two, those teams will begin to eliminate themselves from contention, which will cause the teams at the top of the standings to secure their spots.
Here are the three NFL teams that could lock down a spot this weekend and their (abbreviated) scenarios:
Philadelphia Eagles (10-2)
The team with the best record in the NFL had a long shot chance of qualifying a couple of weeks ago, but the scenario never played out. Their loss to the 49ers last week delayed things again, but there is a good chance that Week 14 will be the week that it finally happens.
The most simple scenario is an Eagles win plus a loss by either the Rams or Seahawks, but there are other ways that Philadelphia can get in this weekend. There are of course the “tie” possibilities, too, and there are a plethora of options and scenarios in case the Eagles finish overtime with the same score as the Cowboys on Sunday.
Dallas Cowboys (9-3)
Though they are the 5th seed in the conference and on par with others with a 9-3 record, the Cowboys can clinch this week through a convoluted and confusing scenario. It would of course require them to beat the Eagles, with the rest of the following needing to fall into place as well:
Vikings loss/tie + Packers loss/tie + Seahawks loss + Buccaneers loss or tie + Lions win or tie + Rams loss or tie
At this point it is probably best to just look to next week’s scenario for the Cowboys.
San Francisco 49ers (9-3)
They may be the best team in the NFL after last Sunday’s showing, and they have a simple scenario in order to clinch a playoff berth this weekend. A win by the 49ers over the Seahawks combined with a loss by either the Vikings or the Packers will give San Francisco a guaranteed spot in the dance.
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