Before today’s games, the Seahawks were on the outside looking in in the NFC playoff race. Not anymore.
The Seahawks got a dominant win over the 49ers today, while other NFC contenders stumbled, and now Seattle is the top wild card team, through their 12th game of the season.
A big Monday night game between Washington and Philadelphia still looms, but here’s how the playoff picture looks after Sunday’s games:
LEADERS
1. Rams (11-1): They have an easy schedule the rest of the way and a good chance of finishing ahead of the Saints in the standings.
2. Saints (10-2): Still the favorites to earn a bye week, but now they have an uphill climb to home-field advantage.
3. Bears (8-4): The inside track to the No. 3 seed, but the loss to the Giants hurt.
4. Cowboys (7-5): All alone in first place in the NFC East, before the Washington-Philadelphia game on Monday night.
5. Seahawks (7-5): The Seahawks are looking like a likely playoff team, in a season some saw as a rebuilding year.
6. Washington (6-5): A big game with Philadelphia looms.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
7. Vikings (6-5-1): At Seattle next week looks like a must-win.
8. Panthers (6-6): Carolina is in a tailspin.
9. Eagles (5-6): A big game with Washington looms.
10. Buccaneers (5-7): Jameis Winston is finally playing well, but is it too late to save Dirk Koetter’s job?
11. Packers (4-7-1): Another loss cost Mike McCarthy his job.
12. Falcons (4-8): This season has been a major disappointment.
13. Giants (4-8): Playing better, but still stuck in last place in the NFC East.
14. Lions (4-8): Matt Patricia has already lost more games this year than Jim Caldwell lost in either of the last two years.
15. Cardinals (3-9): Showed some progress by winning in Green Bay.
16. 49ers (2-10): The worst team in the NFC.