The NFL season is dwindling down to the final four weeks before playoffs. Even with just a few weeks to go, there has yet to be a team that has clinched a playoff spot. In the AFC there are still 12 teams alive in the playoff race, while the NFC has 11 teams still in the hunt.
With only 7 teams making the playoff in each conference, the NFL playoff picture will largely take shape from the results of these games.
Bills vs Patriots, 12/14
When these two teams met in early October, no one understood the playoff ramifications it would have. For the Patriots, it was a big win in a year that the team hoped to start putting things together under new HC Mike Vrabel. For the Bills, it was an early season loss that likely wouldn’t affect their chances of finishing atop the AFC East for the 6th consecutive season.
But since their first matchup, the Patriots haven’t lost another game, sitting at 11-2 going into their second matchup with the Bills. With a 2 game lead over the Bills, and the H2H tiebreaker, the Pats are now in position to clinch the division with another win against Buffalo on Sunday. Regardless of the debates over their easy schedule, winning the AFC East in Drake Maye’s 2nd year and Vrabel’s 1st as head coach would be a huge accomplishment.
Now for the Bills, who have had some tough losses since their 1st matchup against the Bills, and now face a tough road in winning the division again. However, with a win on Sunday, the Bills will be back to just a game back of the division with 3 games to go, keeping the AFC East race very much alive.
Rams vs Seahawks, 12/18
When these two teams last met, the Rams were held to just 7 points in the final 3 quarters of the game, while Sam Darnold tossed 4 interceptions. The Rams ended up with the 21-19 win over the Rams, a game with massive implications on the NFC West race.
The Rams are currently a game ahead of the Seahawks, and this Thursday night game in Seattle will play a huge role in determining who wins the division. With a Rams win, they will likely be sitting two games ahead of the Seahawks, with the H2H tiebreaker, making it nearly impossible for the Seahawks to catch them.
With a Seahawks win, they will be tied with the Rams for 1st in the division, and will have split the H2H tiebreaker. They’d be in great position to snatch the NFC West from the Rams with just a few games remaining on the year. But, there’s still one team lurking behind both of these teams.
If the Seahawks win this matchup, the 49ers will be squarely in the hunt for the NFC West title. The 49ers already have the H2H tiebreaker, with their week 1 win in Seattle. If they’re able to win their next 3 games, they would likely be in a position to face the Seahawks for the NFC West in week 18.
It’s safe to say, the NFC West is still very much up for grabs.
Packers vs Bears 12/20
The first matchup ended in crushing fashion for the Bears, who had a chance to tie or win the game in the final minute. But, with Caleb Williams turnover on 4th down, the Bears fell short to their rival once again. But a win in this second matchup can change everything.
After the Packers win last Sunday, they regained the top spot in the NFC North from the Bears. They now sit at 9-3-1, but have a very tough schedule down the stretch.
The same can be said for the Bears, who have only big games left on their schedule. And there is no way to say that either team is definitely going to make the playoffs either. Going into last Sunday’s game, the Bears were the #1 seed in the NFC, just one loss later and they are now sitting at #7, with the Lions sitting right behind them.
This game will likely determine the winner of the NFC North, and will put whichever team loses in danger of missing the playoffs. There’s not much bigger games in the recent history of this rivalry than this one coming up in less than two weeks.
