With 15 weeks down in the 2023 NFL season, the playoffs are right around the corner. A lot can still happen between now and the end of the regular season, of course, but the postseason picture is really starting to take shape.
As we approach Week 16, how do the teams fighting for one of the NFC’s three wild-card spots stack up? Here’s how we’d rank all 11 of them behind the current division leaders.
Division leaders
49ers (NFC West, 11-3)Eagles (NFC East, 10-3)*Lions (NFC North, 10-4)Buccaneers (NFC South, 7-7)
The 49ers reign supreme among the four division leaders as the front-runner to not only claim the NFC’s No. 1 seed but make a run at the Super Bowl. During their current six-game win streak, they’ve beaten every opponent by multiple scores, with both Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey drawing MVP buzz. The Lions got back on track by cruising past the Broncos in Week 15; they are an entirely different animal at home versus on the road. And the Buccaneers are doing just enough in an ugly NFC South, though the Saints can’t yet be counted out.
Eliminated
Wild card contenders
Note: Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
9. Giants (5-9)
Remaining schedule: at Eagles, vs. Rams, vs. Eagles
SportsLine playoff chances: <1%
Tommy DeVito is a fun story, but it’s not sustainable behind the offensive line that propelled him into the emergency quarterback job in the first place. New York can scrap, but with such battered trenches, they were always destined to come back to Earth.
8. Falcons (6-8)
Remaining schedule: vs. Colts, at Bears, at Saints|
SportsLine playoff chances: 4.7% | Playoff odds: Make (+435), Miss (-700)
Is there any team that makes wild-card contention look more underwhelming? They have an underrated defense, but it matters little when Arthur Smith flip-flops between Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke to produce a perpetually sputtery passing “attack,” which often leaves some of the club’s…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2023-nfl-playoff-picture-ranking-all-9-nfc-wild-card-contenders-including-sinking-eagles-scrappy-seahawks/
Author : Cody Benjamin
Publish date : 2023-12-19 16:40:37
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
