How NFC Teams Can Clinch the Center on Sunday – NBC Sports Bay Area and California

NFL playoff picture It has been both cleared and muddied at the same time — especially in the NFC — as it enters the final week of the 2023 regular season.

We know the 49ers have the No. 1 seed in the NFC, a bye week and the home-field advantage that comes with it. We also know that the Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and Los Angeles Rams have clinched playoff spots, though their seeding remains in doubt.

But we don't know who will win the NFC South — the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons all have a shot — nor do we know who will win the final spot in the NFC, with the Bucs, Saints and Green. The Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings are being combined in different scenarios.

If the season ended today, these would be the NFC's round-robin matchups:

• No. 7 Packers at No. 2 Cowboys
• No. 6 Rams at No. 3 Lions
• No. 5 Eagles at No. 4 Bucs

But the season doesn't end today, and with important games to be played on Sunday, the 49ers will be keenly interested in how the seedings turn out. That's because San Francisco, as the top seed, will host the winner of the lowest-seeded wild card round in the divisional round on either January 20 or 21.

So, without further ado, here are the playoff scenarios for NFC Week 18. Yes, they are as complicated as they sound…

NFC Week 18 playoff scenarios

Already snatched

– San Francisco 49ers (12-4): NFC West title, No. 1 seed, lone first-round bye and home-field advantage
-Detroit Lions (11-5): NFC North title
– Dallas Cowboys (11-5): Playoff berth
– Philadelphia Eagles (11-5): Playoff berth
– Los Angeles Rams (9-7): Playoff berth

Individual grab scenarios

Atlanta Falcons (7-9)
Clinched the NFC South title with:
– Victory over the New Orleans Saints + Tampa Bay Buccaneers loss to the Carolina Panthers

Dallas Cowboys (11-5)
Clinched the NFC East title with:
– Victory over Washington leaders or
– Draw against Commanders + Philadelphia Eagles draw against New York Giants or
– Loss of the Eagles

Green Bay Packers (8-8)
The qualifying berth was clinched with:
– Victory over the Chicago Bears or
— Tie vs. Bears + Loss to Seattle Seahawks or Tie vs. Arizona Cardinals + Loss to Saints or Tie vs. Falcons or
– Bears tie + Seahawks loss + Buccaneers loss or
– Bears tie + Seahawks tie + Buccaneers loss or tie or
– Minnesota Vikings loss or draw against the Detroit Lions + Seahawks loss + Buccaneers loss or
– Vikings loss or tie + Seahawks loss + Saints loss

Minnesota Vikings (7-9)
The qualifying berth was clinched with:
– Lions win + Packers loss + Seahawks loss + Buccaneers loss or
— A win over the Lions + a Packers loss + a Seahawks loss + a Saints loss

New Orleans Saints (8-8)
vs. Atlanta (7-9); Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, on CBS
Clinched the NFC South title with:
– Win over Falcons + Pirates loss or draw or
– Draw against Falcons + Loss to Pirates

The qualifying berth was clinched with:
– Win over the Falcons + Seahawks loss or tie + Packers loss or tie or
– Draw against the Falcons + Seahawks loss + Packers loss

Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)
Clinched the NFC East title with:
-Win over the Giants + Cowboys loss or tie or
– Tie vs. Giants + Cowboys loss

Seattle Seahawks (8-8)
at Arizona (4-12); Sunday, 4:25 PM ET, Fox
The qualifying berth was clinched with:
– Win over Cardinals + Packers loss or tie or

– Tie vs. Cardinals + Packers loss + Pirates loss or tie or
– Tie vs. Cardinals + Packers loss + Saints loss or tie

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8)
at Carolina (2-14); Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, on Fox
Clinched the NFC South title with:
– Victory over the Panthers or

– Draw against the Panthers + Saints loss or draw

The qualifying berth was clinched with:
– Draw vs. Panthers + Seahawks loss + Packers loss or tie

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