The NFC playoff picture got interesting on Monday night when the San Francisco 49ers lost 33-19 to the Baltimore Ravens.San Francisco is one of four teams eligible for the No. 1 in the conference playoffs, has guaranteed home field advantage and does not advance to the wild-card round. Here are the four teams ranked from most likely to least likely to compete for the top spot. (Data up to week 16)
1. San Francisco 49ers (11-4)
remaining schedule: Washington (4-11), vs. Los Angeles Rams (8-7)The loss to AFC Baltimore does not count against San Francisco’s record against conference opponents, giving them a tiebreaker advantage. Despite Monday night’s setback, the 49ers should still be considered the top favorite in the NFC thanks to a favorable schedule that allowed them to finish the regular season with wins over Dallas and Philadelphia. Washington is desperate after six straight losses, and the Rams lost to the 49ers in nine regular season games.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (11-4)
The rest of the table: Vs. Arizona (3-12), New York Giants (5-10) The Eagles have the easiest remaining schedule of any team, but they still have hope against the 49ers thanks to San Francisco’s 42-19 win over Philadelphia in Week 13 .Picking an NFC slot for the Eagles isn’t difficult. Hoping San Francisco loses at least one of the next two is all Philadelphia needs for the No. 1 seed. 1, but this seems unlikely.
3,Detroit Lions (11-4)
Remaining schedule: Dallas (10-5), vs. Minnesota (7-8)The Lions won their first division title in 30 years with a 30-24 victory over Minnesota State on Sunday. Detroit has the toughest schedule of the NFC’s top four contenders. The Lions face a tough test Saturday night against a Dallas team that hasn’t lost at home since Week 1 in 2022, and their Week 18 matchup against Minnesota could still be life or death for the desperate Vikings. For the playoffs. Detroit has a better chance than first place Dallas.
4. Dallas Cowboys (10-5)
The rest of the table: Vs. Detroit (11-4) vs. Washington (4-11)Even if the Cowboys win Saturday and claim the tiebreaker over the Lions, past mistakes could cost them not only the No. 1 seed, but their chances in the NFC East. Dallas has one more loss than Philadelphia and the Eagles need to lose at least one of their next two to win the division title. Meanwhile, the Cowboys lost 42-10 to San Francisco in Week 5. That means the 49ers would have to lose to Dallas to have a shot at the No. 1 seed.
