With 16 weeks down in the 2023 NFL season, the playoffs are fast approaching. A lot can still happen between now and the end of the regular season, especially with such a crowded race for the last spots in each conference, but the postseason picture is certainly taking shape.
In the NFC, both the Cowboys and Eagles have secured playoff berths in the NFC East. But there's still a lot to play for among the remaining wild card candidates in the conference. Here's how those teams stack up at this moment:
Division leaders
Note: * = clinched playoffs.
- 49ers (11-4)*
- Eagles (11-4)*
- Lions (11-4)*
- Buccaneers (8-7)
Eliminated
- Panthers (2-13)
- Cardinals (3-12)
- Commanders (4-11)
- Giants (5-10)
Wild card standings
Note: Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.
The Eagles and Cowboys are neck and neck for the NFC East title. The loser is all but locked into the top wild card spot. As for the others, here's who's currently in the playoffs, and who's vying for the final two wild card openings:
6. Rams (8-7)
This might be the one wild card team that nobody wants to play. Since starting 3-6, Sean McVay's squad has gone 5-1, topping 30 points in four of its last five. Matthew Stafford is slinging it with the swagger he had during L.A.'s 2021 title run. And Kyren Williams gives them a formidable workhorse on the ground. Their sheer offensive upside makes them a tough out.
Remaining games: at Giants, at 49ers | SportsLine playoff chances: 68%
Predicted finish: 9-8, in playoffs
7. Seahawks (8-7)
Are they good when it matters most, or just fortunate to be hanging on by a thread? Their last four wins have come by a combined 13 points, but both Geno Smith and Drew Lock have now pulled off comebacks against contenders like the Lions and Eagles this year. Their smashmouth approach, with rugged weapons like Kenneth Walker and DK Metcalf, makes for good spoiler material.
Remaining games: vs. Steelers, at Cardinals | SportsLine playoff chances: 71.1%
Predicted finish: 10-7, in playoffs
Outside looking in
8. Vikings (7-8)
Sometimes the QB shuffle is just too great to overcome. Joshua Dobbs' magic was short-lived as Kirk Cousins' fill-in, but Nick Mullens hasn't been much better in two critical starts since, begging the Lions to steal the ball throughout Week 16. Brian Flores still gets their "D" to overachieve most of the time, but other injuries at the skill spots have also left them offensively challenged.
Remaining games: vs. Packers, at Lions | SportsLine playoff chances: 26.5%
Predicted finish: 7-10, out of playoffs
9. Falcons (7-8)
The Arthur Smith experience: Just when you're ready to pull the plug on this regime, they pull a much-needed win out of their hats. When they lean on their best young players, they're capable of winning with a ball-control strategy. Taylor Heinicke is also an upgrade on Desmond Ridder, but is it all too little, too late?
Remaining games: at Bears, at Saints | SportsLine playoff chances: 4%
Predicted finish: 7-10, out of playoffs
10. Packers (7-8)
Their Week 16 win over the Panthers was a microcosm of the 2023 season: Jordan Love threw beauty after beauty as the QB of the present and future, even without a healthy supporting cast, while Joe Barry's defense struggled to get off the field. Love's arm may well sneak them in, but they feel a year away from truly getting the entire operation on one page.
Remaining games: at Vikings, vs. Bears | SportsLine playoff chances: 27.1%
Predicted finish: 9-8, out of playoffs
11. Saints (7-8)
They may have convinced everyone that paying Derek Carr was a bid to seize control of the NFC South, but this is truthfully, precisely what they paid for: yet another wild card race (i.e. not a full-on rebuild). Dennis Allen's "D" can tighten up to keep them feisty, but they'll need their ground game to get going if they intend for Carr to actually guide a January push.
Remaining games: at Buccaneers, vs. Falcons | SportsLine playoff chances: 17.4%
Predicted finish: 9-8, out of playoffs
12. Bears (6-9)
Don't tell Justin Fields and Matt Eberflus they're not sticking around beyond 2023. This group has won four of its last six after starting 2-7, and while Fields is a safe bet to lose the ball at least once a game, he's also too dynamic to be totally bogged down by their makeshift setup. They might be the most interesting team of the 2024 offseason.
Remaining games: vs. Falcons, at Packers | SportsLine playoff chances: <1%
Predicted finish: 7-10
