NFC Playoff Picture, Week 16

The NFL playoffs are just around the corner, and though most New England fans seem to think the playoffs are just a formality this year, plenty of teams are still chasing that shiny Lombardi Trophy. With that in mind, here's a look at how the NFC playoff race is stacking up at this point in the season...

Seed	Team	Record	Div.	Conf.
1	Dallas Cowboys*	12-2	4-1	9-1
2	Green Bay Packers*	12-2	3-1	8-2
3	Seattle Seahawks*	9-5	5-1	8-3
4	Tampa Bay Buccaneers*	9-5	5-0	8-2
5	New York Giants	9-5	3-3	7-5
6	Minnesota Vikings	8-6	3-3	6-5
--	New Orleans Saints	7-7	3-3	6-4
--	Washington Redskins	7-7	2-3	5-6

* - Clinched division title.

TIEBREAKERS:

Dallas has the tiebreaker on Green Bay based on head-to-head record.
Seattle has the tiebreaker on Tampa Bay based on head-to-head record.

Just because these division races are done and dusted doesn't mean that the division winners don't have some incentive here in the next few weeks.

The Cowboys laid a rather stunning egg against the Eagles on Sunday, which makes Tony Romo 0-2 whenever some hot blonde singer he's nailing is sitting in a luxury box watching the game. What's worse, Romo's thumb will be a hotter topic of conversation this week, as will the variety of injuries the Cowboys suffered in that game. Could it cost them home field advantage? The Packers are certainly playing like they want it, and if they could force the NFC title through Green Bay in January, all the better for them.

The race for the #3 seed is less defined, and quite honestly, I'm starting to suspect the Seahawks would rather take on the Giants in the first round than the Vikings, Redskins or Saints, who are all duking it out for that last Wild Card spot. Minnesota did itself a huge favor by beating the Bears at home on Monday night, but as this weekend's Sunday night game shows us, these Vikings may control their own destiny, but they're far from in the clear.

Incidentally, Minnesota has a head-to-head tiebreaker on the Giants. I wonder if that might come into play later.

THIS WEEK'S IMPACT GAMES (All Times Eastern):

Dallas Cowboys @ Carolina Panthers (SAT, 8:00 PM, NFLN). Everyone in Green Bay just became bigger Panthers fans than everyone in Charlotte. Cowboys fans, however, may find plenty of tickets available from Panthers fans for this one. Bad things tend to happen to the Panthers whenever they have to face Dallas in Charlotte. Then again, I was so sure the Seahawks would win in Charlotte last weekend.
Green Bay Packers @ Chicago Bears (SUN, 1:00 PM, FOX). The curse of the Super Bowl loser continues for Chicago, but perhaps they can still spoil the Packers' hopes for a #1 seed. After watching that Monday night game, though, I would advise all fans to bypass holding their breath for that.
Baltimore Ravens @ Seattle Seahawks (SUN, 4:15 PM, CBS). Have the Seahawks taken their collective foot off the gas, or are they just a team that can't run on anyone? We'll find out how bad their running game really is against this team.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ San Francisco 49ers (SUN, 4:05 PM, FOX). This would be Jon Gruden's victory lap, though it might be a bittersweet one, given that Chucky got his NFL start in San Fran.
New York Giants @ Buffalo Bills (SUN, 1:00 PM, FOX). Just when you think the Giants will claim their spot in the playoffs, they go and choke at home against a division rival. Can they finally get over the hump upstate? And are Seattle and Tampa Bay really all that afraid of facing these guys?
Washington Redskins @ Minnesota Vikings (SUN, 8:15 PM, NBC). It's another elimination special in the NFC. The winner could get the inside track to the final Wild Card spot...
Philadelphia Eagles @ New Orleans Saints (SUN, 1:00 PM, CBS). ...assuming the Saints don't sneak up and take it away from them. The Eagles showed some determination last weekend in Dallas. Can they do the same in New Orleans, something they couldn't do last January?