An updated look at the NFC playoff picture through Week 8—where the Detroit Lions finally have a little breathing room.
The Detroit Lions won again.
The Lions are now 6-1, their best start in nearly 70 years, and they remain atop both their division and the entire NFC conference. Week 8 had a mix of good and bad results for the Lions, as it pertains to their ability to stay atop both. Let’s take a closer look with our updated NFC playoff picture heading into Week 9 of the season.
NFC North standings:
- Detroit Lions: 6-1
- Green Bay Packers: 6-2
- Minnesota Vikings: 5-2
- Chicago Bears: 4-3
The division finally took some hits this week, as the Vikings lost to the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night and the Bears lost in spectacular fashion via a hail mary against the Commanders.
Next week, another NFC North team will lose: either the Lions or Packers, as the teams face off in a huge game in Lambeau. The Vikings will take on the 4-4 Colts, while the Bears head to Arizona for the 4-4 Cardinals.
NFC playoff picture
Division leaders
- Lions: 6-1
- Commanders: 6-2
- Falcons: 5-3
- Cardinals: 4-4
The NFC South and West are going through some shifts. The Falcons have now swept the Buccaneers, giving them a commanding lead in the South. Meanwhile, the Cardinals are somehow atop the division, thanks to a head-to-head win over a 49ers team that shares their record.
The bad side of the Commanders’ miracle win is that they are still very much in the hunt for the No. 1 seed.
Wild Card leaders:
5. Packers: 6-2
6. Vikings: 5-2
7. Eagles: 5-2
After a terrible start to the season, the Eagles find themselves winners of three in a row and nipping at the Commanders’ heels in the NFC East. Granted, those wins have come against the Browns, Giants, and Bengals, but they have won their past two games by a combined 45 points. After a game against the Jaguars this week, they’ll have the Cowboys, Commanders, Rams, and Ravens, so their legitimacy will be challenged soon.
Overall, this is a pretty strong set of teams who will all challenge to win their division. The NFC looks much stronger this year than last.
In the hunt:
8. Bears: 4-3
9. Buccaneers: 4-4
10. 49ers: 4-4
11. Seahawks: 4-4
12. Rams: 3-4
13. Cowboys: 3-4
This is a fascinating group. The Bears, Bucs, Cowboys, and Seahawks are trending downward, which could be giving the Rams and 49ers new life. After both Los Angeles and San Francisco were dealing with tough injuries to start the year, you can sense them turning a corner. But have they dug themselves in too big of a hold already in a tough conference?
Mock draft season
14. Giants: 2-5
15. Saints: 2-6
16. Panthers: 1-7
I can’t recall a start to the season so diametrically opposed to the rest of the season than the Saints. They looked like Super Bowl contenders through two games, and now they’ve lost six straight and look on the verge of blowing everything up.
