The NFC’s contender class (non-NFC East contingent) has separated from the pack, giving the conference a clear top five going into December. With the NFC-leading 49ers set for a historically brutal late-season stretch, cases can be made for each of the top five moving to the home-field advantage bracket position.
While the Cowboys and Eagles are almost certainly vying for the conference’s No. 4 seed, the 49ers, Saints, Seahawks, Packers and Vikings comprise one of the more interesting pursuits of a conference’s No. 1 slot in recent memory. Week 17 in the NFC may not feature many starters resting.
Armed with the ninth-best defensive DVOA figure through 11 games in the Football Outsiders-developed metric’s 34-season history, the 49ers carry a 10-1 record into the regular season’s final month. They made a statement in the first leg of their difficult three-game stretch, a defensive line-keyed rout of the Packers, but still have games in Baltimore and New Orleans (both oddly staying in the early-Sunday time slot) on tap. The 49ers also conclude their season with a Seattle trip. They have not won in Seattle since 2011, when Tarvaris Jackson was at the controls for the Seahawks, and have not earned a playoff bye in seven years.
While the 49ers have the NFL’s second-toughest schedule remaining, the Seahawks’ remaining SOS is not much easier. Their final five games double as the seventh-most difficult stretch run. Seattle (9-2, No. 8 in DVOA) is 9-2 but won in San Francisco during a 6-0 road start. Following their home tilt against the Vikings, who lost in Seattle on a Monday night in December 2018, the Seahawks have a road Rams game scheduled before meetings with the Panthers and Cardinals.
New Orleans does not have it any easier, with the league’s fifth-toughest slate remaining. After the 49ers, however, the Saints (10-2, No. 6 in DVOA) face the Colts at home before outdoor games in Nashville and Charlotte. Since 1994, only the Seahawks (2013-14) and Eagles (2002-04) have earned the NFC’s No. 1 seed in back-to-back years. Illustrating the stakes for the Saints: they are 6-1 at home in the playoffs under Sean Payton, with the loss obviously coming in controversial fashion last season, and 1-5 on the road during the Payton-Drew Brees era.
The Vikings (8-3, No. 7 DVOA) sit 11th in the December SOS rankings but do have each of their divisional home games remaining, with a “road” game against the Chargers mixed in. Were they to stick the landing and reach the playoffs, it would mark an extraordinarily rare run. With no Viking quarterback helping the team to two postseason berths since Daunte Culpepper, Kirk Cousins guiding Minnesota to January football would make six different starting quarterbacks since Culpepper’s 2004 season to lead the Vikings to the playoffs.
With two of their worst offensive games of the decade occurring in November trips to Los Angeles and San Francisco, the Packers (8-3, No. 10 DVOA) have cooled off considerably. They do, however, have by far the easiest road to January among the NFC’s premier quintet. Only the Eagles and Browns face a worse run of opponents than the Packers, who draw the Giants, Redskins, Bears and Lions. The Packers have not earned a playoff bye in five years but appear a stealth threat to make such a push this season.
So which of the NFC’s powers will end up securing home-field advantage? Vote in PFR’s latest poll (link for app users) and weigh in with your thoughts on this race in the comments section.
Packers also play the Vikings week 16, which makes their schedule look a bit tougher. Probably an NFC North Championship game and first round bye play in game.
Seahawks schedule isn’t hard. After the Vikings they have 3 very winnable games against middle of the pack teams
I get your point but their schedule certainly isn’t easy. Personally I think the NFC West title and #1 seed will be decided in Seattle on week 17. Vikings will make it a game tomorrow but the Hawks will add 1 more W to their prime time record (wearing Action green uniforms.) SF will lose to one of BAL and/or NO setting up a battle royale at the Clink.
Saints can rest Brees and rely on Tannehill to finish strong at the end of the season.
Seahawks and Packers don’t have that luxury. I think the Vikings will drop a couple games, Cousins is to inconsistent. 49ers will finish second
You mean Bridgewater?
Cousins is in MVP talks and Tannehill is a Titan.
lol in what world is Cousins in the MVP talks? 16th in yards, 7th in TD, 9th in QBR. he’s up there in rating but so is tannehill which shows you how little rating matters. No QB will win an MVP throwing it less than 30 times a game unless your name is Lamar Jackson.
The winner of the Niners/Saints game week 14 will be the number one seed but a scenario still exists that could enable the Rams to be the number one seed so why were they not listed in the poll?
They said contender class, not mathematically still in it but obviously hot garbage class.
Ouch!
Hot garbage beat the Saints by 18 points…lol.
Seattle takes the 1 seed.
This is the correct answer.
I believe the winner of the SF and Seattle game will have the best chance.