The Seattle Seahawks clawed back into the NFC West race on Thanksgiving night, dropping the San Francisco 49ers for their second straight win against a division rival and an 8-4 record. Once left for dead behind the hot Arizona Cardinals, the defending Super Bowl champs are making a sudden push toward the postseason.
NFL playoff picture and standings 2014: Seahawks, Eagles make statements
Here’s an updated look at the league standings and who’s sitting pretty for the postseason.
Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
In the battle for the lead in the NFC East, the Philadelphia Eagles made a statement with a dominant win over the Dallas Cowboys. Both teams were 8-3 coming into the game, well ahead of both the New York Giants and Washington, who each sit at 3-8 heading into Week 13. Philadelphia's offense was smooth under quarterback Mark Sanchez and its defense was dominant throughout. The Eagles now have the edge going forward, though there's still plenty of football left to play.
The NFC North was impacted in the first game of the day, as the Detroit Lions took on the Chicago Bears. Detroit was 7-4 coming into the game, trailing the Green Bay Packers, who are 8-3. The Lions helped themselves big time with a dominant win over the Bears, who weren't quite out of the playoff conversation just yet. It's hard to imagine them rebounding at this point, while the Lions now have a shot at tying the division lead if the Packers fall to the New England Patriots on Sunday.
Here’s a look at where all of the divisions stand after Thursday’s games:
AFC North
The logjam in the AFC North didn’t clear up at all following Week 12, as all four teams have seven wins. They just keep winning, with both Baltimore and Cleveland pulling out tough victories. Cincinnati is technically on top thanks to a 7-3-1 record, while the rest of the teams are 7-4. A tie could legitimately decide this division.
AFC South
The Indianapolis Colts have the division lead at 7-4, but the Houston Texans aren't too far behind at 5-6. Still, it seems unlikely that the Texans, who just lost Ryan Mallett for the season, will be able to make a comeback. The Tennessee Titans (2-9) and Jacksonville Jaguars (1-10) are non-factors.
AFC West
Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos look as good as ever at 8-3 on the season, but the Kansas City Chiefs aren't far behind at 7-4. The Chiefs squandered a golden opportunity in Week 12 by losing to the Oakland Raiders, but they have another shot at making things interesting on Sunday when they play host to the Broncos. The San Diego Chargers are also 7-4 and right in the thick of things.
AFC East
The New England Patriots have a comfortable lead in this division at 9-2, despite the fact that both the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills are surprisingly respectable at 6-5 each. The Patriots have a tough game against the Green Bay Packers coming up.
NFC North
Again, after taking down the Bears with relative ease, the Lions are now sitting at 8-4 on the season. They trail the Green Bay Packers, who have an 8-3 record. The Packers have the aforementioned tough game against the Patriots coming up though, and the division could easily be tied after Sunday.
NFC South
This division is an absolute mess. The New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons both fell in Week 12, and are tied for the division lead at 4-7. The Carolina Panthers (3-7-1) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-9) are still in the discussion as well, which is just ... sad. Both the Saints and Falcons have tough games on Sunday, as New Orleans takes on the Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta takes on the Arizona Cardinals.
NFC West
The Seahawks-49ers game certainly had playoff implications, but don't forget that the 9-2 Arizona Cardinals are still in control of this division. This race is still very much alive. Seattle (8-4) already has a win over Arizona and gets another shot at them in Week 16. San Francisco (7-5) is likely relegated to the wild card race, while the St. Louis Rams (4-7) have been out of the playoff conversation for a while now.
NFC East
With a win on Thursday, the Eagles took sole possession of the NFC East at 9-3 on the year. Dallas still isn’t far behind at 8-4, but it’s an uphill battle from here on out. They’ll play again on Dec. 14 in a game that could decide the division. Neither Washington nor New York are factors in this one.
See More:
