It is only halfway through the 2021 NFL season, but the NFC playoff race is heating up at the top.
The Arizona Cardinals, who lost for the first time all season, lost the No. 1 seed in the conference. The Green Bay Packers, who won their seventh straight game and defeated the Cardinals Thursday night, now are atop the conference.
Here is what the NFC playoff picture looks like:
- Green Bay Packers, 7-1
- Arizona Cardinals, 7-1
- Dallas Cowboys, 6-1
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 6-2
- Los Angeles Rams, 7-1
- New Orleans Saints, 5-2
- Carolina Panthers, 4-4
The Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons all follow at 3-4.
The Packers hold a head-to-head tiebreaker with the Cardinals, meaning the Cardinals must finish with a better record than the Packers to finish ahead of them.
This is why the Rams are currently a wild card team at 7-1. The Cardinals hold a head-to-head tiebreaker over them with their 37-20 win in L.A. The Cardinals and Rams will play again in Week 14.
What is on deck in Week 9?
- The Packers take on the Kansas City Chiefs on the road.
- The Cardinals are on the road against the 49ers.
- The Cowboys host the Denver Broncos
- The Bucs are on their bye.
- The Rams host the Tennessee Titans, who have lost running back Derrick Henry to a foot injury.
- The Saints, who appear to have lost QB Jameis Winston indefinitely, host the Falcons.
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