It's hard to believe 2014 is coming to an end, bringing the 2014 NFL season along with it. Each team's final game of the season will be played in five days, pushing 12 teams into the second season starting Jan. 3.
Five of six NFC playoff spots have already been taken, leaving only one team with a shot at a postseason run. The two teams fighting for the remaining spot in Week 17 are the Atlanta Falcons and their NFC South rival, the Carolina Panthers, who will battle against one another at the Georgia Dome on Sunday. The upcoming contest has been deemed a division playoff game, as one team will go home while the other advances to the Wild Card game on either Saturday, Jan 3. or Sunday, Jan 4.
Here are the playoff scenarios for the NFC:
CLINCHED:
Dallas Cowboys – NFC East
Detroit Lions – playoff berth
Green Bay Packers – playoff berth
Seattle Seahawks – playoff berth
Arizona Cardinals – playoff berth
ATLANTA FALCONS (vs. Carolina)
Atlanta clinches NFC South with:
- ATL win
CAROLINA PANTHERS (at Atlanta)
Carolina clinches NFC South with:
- CAR win or tie
DALLAS COWBOYS (at Washington)
Dallas clinches home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
- DAL win ARI loss or tie DET/GB tie
Dallas clinches a first-round bye with:
- DAL win SEA loss or tie ARI loss or tie OR
- DAL win DET/GB tie OR
- DAL tie SEA loss ARI loss OR
- DAL tie SEA tie ARI loss or tie DET/GB does not end in a tie
DETROIT LIONS (at Green Bay)
Detroit clinches NFC North with:
- DET win or tie
Detroit clinches home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
- DET win SEA loss or tie ARI loss or tie OR
- DET tie SEA loss ARI loss DAL loss or tie
Detroit clinches a first-round bye with:
- DET win OR
- DET tie DAL loss or tie OR
- DET tie SEA loss ARI loss
The Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints go head to head on Sunday in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Check out these pictures of gameday.
GREEN BAY PACKERS (vs. Detroit)
Green Bay clinches NFC North and a first-round bye with:
- GB win
Green Bay clinches home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
- GB win SEA loss or tie
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (vs. St. Louis)
Seattle clinches NFC West with:
- SEA win OR
- SEA tie ARI loss or tie OR
- ARI loss
Seattle clinches home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
- SEA win DET/GB game does not end in a tie OR
- SEA win DAL loss or tie OR
- SEA tie ARI loss or tie DAL loss or tie GB/DET tie
Seattle clinches a first-round bye with:
- SEA win OR
- SEA tie ARI loss or tie DAL loss OR
- SEA tie ARI loss or tie GB/DET tie
ARIZONA CARDINALS (at San Francisco)
Arizona clinches NFC West with:
- ARI win SEA loss or tie OR
- ARI tie SEA loss
Arizona clinches home-field advantage throughout NFC playoffs with:
- ARI win SEA loss or tie GB loss or tie OR
- ARI tie SEA loss DAL loss or tie GB/DET tie
Arizona clinches a first-round bye with:
- ARI win SEA loss or tie OR
- ARI tie SEA loss DAL loss or tie OR
- ARI tie SEA loss GB/DET tie