Who Is Leading the NFC? A Look at the Top Contenders

The San Francisco 49ers just scored a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, making their season record a bit better. Now, they're 5-4 in the NFC while Tampa Bay dropped to 4-6. If the playoffs started now, the Arizona Cardinals would be the only NFC West team in. Let's see where things stand. The Detroit Lions are leading the pack with an 8-1 record, including 6 wins in the NFC. The Philadelphia Eagles follow with 7-2, then the Atlanta Falcons at 6-4. Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings come next with 7-2 and 6-3, respectively. Washington Commanders and Green Bay Packers round out the top 8 with 7-3 and 6-3 records. The San Francisco 49ers and Chicago Bears are both 4-5. Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks are also 4-5, but with a slight edge. Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 4-6. There are other teams, but let's focus on these. We'll put the teams in tiers based on how well they're doing overall, not just their record. Detroit Lions are in Tier I, the cream of the crop. They've got speed on offense, can stop the run, and score touchdowns while keeping others to field goals. The 49ers, Packers, and Vikings make up Tier II. San Francisco and Green Bay have injured players, but they're still contenders. The Vikings are strong defensively, but their quarterback, Sam Darnold, is holding them back. Tier III has the Arizona Cardinals, Philadelphia Eagles, and Washington Commanders. Arizona has a good offense but a lackluster defense. Philly's not as good offensively as some think, and they've only beaten easier teams. Washington has a rookie quarterback doing great, but their defense is weak. The Rams, Seahawks, Bucs, and Falcons make up Tier IV. The Rams have a great quarterback and coach but a shaky line and secondary. Seattle's line is bad, their identity is unclear, and they need lots of scores to win. Tampa Bay could still make it to the playoffs by hoping others slip up. Atlanta looks strong with 6 conference wins, but they're not as good as they seem.