With 12 weeks down in the 2023 NFL season, the playoffs suddenly aren’t so far away. A lot can happen between now and the end of the regular season, of course, but already the postseason picture is beginning to take shape.
As we approach Week 13, how do the teams fighting for one of the conference’s three wild-card spots stack up? Here’s how we’d rank all 12 of them behind the current division leaders.
(To see our ranking of the AFC’s 12 wild-card contenders, click here.)
Division leaders
Eagles (NFC East, 10-1)Lions (NFC North, 8-3)49ers (NFC West, 8-3)Falcons (NFC South, 5-6)
Wild card contenders
12. Panthers (1-10)
They literally just fired their coach and his top two assistants after 11 games on the job. It’s safe to say Bryce Young and Co. are going to need some time to rebuild confidence, let alone become playoff-relevant.
11. Cardinals (2-10)
The shine of Kyler Murray’s return sure wore off quickly, didn’t it? Worse yet, defense and discipline have both been big issues under the defensive-minded head coaching of Jonathan Gannon.
10. Commanders (4-8)
Someone had to pay after their hapless Thanksgiving loss to the Cowboys, and sure enough, Jack Del Rio did. But Ron Rivera is still in charge, and everyone and their brother anticipates his exit at year’s end.
9. Bears (4-8)
They just upset the Vikings on the road while becoming the first team to win a game without scoring a touchdown this season. That’s encouraging for Matt Eberflus’ defense, but it doesn’t particularly register as sustainable.
Please check the opt-in box to acknowledge that you would like to subscribe.
Thanks for signing up!
…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2023-nfl-playoff-picture-ranking-all-12-nfc-wild-card-contenders-from-rising-packers-to-resilient-rams/
Author : Cody Benjamin
Publish date : 2023-11-28 14:54:43
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.