NFL playoff picture: Seahawks fall to 3 seed, Lions take lead for bye week

Since the Seattle Seahawks lost to the Green Bay Packers 38-10, the Detroit Lions claim the 2 seed in the NFC playoff race. They currently have half a game lead over the Seahawks. The Dallas Cowboys clinched last week and still hold a steady lead over the Lions sitting in the 1 seed. If they beat the Giants tonight, they officially clinch one of the two coveted bye weeks.

Here is the current breakdown of playoff seeds in the NFC.

1. Dallas Cowboys* (11-2)
2. Detroit Lions (9-4)
3. Seattle Seahawks (8-4-1)
4. Atlanta Falcons (8-5)
5. New York Giants (9-4)
6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-5)

There are two matches in Week 15 that will have playoff implications for multiple teams:

• Detroit Lions (9-4) at New York Giants (9-4)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-5) at Dallas Cowboys (11-2)

The Chicago Bears and the Los Angeles Rams were eliminated from playoff contention this week. Immediately outside the playoff bubble sit the Washington Redskins (7-5-1), Minnesota Vikings (7-6), and the Green Bay Packers (7-6). All three of these teams won this week and continue to make the wild card battle even more interesting.

Here is the complete list of all teams that have been officially eliminated from playoff contention in both conferences:

• Chicago Bears
• Cleveland Browns
• Jacksonville Jaguars
• Los Angeles Rams
• New York Jets
• San Francisco 49ers

While the Rams were eliminated from playoff contention, the rivalry game between the Seahawks and the Rams is always a close match.