NFC: Bucs' First-Round, Cowboys Alive, Packers' Bye

The current NFC playoff picture:

The Jags and Seahawks thank the Rams for their humiliating loss to a quasi-NFL team on Sunday. As do the Bucs, who can now clinch the NFC's 5th seed by winning out.

The difference between the 5th and 6th seed is significant. No. 5 will face the NFC East winner in a game that the road team should win. No. 6 will travel to either New Orleans or Seattle/Los Angeles. That's the difference between a first-round victory and an exit.

As I've argued for a month, Green Bay is getting the top seed. Now, the Packers (11-3) are essentially two games ahead of the Saints (10-4), as Green Bay holds the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Packers can clinch home-field in Week 16 with a win over the Titans plus a Rams win.

(Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

In the playoffs, who is going into Lambeau Field and coming out victorious? I'm more confident that Green Bay enters the Super Bowl than any team in the AFC (more on the AFC later in the week.)

Unfortunately, if the Cardinals (8-6) are knocked out of the playoff picture, it'll be because the Bears (7-7) have somehow found a way to steal their spot. For the sake of entertainment, the Bears' offense should be banned from a postseason trip. Let's hope Kyler Murray comes through in the remaining games against the 49ers and Rams.

As Week 16 hits, the NFC East remains a four-team race. Meaning, all four below-average-to-bad squads could ultimately host a playoff game. The Football Team sits atop at 6-8, followed by the 5-9 Giants and Cowboys, and the 4-9-1 Eagles. Though last in the East, with Jalen Hurts, Philadelphia is the most dangerous.

OutKick VIP members, which NFC storyline has you most intrigued? Comment below: