NFL Standings – Week 12: Vikings lead in NFC North grows even larger

NFC Standings after Week 12

• 1. Philadelphia Eagles (10-1)*
• 2. Minnesota Vikings (9-2)*
• 3. San Francisco 49ers (7-4)*
• 4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-6)*
• 5. Dallas Cowboys (8-3)
• 6. New York Giants (7-4)
• 7. Washington Commanders (7-5)

*Division Leader

Playoff Matchups if the Season ended after Week 12

Wild-Card Round*

• Minnesota Vikings vs. Washington Commanders
• San Francisco 49ers vs. New York Giants
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys

*Philadelphia Eagles get a first-round bye

The Rest

• 8. Seattle Seahawks (6-5)
• 9. Atlanta Falcons (5-7)
• 10. Detroit Lions (4-7)
• 11. Green Bay Packers (4-8)
• 12. Carolina Panthers (4-8)
• 13. Arizona Cardinals (4-8)
• 14. New Orleans Saints (4-8)
• 15. Los Angeles Rams (3-8)
• 16. Chicago Bears (3-9)

By getting a win over the Packers on Sunday night, the Philadelphia Eagles remained in the driver’s seat for the top seed in the conference. The victory by the Eagles just means that the margin for error for the Vikings during the final weeks of the season is even smaller if they want to wind up as the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff bracket.

The San Francisco 49ers also provided some additional pressure for Minnesota to win by defeating the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. With their victory, the 49ers are still very much in contention to end up as the No. 2 seed in the NFC when the regular season comes to a close.

Luckily, with how poorly every team has performed in the NFC South this year, we shouldn’t expect the Vikings to enter this season’s playoffs any lower than the No. 3 seed in the conference.