NFC Playoff Picture: Post-Week 5

The Packers have moved up to the top wildcard spot in the NFC after Week 5’s action.

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What is the story about?

The Green Bay Packers didn’t play a football game this week, but they did move up a spot in playoff seeding. Thank you, Seattle Seahawks!

Let’s take a temperature check on the NFC, going through Week 5’s action and where the conference stands going into Week 6. Each division has one 4-1 team in the driver’s seat right now, which makes the playoff picture really clean.

#1: San Francisco 49ers (4-1)

Backup quarterback Mac Jones threw for 342 yards and a 100.9 passer rating in a 26-23 overtime win over the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday

Night Football. Starting quarterback Brock Purdy had a setback with his toe injury and was called week to week by head coach Kyle Shanahan.

#2: Philadelphia Eagles (4-1)

There are no more undefeateds in the NFC. The Eagles were finally stopped in the red zone for the first time in 2025 and failed to hit on a last-second Hail Mary attempt. Quarterback Jalen Hurts took six sacks in the game, which wound up being the difference in this one versus the Denver Broncos.

#3: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-1)

Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield was able to throw for 379 yards at Seattle, with rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka catching seven balls for 163 yards and a touchdown. They needed every one of those yards, as they won the game on a last-second field goal.

#4: Detroit Lions (4-1)

A 35-24 win for the Lions looks a lot less convincing on paper than it felt like during action. 21 of the Cincinnati Bengals’ points on the day came in the fourth quarter when the game had already been decided.

#5: Green Bay Packers (2-1-1)

Bye week.

#6: Seattle Seahawks (3-2)

Seattle lost a 38-35 shootout against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that ended with Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold throwing an interception that led to the Buccaneers only needing to drive 14 yards for a last-second field goal. Between this loss and their Week 1 loss, where they fumbled the ball on the nine-yard line with 42 seconds left and a chance to win the game, it’s been a pretty brutal 3-2 start for the Seahawks.

#7: Minnesota Vikings (3-2)

Backup Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz got the last-minute win over the Cleveland Browns, with the help of three-straight receptions by receiver Jordan Addison, who was suspended by the team for the first quarter of the game. Wentz dropped out of action momentarily due to a non-throwing shoulder injury, though he returned to the field with a harness around his shoulder.

#8: Washington Commanders (3-2)

The Los Angeles Chargers scored 10 on Washington early, but then it was all Commanders from there on out. It was a defensive win for Washington, as Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert threw an interception and was sacked four times.

#9: Los Angeles Rams (3-2)

The Rams have lost two games this year: a game where they had a punt and a kick blocked by the Philadelphia Eagles, the kick which was returned for a walkoff 61-touchdown in the 33-26 loss, and Thursday’s matchup against the San Francisco 49ers, where a blocked fourth-quarter PAT ultimately led to their overtime loss. See, special teams can get worse than what we’ve seen in Green Bay!

#10: Atlanta Falcons (2-2)

Bye week.

#11: Chicago Bears (2-2)

Bye week.

#12: Dallas Cowboys (2-2-1)

Points are no problem for the Cowboys. After scoring 40 against the Green Bay Packers last week, they hung 37 on the New York Jets today. The offense put up over 400 yards of offense, and quarterback Dak Prescott threw for four touchdowns. This team is built to win games via shootouts, and they did just that in Week 5.

#13: Arizona Cardinals (2-3)

The Cardinals blew a 21-3 lead that included Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward throwing an interception in the red zone…just for the Cardinals to fumble it…for a Titans touchdown. They left just enough time on the clock for Tennessee to win on a last-second field goal. This team is dumb and will probably not make it to the postseason.

#14: Carolina Panthers (2-3)

The Panthers had a 17-point comeback win against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, where they limited the Dolphins to just 19 total rushing yards on the ground. Good for them for rallying to the win. Backup running back Rico Dowdell posted 206 rushing yards, showing how poor Miami’s defense is. At the moment, Carolina is still very much on the outside looking in, playoff-wise.

#15: New Orleans Saints (1-4)

The Saints finally got on the board with a win, meaning that every team in the NFC has at least one W this year. I’m not sure how many more are going to come their way, though.

#16: New York Giants (1-4)

The Giants took a 14-3 lead early against the New Orleans Saints, but finished the game with two punts, three fumbles, two interceptions and a turnover on downs in their last eight drives. It seems like the Saints adjusted to rookie Jaxson Dart’s scrambling, which made him a non-factor down the stretch. Brian Daboll’s only chance at keeping the head coaching job in New York was to make Dart work early on, and that door is shutting if not already closed.