The NFL weekend kicked off on Thursday with Christmas Day games followed by two games on Saturday, so we are a good chunk of the way through Week 17 already, believe it or not. The Seattle Seahawks and
Carolina Panthers square off in a game with unexpectedly high playoff implications on Sunday.
For the Seahawks, they need to win to stay in first place in the NFC while the Panthers need to win to stay atop the NFC South and in the playoffs. It’s an intriguing matchup for a 1 p.m. Eastern/10 a.m. Pacific kickoff.
The biggest matchup of Week 17 is on Sunday night when the Chicago Bears travel to the San Francisco 49ers. Both teams are 11-4 but the Bears have clinched their division.
NFC West standings
The NFC West looks like it will come down to Week 18 when the Los Angeles Rams draw the lowly Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers could be playing a very high stakes game for control of the NFC. Of course, we will have to see how Week 17 plays out first.
1. Seattle Seahawks (12-3)
2. San Francisco 49ers (11-4, 4-1 NFCW)
3. Los Angeles Rams (11-4, 3-2 NFCW)
4. Arizona Cardinals (3-12)
Updated NFC playoff picture
The Rams, 49ers, and Seahawks are all playing for both the one seed and the division crown in the final two weeks of the season.
1. Seattle Seahawks (12-3) – x
2. Chicago Bears (11-4) – x
3. Philadelphia Eagles (10-5) – x
4. Carolina Panthers (8-7)
5. San Francisco 49ers (11-4) – x
6. Los Angles Rams (11-4) – x
7. Green Bay Packers (9-6-1) – x
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8)
x – clinched a playoff spot
The only playoff spot still up for grabs is in the NFC South. One team will be the champs and the other will be out between the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
