It’s official.
We’re three quarters of the way through the 2013 NFL season and the playoffs are just around the corner. With four games left on the slate, all of the potential post-season brackets and scenarios are beginning to take shape. A lot of the usual suspects are in the mix, (I’m looking at you Broncos, Pats, Saints, Seahawks, ‘Niners, and others) but a couple of surprise teams have taken the next step to glory as well.
In the NFC, perhaps the most surprising team is the Carolina Panthers. Led by a stout and ferocious defense, and a rapidly improving and maturing Cam Newton, the Panthers are in the midst of an eight game winning streak after starting the year at 1-3. Now tied with the New Orleans Saints at 9-3 and atop the NFC South, things are about to get interesting. These two teams play twice in the next three weeks, and the outcome of these contests figure to decide a divisional championship.
These games are even more important because the winner of the NFC South figures to receive a first-round bye alongside the seemingly unstoppable Seattle Seahawks. The NFC East is still very much up for grabs as the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles both sit at 7-5 and wrap up the season with a huge Week 17 match-up. (Side-note: It’s entirely possible that Nick Foles still won’t have thrown his first interception by then) The implications of that game figure to be similar to those of last season’s Week 17 contest between Dallas and Washington.
In the NFC North, The Detroit Lions are in control coming off a dominating Thanksgiving Day victory over the Green Bay Packers. With that said, the Chicago Bears and to a lesser extent the aforementioned Packers remain in the mix, especially when/if Jay Cutler and Aaron Rodgers return from their injuries in the coming weeks.
The loser of the tight NFC South race figures to receive a wild card berth, and with the way the San Francisco 49ers have been playing defense lately, they seem likely to be in the mix as well. With Michael Crabtree back in the fold and coming off a convincing divisional victory over the St. Louis Rams, the ‘Niners have gotten basics. The 7-5 Arizona Cardinals are not to a team to be slept on either.
In the AFC, the 10-2 Denver Broncos now control their own destiny for the top seed in the conference. However, they have the New England Patriots and their divisional rival and current wildcard team, the Kansas City Chiefs nipping at their heels, so they can ill-afford a slip-up. Still, these three franchises are all but guaranteed post-season berths.
The same can be said of the 8-4 Indianapolis Colts, who are in the catbird’s seat in the AFC South in spite of a number of poor showings recently.
The Cincinnati Bengals are in control of the AFC North, but the 6-6 Baltimore Ravens are getting hot at the right time and look to be in prime position for the second wildcard spot, provided they can hold off an unprecedented number of AFC teams who sit at or close to the .500 mark.
An exciting finish is always in store for fans when so many teams remain in contention at this point of the season. With the likely exception of the Seattle Seahawks, the seeding of the top teams in both conferences is very much up in the air, divisional races still have to be settled, and numerous teams remain in the equation for wild card slots.
In a league where one win or loss means more than in any other sport, there is still a lot of football left to be played. Some of the most meaningful games on the schedule are about to take place, and the final push for a shot at a Lombardi trophy is underway. Get ready for the most exciting time of the NFL season. A team’s true identity is forged in December, and one thing is certain: it’s going to be a treat to watch.
Thanks for reading, and enjoy this week’s slate of games!
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