Top 5 NFC Games Remaining
The New Orleans Saints still have some huge games left on the schedule.
On Thursday we took a look at the top five games left on the AFC schedule, suggesting that this weekend’s matchup between the Broncos and Patriots would be the start of a wild close to the 2013 NFL season.
Today it’s the turn of the NFC.
With six weeks left on the schedule, there is a heck of a lot of questions still to be answered. The NFC East and NFC North are well and truly up for grabs while the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints aren’t assured of their division titles yet.
As it stands, only three teams (the Atlanta Falcons, Minnesota Vikings, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers) are out of contention. Every other team in the conference has some hope, even the 3-6 Washington Redskins who aren’t out of the NFC East race yet. That might change after a Monday Night Football clash with the San Francisco 49ers this week.
With so much still to be decided, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that there are plenty of gems left on the NFC schedule. Here’s our pick of the top five.
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants
Week 12: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ, Nov. 24, 4:25 p.m. ET
Sunday’s game between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants will greatly impact the NFC East.
Make no bones about it; Sunday’s showdown between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants is a must-win game for both teams.
A win for the Cowboys would see the team leapfrog the idle Philadelphia Eagles and return to the top of the NFC East standings. What’s more, the Cowboys would then own a 4-0 record within the division which equates to an extra win as no other team can top that. The way this division tends to play out, that could be huge come Week 17. A loss however would seriously derail the Cowboys, who have a tough schedule to close out the season.
A win for the Giants would make it five straight and put the momentum firmly with Tom Coughlin’s side. We’ve seen the Giants streak in recent years, but this current campaign could top all of that. A loss on Sunday would make winning the division a tough task, especially with Dallas owning that all-important tiebreaker.
BettingSports.com has all the latest Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants odds for 11/24/2013.
The Seattle Seahawks could all but sew up the No. 1 seed with a win over the Saints.
New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks
Week 13: CenturyLink Field, Seattle, WA, Dec. 2, 8:30 p.m. ET
After Thursday night’s 17-13 win over the Falcons, New Orleans looks all but assured of a postseason berth. The Carolina Panthers can still have a say in the race for the NFC South (see below) but at this time, it’s hard to imagine the Saints not leaving Week 17 with a bye in the first round. The same is true of the Seahawks, which makes this a potential dress rehearsal for the NFC championship game.
The Saints will want to not only pick up a win in this one but also put together an impressive performance. Winning at CenturyLink Field is a tough task, but Drew Brees and Co. have as good a shot as any.
Seattle rebounded from a string of subpar performances with a dominating victory over Minnesota last weekend. Favorites to win the NFC championship, the Seahawks will want this one for bragging rights and home field advantage. With a bye this week, Pete Carroll has extra time to prepare. Could that prove the difference?
Can Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers upset the Saints in the Big Easy?
Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints
Week 14: Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, LA, Dec. 8, 1:00 p.m. ET
The Saints make a second appearance on this list as a result of a very surprising Carolina side. The Panthers have a shot at the NFC South crown but they’ll need to beat the Saints in Week 14 and Week 16.
We’ve picked the first meeting between the two as the critical showdown because it potentially has more hanging on it. If the Panthers win, the race for the title really is on. If the Saints win, the race is over and Cam Newton and friends begin to focus on a wild card berth.
A Saints win is the preferred result for the majority of the NFC. The Panthers are about two wins from taking a stranglehold on a playoff berth, which means a lot of teams could be left on the outside looking in. If the Panthers are victorious, you may as well add that Week 16 Saints-Panthers game to this list.
With Nick Foles at quarterback or not, the Eagles’ Week 17 showdown with Dallas could be huge.
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys
Week 17: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX, Dec. 29, 1:00 p.m. ET
The problem with trying to pick out the best of what’s left in the NFC at this point in time is that a lot can be impacted between now and Week 17. A win here or a loss there will hugely impact the fortunes of both the Eagles and Cowboys.
However, recent history tells us that the NFC East race comes down to a Week 17 showdown. Recent history also tells us Dallas finds a way to remove itself from the playoff picture. Could the same happen again this year?
This is perhaps the easiest fixture to drop off our top five list, especially if the Giants continue on their current run of good form. Still, this one’s going to be a barn burner at the very least.
Still looking to win the NFC North, the Packers await the return of Aaron Rodgers.
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears
Week 17: Soldier Field, Chicago, IL, Dec. 29, 1L00 p.m. ET
Picking a NFC North matchup offers a similar problem to picking one from the NFC East. Between now and Week 17, so much could, and most likely, will change. But this one still has must-see written all over it, and not least because it’s the oldest rivalry in football.
The Green Bay Packers’ Thanksgiving showdown with the Detroit Lions would have made this list were it not for Aaron Rodgers’ injury. For now, the Packers need to tread water and keep the Lions and Chicago Bears within touching distance until Rodgers returns.
Week 14’s clash with Atlanta has been suggested as a realistic timeframe for Rodgers’ return. That would give the team four weeks to make one last push for the division. One last push could make this Week 17 game the ultimate decider. Green Bay has the advantage in the head-to-head having defeated the Lions back in October. Just how vital will that be?
And the Worst…
Looking ahead on the schedule, there aren’t all that many games involving NFC teams that look like total duds. Teams like the Falcons and Buccaneers, who have been pretty horrible this season, have already seen out their head-to-head games. The Vikings meanwhile play six teams with a real shot at the postseason in six weeks. Ouch.
Perhaps the worst we can come up with is Atlanta’s trip to Toronto to take on the Buffalo Bills in Week 13. The Falcons have dropped five straight, eight from the last nine, and haven’t won on the road all season. The Bills are 1-4 when playing in Rogers Center. That’s a recipe for as bad a game as you’re likely to see outside of the Houston Texans’ two showdowns with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Spare a thought for those poor Torontonians.
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