In 1999, the Tennessee Titans went 13-3 but finished second in their division behind the 14-2 Jacksonville Jaguars, giving Tennessee the distinction of having the most wins for a wild-card team in NFL history. The 1986 Chicago Bears, 1998 Atlanta Falcons, and 2004 New England Patriots are the only teams to win 14 games and not secure first place.
This season could end up being a historic anomaly in the NFC. Usually when a team like the Detroit Lions are 11-1 and seem headed for 15 or 16 wins, they don’t have to worry much about winning their division or getting a top seed. °1. But the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings, both at 10-2, could keep the pressure on all season.
The Lions have the third-toughest remaining schedule in the NFL, according to Tankathonwhich doesn’t help. The Vikings are fourth, and part of the problem for each team is that they play each other in Week 18 in Detroit. This game could have an incredible impact on the NFC playoff bracket. The Lions also have tough games against Green Bay (Thursday night), Buffalo and at San Francisco, giving the Eagles plenty of hope of stealing the No. 1 seed.
Philadelphia has the 23rd toughest remaining schedule. The Eagles only have two games left against winning teams (Pittsburgh and Washington). It’s possible that a 15-2 team won’t get first place in the NFC and a 14-3 team won’t win their division.
Detroit should be comfortable at 11-1, but might feel it needs to go 16-1 to secure the top seed in the NFC. It should be a great race until the end.
Here are the power rankings after Week 13 of the NFL season: