NFC Wild Card rankings: Contenders for remaining playoff spots ahead of Week 17

Some of the top teams in the NFC suffered losses in Week 16, including the current No. 1 seed San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys. Those two teams as well as the Detroit Lions (11-4) and Philadelphia Eagles (11-4) have clinched a playoff spot. The 49ers and Lions are division winners and either the Eagles or the Cowboys will take the NFC East title.

That leaves two wild card playoff spots and the NFC South crown still up for grabs among eight teams. Here's how the playoff contenders rank ahead of Week 17:

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1. Los Angeles Rams (8-7)

The Rams entered their Week 10 bye at 3-6. Since then, Los Angeles has five wins in six games. A close overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14 is the only blemish in that time.

Los Angeles' offense is humming at more than 400 yards per game in the last six matchups. Quarterback Matthew Stafford has posted at least a 103.1 passer rating in the last five games after meeting that mark just once in the Rams' first 10 games. The Rams will be tested in the season finale against the 49ers but played them tough in Week 2. Their offense makes them one of the top contenders among wild card hopefuls.

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7)

The Buccaneers have won four in a row to take the lead in the NFC South standings thanks to wins over divisional foes Carolina and Atlanta. Quarterback Baker Mayfield is playing his best football of the season with a perfect quarterback rating against Green Bay in Week 15 and his fourth-best game of the year by passer rating in last week's win over Jacksonville.

The Buccaneers are on the inside track to win the NFC South with a 3-1 record in divisional games in 2023 and games against the New Orleans Saints and Carolina to close the regular season. A defense that's piling up takeaways behind stars like Vita Vea and Antoine Winfield Jr. and an offense featuring stars like Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Tristan Wirfs makes Tampa Bay a solid contender among the wild card group.

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3. Seattle Seahawks (8-7)

Seattle snapped a four-game losing streak with 20-17 wins over the Eagles and Tennessee Titans in the last two weeks. The offense hasn't turned the ball over in those victories and the defense is improving with six sacks in the win over the Titans.

They've played up to their competition with wins against the Eagles and Lions and a close loss to the Cowboys. Seattle faces Pittsburgh at home and Arizona on the road to close the regular season. After their recent wins and starting quarterback Geno Smith returning to the field, Seattle could build momentum heading into the postseason.

4. Minnesota Vikings (7-8)

The Vikings are 1-4 in their last five games, all one-score affairs. Six turnovers by quarterback Nick Mullens in the last two weeks have doomed the offense despite averaging more than 400 total yards.

The Vikings' defense is an outlier at a 44.5% blitz rate, more than 5% higher than any team in the league. A defense that plays differently than any other in the league would be a challenge for most NFC playoff contenders. If Mullens can stop turning the ball over, an offense with the likes of Justin Jefferson at wide receiver can play well enough to contend as well. Unfortunately for the offense, tight end T.J. Hockenson is out for the year with ACL and MCL injuries.

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5. Atlanta Falcons (7-8)

Atlanta's win against Indianapolis last week featured a season-high 13.44 expected points added on offense with backup Taylor Heinicke in at quarterback. Over the year, the Falcons' defense has worked its way up to now sit top 10 in both points and yards allowed per game in the NFL.

The Falcons have a pair of road games to close the season against the rising Chicago Bears and divisional foe New Orleans, who they beat in Week 12. Atlanta's defense, led by standout safety Jessie Bates III, is keeping the Falcons in games and that wouldn't change in the playoffs. Instability at quarterback could doom their chances against better teams in the postseason.

6. New Orleans Saints (7-8)

A Thursday Night Football loss to the Rams dropped the Saints below 0.500 and seriously hurt their chances at a playoff spot. A pair of divisional games against Tampa Bay on the road and Atlanta at home to close the season means the NFC South title is still in play for New Orleans.

Since the Week 11 bye, the Saints' offense has been inconsistent. A 444-yard day against the Falcons yielded just 15 points; a 28-6 win over Carolina in Week 14 featured just 207 total yards. Quarterback Derek Carr's thrown a pick in four of the last five games. The Saints' seventh-ranked pass defense will be key to a playoff run and a hope that the offense improves.

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7. Green Bay Packers (7-8)

The Packers' inconsistency down the final stretch of the regular season is troubling. Wins over Detroit and Kansas City in Weeks 12 and 13, respectively, made them a promising postseason prospect. Losses in the following weeks to the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers made them less appealing. A last-second win over the league-worst Carolina Panthers last Sunday didn't do much to inspire, either.

Quarterback Jordan Love is taking care of the ball with just three turnovers in the last six games. Rookie wide receivers Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks are improving as well along with second-year wideouts Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson. But the defense has given up at least 20 points six times in the last seven games and allowed 390 yards per game in that span. If Carolina can put up 30 on the Packers, so can most of the NFC playoff teams.

8. Chicago Bears (6-9)

Chicago's still in the hunt for a playoff spot thanks to three wins in their last four games. That stretch included the most expected points added by the defense in coach Matt Eberflus' time in Chicago. The Bears' defense has 14 takeaways in their past five games compared to nine over their first 10 games.

The Bears have a very, very slim chance at the playoffs and would need a lot of help with losses to other teams on this list. But Justin Fields is an electric dual-threat at quarterback (244 yards and two touchdowns rushing in the last four games) and, with a defense getting hot at the right time, Chicago could be an unpredictable challenge in the playoffs.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ranking NFC Wild Card contenders, from Rams to Bears