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 ever win fourteen games and not earn a No. 1 seed.
This season could be a historical anomaly in the NFC. When a team like the Detroit Lions is 11-1 and seemingly on its way to 15 or 16 wins, it usually doesn’t have to worry much about winning the division or earning a No. 1 seed. But the Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings, both at 10-2, could keep the pressure on all season.
According to Tankathon, the Lions have the third-toughest schedule in the NFL, which 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. That game could have an incredible impact on the NFC playoff bracket. The Lions also have tough games remaining against Green Bay (Thursday night), Buffalo and San Francisco, giving the Eagles plenty of hope to steal the No. 1 seed.
Philadelphia has the 23rd toughest remaining schedule. The Eagles only have two games remaining against winning teams (Pittsburgh and Washington). It’s possible that a 15-2 team won’t get the top seed in the NFC, and a 14-3 team won’t win the division.
Detroit should be comfortable at 11-1, but might feel like it needs to be 16-1 to clinch the all-important top seed in the NFC. It should be a great race to the end.
Here are the power rankings after Week 13 of the NFL season:
