Just like last year, if you want to reach the Super Bowl you’re going to have to win playing 11 versus 12.
The 12th man will be in full effect this postseason, as the Seattle Seahawks have claimed the NFC’s No. 1 overall seed—and thus home field advantage throughout the playoffs—after knocking off a frisky St. Louis Rams squad today to finish 12-4 on the season. The defending champs were playing from behind in the division race for most of the season, but closed the season by winning six games in a row and nine of their final 10 to pass the injury-ravaged Arizona Cardinals.
Speaking of those Cardinals, they continued their swoon and grabbed the No. 5 seed in the NFC. With Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton felled by injuries, the Cards have handed the keys over to Ryan Lindley, who set a modern NFL record by throwing 229 times before his first touchdown pass.
The Cardinals will travel to Carolina, where they’ll take on the Panthers. Despite enduring a six game losing streak and going 7-8-1 on the regular season, the Panthers snuck into the playoffs thanks to a four-game winning streak over their final four contests and an absolutely atrocious division. Even with this really bad track record, though, Cam Newton and Co. are favored by 4.5 points.
The other team to secure a bye in the NFC is the Green Bay Packers, who behind a slightly hobbled Aaron Rodgers were able to take care of the Detroit Lions today to finish 12-4 (including a perfect 8-0 at Lambeau Field). Rodgers—a favorite in the race for league MVP—became the first quarterback in NFL history to finish with six consecutive seasons of a 100-plus passer rating, and has an equally strong rating (103.1) in the playoffs.
Those same Lions who lost to Green Bay are still in the playoffs, though, coming in as a No. 6 seed after finishing 11-5. They had entered the day in control of their own destiny, with a win getting them a No. 2 seed, and along with it the guaranteed bye and home game.
Instead, the Lions will travel to Dallas to face the red-hot Cowboys. Fresh off a 44-17 evisceration of Washington, the Cowboys have now four in a row and six of their last seven. Quarterback Tony Romo is playing some of the best football of his career, reversing his previous December woes and going 4-0 this month with 987 yards passing along with 12 TDs and just one interception.
While the exact schedule has yet to be released (that will happen once the AFC situation is settled following tonight’s Pittsburgh-Cincinnati game), we know that the lowest remaining seed will travel to Seattle, while the higher remaining seed will go to Green Bay.
Send all complaints, compliments, and tips to sportstips@complex.com
