NFL Standings 2021: Cowboys, Packers, Rams, Bucs, Cardinals Close To Locking Up Playoff Spots

The NFC playoff picture is already shaping up with less than half of the 2021 NFL season complete. A couple of the division races are all but finished heading into Week 9, and five teams seem like virtual locks to reach the postseason.

The Green Bay Packers (7-1), Arizona Cardinals (7-1), Dallas Cowboys (6-1) and Los Angeles Rams (7-1) all have a three-game edge in the loss column over the No. 7 seed Carolina Panthers (4-4). Even after their Week 8 loss, the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2) are heavy favorites to win the NFC South.

According to the latest FiveThirtyEight projections, each of the five teams have a 97% chance or better of making the playoffs. All five of their starting quarterbacks are among the top-six MVP candidates.

Dallas’ win over the Minnesota Vikings (3-4) on “Sunday Night Football” might have effectively determined both the NFC East and NFC North champions. The Cowboys took a commanding 3.5-game lead over the Philadelphia Eagles (3-5). Unable to defeat Cooper Rush, the Vikings fell 3.5 games behind the Packers, who are well on their way to a third straight division title.

Green Bay controls both the NFC North and the No. 1 seed in the conference. The Packers own the tiebreaker over the Cardinals after beating Arizona on “Thursday Night Football.”

Minnesota is currently the first team out of the latest NFC playoff picture.

The Cardinals have the tiebreaker over the Rams atop the NFC West because of their Week 4 victory in Los Angeles. Whichever team doesn’t win the division is expected to earn one of the three wild-card spots.

The San Francisco 49ers (3-4) and Seattle Seahawks (3-5) have losing records and are out of the latest playoff picture with half a season still ahead of them.

Trevor Siemian replaced an injured Jameis Winston and led the New Orleans Saints (5-2) to an upset victory over Tampa Bay on Sunday. The Bucs don’t face a team with a winning record again until they host the Bills in Week 14.

Neither the Packers, Cowboys, Cardinals, Rams nor Bucs have been defeated by a team that has more than two losses.