After 14 weeks of football, the NFC has made a compelling case as the NFL’s powerhouse conference this season. While the AFC is still home to some of the league’s biggest names-Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson among them-it’s also a conference currently led by teams and quarterbacks that are still earning their stripes. Meanwhile, the NFC is stacked with seasoned contenders, and the playoff race is heating up with legitimate Super Bowl threats from top to bottom.
Let’s start with the Los Angeles Rams, who currently hold the NFC’s No. 1 seed. They’ve been dominant on both sides of the ball, and their resume speaks for itself.
But they’re not alone. The Seattle Seahawks are trending upward and may be playing their best football of the season right now.
And don’t overlook the Green Bay Packers, who just took care of business against the Chicago Bears and now sit as the No. 2 seed atop the NFC North.
We’ll get a clearer picture of how the Packers stack up against the Rams and Seahawks in the coming weeks, but right now, Green Bay has earned its place in the conversation. They’re not just playoff-bound-they’re a team that could make serious noise in January.
If there’s one division that’s been a gauntlet all year, it’s the NFC West. Three teams with at least nine wins, and both the Rams and Seahawks sitting at 10-3.
That division could very well be decided in Week 16, when the Rams and Seahawks face off on Thursday Night Football. That game might not just determine the division-it could decide who gets the NFC’s top seed and home-field advantage all the way to the Super Bowl.
Whether it’s Los Angeles or Seattle, the road to Vegas might go through the West Coast.
And while they haven’t looked like the juggernaut that hoisted the Lombardi Trophy last season, the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles are still in the mix. They’re leading the NFC East and likely won’t be caught in the division.
But at 8-5 following a Monday night loss to the Chargers, this isn’t the same team that steamrolled its way through the playoffs a year ago. The offense has been inconsistent, and momentum is not on their side.
What makes the Rams and Seahawks particularly intriguing is how similar they are in their construction. Both are led by veteran quarterbacks-Matthew Stafford in LA and Sam Darnold in Seattle-who are playing smart, efficient football.
Both teams boast elite wide receiver talent, with the Rams having the luxury of two top-tier targets. And both defenses are built to travel, with Seattle’s unit improving every week.
Coaching plays a huge role here too. Both squads are helmed by young, innovative head coaches who have their teams locked in week after week.
The Rams have been blowing teams out, while the Seahawks are feeding off their coach’s swagger and confidence. It’s no surprise they’re sitting near the top of the Super Bowl odds: the Rams at +390, the Seahawks at +650.
And right behind them? The Green Bay Packers, with the third-shortest odds at +800.
Green Bay just delivered their most convincing win of the season, shutting down a Bears team that had just embarrassed the Eagles a week earlier. The Packers’ defense came out firing, holding Chicago to just three points in the first half and outgaining them 207-71 before the break.
At one point, Green Bay had more first downs than the Bears had total yards. That’s not just good defense-that’s domination.
Jeff Hafley’s defense had an answer for everything Chicago tried. Caleb Williams couldn’t find a rhythm, and the Bears’ usually reliable run game was completely bottled up.
Now, the second half wasn’t as clean. Green Bay’s offense stalled a bit, and the defense had to weather long stretches on the field. But when it mattered, Micah Parsons and the rest of the unit stepped up and made the plays that sealed the win.
This win came at a pivotal time. The Packers were coming off back-to-back home losses to the Panthers and Eagles, games where the offense managed just 20 points combined.
A win over the struggling Giants was expected-but the real tests were always going to be the divisional matchups: the Vikings, the Lions on Thanksgiving, and the Bears. These are the games that reveal whether a team is a true contender.
And Green Bay has answered the call.
They’re now undefeated in the NFC North, something neither the Rams nor Seahawks can claim about their divisions. Matt LaFleur made it a priority to flip the script after a 1-5 division record last year, and his team has responded with a 4-0 mark and two games to go.
And they’re winning in different ways. Since those two early November losses, the Packers are averaging 27.5 points per game. The defense is getting pressure with just four and forcing turnovers at a rate we haven’t seen from them all season.
This team has passed every kind of test you could throw at them:
- Can they rally and win a close one? Check.
- Can they dominate from start to finish? Just ask the Vikings.
- Can they win a shootout? Look no further than the Thanksgiving win in Detroit.
There’s still work to be done. Up next: a tough road trip to face the 10-2 Denver Broncos, a rematch with the Bears at Soldier Field, and a showdown with the Ravens, who could be fighting for their playoff lives.
But if Sunday was any indication, the Packers are right there with the NFC’s elite. They’ve got the defense, they’ve got the quarterback play, and they’ve got the momentum. December football is about proving you belong-and Green Bay is doing just that.