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Packers among 3 NFC teams with playoff-clinching scenarios in Week 14

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The Green Bay Packers and two other NFC teams have playoff-clinching scenarios in Week 14.

The Packers can clinch the NFC North title for the third consecutive season with a win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday night AND a Minnesota Vikings loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night. The Packers can also clinch a playoff berth with a win AND losses by the New Orleans Saints (at New York Jets) and San Francisco 49ers (at Cincinnati Bengals).

The Arizona Cardinals, currently the No. 1 seed in the NFC, can clinch a playoff spot with nothing more than a win over the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night. The Cardinals can also get in with losses by both the Vikings and 49ers OR losses by the Vikings, Saints and Carolina Panthers (vs Atlanta Falcons).

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who sit in the third spot in the NFC behind the Packers and Cardinals, can clinch the NFC South with a win over the Buffalo Bills AND losses by both the Panthers and Saints.

All three teams clinching a playoff spot is just a matter of time. The chances of the Packers making the playoffs, for instance, are at over 99 percent at the New York Times playoff predictor.

The real race is for the No. 1 seed. If the Packers beat the Bears, the Rams beat the Cardinals and the Bills beat the Buccaneers this week, Green Bay’s chances of getting the top seed would improve to over 50 percent.

Current NFC playoff standings

1. Arizona Cardinals (10-2)
2. Green Bay Packers (9-3)
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-3)
4. Dallas Cowboys (8-4)
5. Los Angeles Rams (8-4)
6. Washington Football Team (6-6)
7. San Francisco 49ers (6-6)

In the hunt: Philadelphia Eagles (6-7), Minnesota Vikings (5-7), Carolina Panthers (5-7), Atlanta Falcons (5-7), New Orleans Saints (5-7)