2021 NFL Playoff Picture Week 13 - 5 NFC teams who can finish as the top seed

Fiveeeeeee NFC teams...searching for a golden ring.

There's no time to fit in the other 11 days of Christmas, but five NFC teams remain in legitimate contention for the top seed...along with both the precious opening-round bye and the homefield advantage that comes with it.

Which NFC teams remain in realistic contention for No. 1?

The Cardinals celebrate a victory over NFC West foe Seattle (Photo: Getty)

Arizona Cardinals (9-2)

The Cardinals used a relaxing week off to welcome back franchise quarterback Kyler Murray, who is expected to return from an ankle injury when Arizona travels to Chicago on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, Fox). Things are mostly in the places that Murray left them: under the watch of veteran backup Colt McCoy, the Cardinals won two of three Kyler-free contests, with two of those wins coming against NFC West competition (Seattle and San Francisco). The defense stepped up with five takeaways over the past three games while newcomer Zach Ertz scored two touchdowns in their most recent win over the Seahawks. James Conner is also second in the league with a dozen rushing scores.

The newest wins have situated the Cardinals handsomely in terms of the NFC West chase: they were able to sweep San Francisco and took the first matchup on the road against their closest pursuers, the reeling Los Angeles Rams, back on Oct. 3. Arizona is seeking its first division title, playoff berth, and postseason bye since 2015. They haven't had the best record in the NFC at any point in their franchise history, though they topped the league with an 11-1 mark in 1948 under their Chicago branding.

The emergence of AJ Dillon has allowed the Packers to keep pace in the NFC bye chase (Photo: Getty)

Green Bay Packers (9-3)

Aaron Rodgers and the Packers are putting the right toe (sorry) forward as they seek to put a year of controversy behind them and earn some on-field silverware. Green Bay lost its hold on controlling its fate for the top seed through losses to Kansas City and Minnesota (the former being infamous for Rodgers' COVID-based departure) but recovered with a relatively dominant win over the Rams on Sunday at home. AJ Dillon has emerged as a reliable source of offensive firepower with Aaron Jones nursing injuries.

Green Bay will enjoy a late bye this weekend before returning to action in a Sunday night contest against Chicago on Dec. 12. They'll have to root for their divisional foes this week, as the Bears host the aforementioned Cardinals on Sunday. The Packers' Thursday night triumph in Glendale back on Oct. 28 could loom large if they're able to close the gap with a little help from their friends.

Leonard Fournette (with ball) helped the Bucs regain their NFC composure with a win over the Colts (Photo: Getty)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-3)

Many looking for a new holiday tradition have eschewed lights and trees for claiming that Tom Brady is "done" or "washed up" and that his team will be early departures from the NFL postseason. While the NFC has presented a new challenge, Brady and the Bucs got back on track with a shootout win over the Colts, though it was Leonard Fournette who took center stage with four touchdowns and a final drive that saw him accumulate 60 of the 75 yards necessary to put in the winning score of a 38-31 victory.

While the Buccaneers will need some assistance to catch the Cardinals (their NFC record is 5-3 compared to Arizona's 5-2 and no matchup awaits in the regular season), the schedule does play out in Tampa Bay's favor. Only one of their six remaining contests comes against a team that's currently in its conference's playoff bracket (Dec. 12 vs. Buffalo), and it comes at the warm confines of Raymond James Stadium.

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Also Check Out: Complete NFL Week 13 TV Schedule

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There's still time for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys to make things right in the NFC East (Photo: Getty)

Dallas Cowboys (7-4)

Cowboys fans are used to early winter collapses, and that feeling is starting to creep up again: America's Team has lost three of its last four since a 6-1 start, and they'll have to work through tomorrow's Thursday night contest against New Orleans (8:20 p.m. ET, Fox/NFL Network) without head coach Mike McCarthy, who has been sidelined by the COVID-19 list. The Cowboys let up a season-worst 509 yards and forced no turnovers in a 36-33 loss to Las Vegas last week, their third consecutive loss on Thanksgiving Day.

In Dallas' defense, they're picking the "right" games to lose, if there is such a thing. Only one of their losses has come against a conference foe (a kickoff Thursday night loss in Tampa Bay) and that could come up big in a multi-team tiebreaker. The Cowboys also caught a break, thanks to a divisional brother, as the New York Giants' 13-7 win over Philadelphia delayed the Eagles surge toward the top of the conference.

Odell Bekcham Jr. was able to share a smile with Erin Andrews, but the Rams' recent play has been no laughing matter (Photo: Getty)

Los Angeles Rams (7-4)

Current owners of the top NFC wild card, the Rams are starting to look like one of the big budget Hollywood flops that shoot nearby: they've only lost ground in the NFC West since adding Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr., though the latter was finally able to visit the end zone for the first time during the 36-28 defeat at the hands of the Packers.

It'd be foolhardy to count out a team with this much firepower, even if time is running out. The Rams will enjoy a bit of a break this weekend, as the wayward Jacksonville Jaguars visit SoFi Stadium on Sunday (4:05 p.m. ET, Fox).