The Plot Thickens in Chase for NFC Home-Field Advantage

Seattle is No. 1 and Green Bay is No. 2 after San Francisco was shocked on Sunday.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The playoff-bound Green Bay Packers remain in the thick of the race for the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage.

The door sprung wide open for the Packers on Sunday after the Atlanta Falcons shocked the San Francisco 49ers with a last-second touchdown. With that, the 49ers fell from clear-cut front-runner as the NFC’s only team with two losses.

Through Sunday, Seattle, San Francisco and Green Bay are 11-3 and New Orleans has a chance to join those teams if it can earn a home victory over slumping Indianapolis on Monday.

Because Seattle beat San Francisco a couple weeks ago, the Seahawks lead the NFC West and kick the 49ers to the wild card. Assuming the Saints win on Monday, that would create a three-team tiebreaker between Seattle, Green Bay and New Orleans for the top seeds. The Saints would be out based on conference record, with the Seahawks and Packers having two conference losses to the Saints’ three. The next tiebreaker is common opponents, which the Seahawks would win based on victories over two teams that defeated the Packers – the Eagles and 49ers. Thus, if the season were to end today, Seattle as the No. 1 seed and Green Bay as the No. 2 seed would earn first-round bye and divisional-round home games.

Here’s how it shapes up the next two weeks:

Seattle: home against Arizona (4-9-1), home against San Francisco (11-3).

Green Bay: at Minnesota (10-4), at Detroit (3-10-1).

New Orleans: home against Indianapolis (6-7), at Tennessee (8-6), at Carolina (5-9).

San Francisco: home against L.A. Rams (8-6), at Seattle (11-3).

The Packers will need some help to move up to No. 1 but, really, the only thing that matters from their perspective is Monday night’s game at Minnesota. The Vikings are 6-0 at home this season and 3-0 at U.S. Bank Stadium against the Packers.

“Nothing yet,” defensive back Tramon Williams said of reaching 11 wins. “I’m going to keep saying that until everything is set in stone. It doesn't mean anything yet. Eleven wins, you would think that this would get you in the playoffs, but the NFC has been pretty tight this year. It means nothing right now. It gives us an opportunity. That's all I'll say.”