Now that five weeks have passed, it’s time to take a look at the 2019 NFL Playoff Picture.
There were several big games in Week 5, but perhaps no game had a bigger impact on the 2019 NFL Playoff Picture than the Green Bay Packers 34-24 win over the Dallas Cowboys.
It initially looked like a blowout victory for the Packers, but the Cowboys were at least able to make it close, both overcoming four rushing touchdowns from Aaron Jones and their own three interceptions from star passer Dak Prescott.
In the end, the Packers held on to win their fourth game of the season, making them one of three teams in the NFC with a 4-1 record. The others? The New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks, who both defeated division rivals in Week 5.
How do those teams stack up in the NFC playoff race after five weeks? Read on to find out.
AFC Playoff Picture
The New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs are both undefeated and made it to the AFC Championship Game last season. They are locks to make the postseason again and will most likely be the teams with bye weeks.
Looking at the standings, it would be an upset for the Houston Texans to not win the AFC South again, while the Baltimore Ravens are still in pole position in the AFC North after barely beating the Pittsburgh Steelers; that could change if the Cleveland Browns beat the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football.
Don’t look now, but if the season were to end today, the Oakland Raiders would be in the playoffs as a Wild Card team.
Projected seeds:
- New England Patriots
- Kansas City Chiefs
- Cleveland Browns
- Houston Texans
- Buffalo Bills
- Baltimore Ravens
NFC Playoff Picture
The Green Bay Packers are 4-1 and the Dallas Cowboys 3-2 following their Week 5 contest, while the Packers also received a lift from the Chicago Bears 24-21 loss to the Raiders.
Meanwhile, the NFC West looks like an even more intriguing division than the NFC North. The 49ers are undefeated heading into Monday’s game against the Browns, the Rams are the reigning NFC Champions, and the Seahawks just defeated the Rams. Out of those teams, Seattle has looked the strongest on the field this season, thanks to Russell Wilson’s continued MVP-caliber play at quarterback.
The NFC East isn’t as deep as those two divisions, but between the Philadelphia Eagles and Cowboys, it’s just as competitive.
Projected seeds:
- New Orleans Saints
- Green Bay Packers
- Seattle Seahawks
- Philadelphia Eagles
- Dallas Cowboys
- San Francisco 49ers
It’s crazy how good the Saints are even without Drew Brees. They’ve beaten the Cowboys and Seahawks, and their lone loss was to the Rams in the same game that Brees went down.
