NFL Playoff Standings: Seattle Seahawks, Dallas Cowboys Battle For Best Record

NFL playoff standings have the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys battling for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The Cowboys have posted a 9-1 record so far, giving the team the best record in the entire NFL entering Week 12. The Seahawks are just behind them in the updated NFL standings with a 7-2-1 record. In the AFC standings, the Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots are tied at the top with identical 8-2 records. The Raiders currently hold the tie-breaker and reside at the No. 1 seed in the conference.

The Detroit Lions have become one of the hottest teams in football, winning again on Thanksgiving Day over the Minnesota Vikings. The 16-13 victory improved the Lions to 7-4 on the season, breaking a tie for first place in the NFC North with the Vikings. The Lions also reside as the No. 3 seed in the NFC now, which could be a very important place to be in the final NFL playoff standings this season.

The Atlanta Falcons are the other division leader in the NFC, leading the NFC South by one game coming into the Week 12 schedule. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been playing well lately and have improved to 5-5 on the season, with an important game in Week 12 that could lead to a tie atop the divisional standings. Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers are a bit out of the playoff picture with identical 4-6 records at the bottom of the division. The Panthers might have a difficult time defending their conference championship from last year.

Two divisions are currently controlling all the Wild Card spots in the latest NFL playoff standings. In the AFC, the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos reside in the Wild Card slots. Both AFC West teams are 7-3 and one game behind the Oakland Raiders in the division. Kansas City and Denver are also one game ahead of the Miami Dolphins for that final playoff slot in the AFC. This is a race that could come down to the final week of the regular season, especially with how many games are left between the trio of Oakland, Kansas City, and Denver in the schedule.

The NFC East has been the toughest division in the other conference so far this season. The New York Giants (7-3) and Washington Redskins (6-3-1) are the two Wild Card teams heading into Week 12. They were being chased down by the Minnesota Vikings, but the Vikings lost a very important game to the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day. Washington plays against Dallas later on in the day, with the matchup likely to have an impact on the divisional race as well as the 2016 NFL playoff standings.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Indianapolis Colts play a must-win game against each other on the evening of Thanksgiving Day. The winner will finally have a winning record again, while the loser will have a losing record and almost certainly get eliminated from postseason contention. The results of the Week 12 NFL schedule are going to have a big effect on the overall 2016 NFL playoff standings, so every game counts. As previously reported by the Inquisitr, the experts are divided on how a number of the games will turn out.

Full 2016 NFL Playoff Standings

AFC Playoff Standings

1 – Oakland Raiders (8-2)
2 – New England Patriots (8-2)
3 – Houston Texans (6-4)
4 – Baltimore Ravens (5-5)
5 – Kansas City Chiefs (7-3)
6 – Denver Broncos (7-3)

7 – Miami Dolphins (6-4)
8 – Pittsburgh Steelers (5-5)
9 – Indianapolis Colts (5-5)
10 – Buffalo Bills (5-5)
11 – Tennessee Titans (5-6)
12 – San Diego Chargers (4-6)
13 – Cincinnati Bengals (3-6-1)
14 – New York Jets (3-7)
15 – Jacksonville Jaguars (2-8)
16 – Cleveland Browns (0-11)

NFC Playoff Standings

1 – Dallas Cowboys (9-1)
2 – Seattle Seahawks (7-2-1)
3 – Detroit Lions (7-4)
4 – Atlanta Falcons (6-4)
5 – New York Giants (7-3)
6 – Washington Redskins (6-3-1)

7 – Minnesota Vikings (6-5)
8 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-5)
9 – Philadelphia Eagles (5-5)
10 – Arizona Cardinals (4-5-1)
11 – New Orleans Saints (4-6)
12 – Carolina Panthers (4-6)
13 – Los Angeles Rams (4-6)
14 – Green Bay Packers (4-6)
15 – Chicago Bears (2-8)
16 – San Francisco 49ers (1-9)

[Featured Image by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images]