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With two weeks to go before the start of the playoffs, the race for the No. 1 seed in the NFC is still alive. The San Francisco 49ers, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys have been fighting for the top of the conference since the start of the season, and they start Week 17 all with an 11-4 record.
Here's a look at what needs to happen for each team to get the first seed and the first-round bye in the NFC:
NFC No.1 Seed Playoff Chances
San Francisco 49ers No.1 Seed Scenarios
The situation for the 49ers is massively favorable: they need not lose more games than any of the other teams in the fight. San Francisco has the tiebreaker over every single opponent for the first seed, so if they win their remaining two games, they're guaranteed to earn the top seed.
With upcoming games against the Washington Commanders, who are a complete mess at this point, and the Los Angeles Rams, a team that Kyle Shanahan has dominated over time, it's likely that Brock Purdy's team will earn the top seed and the first-round bye.
Philadelphia Eagles No.1 Seed Scenarios
The Eagles are right there with the 49ers. Both teams have an 11-4 record, but the advantage is up to the 49ers due to head-to-head advantage – let's not forget that, a few weeks ago, San Francisco obliterated Philadelphia in a 42-19 win.
A point to be taken here is that they'll still play the Arizona Cardinals and the New York Giants, two teams that shouldn't be much of a problem even as the Eagles are currently struggling. One misstep from the 49ers and the first seed could well fall into Philadelphia's hands for the second straight season.
Dallas Cowboys No.1 Seed Scenarios
This is the most unlikely of the scenarios here, because if the Eagles win out, then they're guaranteed to win the NFC East, which would automatically take the Cowboys out of the fight; if they win out and Nick Sirianni's team lose one, then they're still behind the 49ers.
The math is simple: do your job and then hope for both San Francisco and Philadelphia to lose at least one. Playing the Detroit Lions in Week 17 certainly won't help, but you can't choose opponents at this point.
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