The NFC playoff standings are taking shape heading into the second day of Wild Card weekend as the New Orleans Saints won over the Philadelphia Eagles on the road and the Green Bay Packers play against the San Francisco 49ers on the Sunday schedule to see who advances to the next round and that game will be on FOX at 4:40 pm ET from Lambeau Field.
The NFC side of the playoffs is already set since the New Orleans Saints won over the Philadelphia Eagles, as they are the lowest seed in the playoff and that means another matchup on the road against the Seattle Seahawks at CenturyLink Field and it comes after the team lost there in the playoffs a few years ago and they also lost there this season on Monday night football. The team will play on Saturday next weekend and the Seahawks have the number one seed and home field advantage and they will be favored over the Saints, who won their first road playoff game with the matchup against the Eagles on Saturday.
The Packers and Niners has the potential to be a great matchup, as the temperature is expected to be low and cold and the offenses are high powered, with Green Bay and San Fran ranked in the top part of the league in rushing. The Niners have Frank Gore leading the rushing attack, while Eddie Lacy has been excellent for the Packers, giving the team a top 10 offense in passing and rushing in yards per game and they come into the playoffs with an 8-7-1 record after winning the NFC North over the Bears. The Packers lost Aaron Rodgers for nearly half the season and still made it into the playoffs and they are hosting the playoff game after winning the division, as the Niners are in the fifth seed after losing the division to the Seahawks.
The Niners come into the game at 12-4 on the season and despite going 5-1 in the division, the Seahawks won out in the West and they are going to host the Saints, while the winner of the Packers and the Niners game will play on the road against the Carolina Panthers and that could be a very interesting matchup, with either Rodgers or Colin Kaepernick matching up against Cam Newton. The Niners come into the game with a top three offense and a top 10 defense, as the team is allowed in just over 220 yards per game in the air and fourth in rushing yards allowed with less than 100 per game and that makes the cold temperatures at Lambeau even more crucial for the outcome of the game.
The Saints won their first road game ever in the playoffs and they are the sixth seed in the NFC and they won after a last second field goal as time expired with Shayne Graham making his third field goal of the night and they won 26-24 to advance to the next round. The first quarter of the game was scoreless and then both sides went back and forth and the Saints won the game despite the Eagles outscoring them 10-6 in the fourth quarter. The Saints and Seahawks now will play and the NFC has the Carolina Panthers waiting for the San Francisco 49ers or the Green Bay Packers.
