There are eight different ways this weekend’s NFC Wild Card games can potentially unfold, setting up two of the four NFL Divisional Round games next weekend.
The schedule for the three NFC Wild Card games is set, with the No. 7 seed Seattle Seahawks set to travel to Santa Clara to take on the No. 2 seed San Francisco 49ers on Saturday afternoon in an NFC West battle to open up the postseason.
Then on Sunday afternoon, the No. 3 seed Minnesota Vikings are set to host the No. 6 seed New York Giants, and on Monday night, the No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to host the No. 5 seed Dallas Cowboys.
The results of these three games will ultimately determine what the matchups are in the Divisional Round, and there are eight possible combinations of NFC Wild Card winners. With certain seeding pairings not possible in the Divisional Round, there are 11 possible round two matchups on the table.
With the No. 1 seed Philadelphia Eagles having clinched a first-round bye and a home game in the Divisional Round, one of those two games is set to be played at Lincoln Financial Field, with the Eagles taking on the NFC team with the lowest remaining seed.
There are four possibilities here as opposed to six since a No. 1 seed can’t play a No. 2 seed or a No. 3 seed until the conference championship.
NOTE: All percentages based on FiveThirtyEight’s projections.
Eagles vs. Buccaneers
- What needs to happen: 49ers win, Vikings win, Buccaneers win
- Chance of happening: 21.71%
Eagles vs. Cowboys
- What needs to happen: 49ers win, Vikings win, Cowboys win
- Chance of happening: 32.56%
Eagles vs. Giants
- What needs to happen: 49ers win, Giants win
- Chance of happening: 26.73%
Eagles vs. Seahawks
- What needs to happen: Seahawks win
- Chance of happening: 19%
The other game is set to come from this pool of seven possible matchups. There are only seven options, not 12, because a No. 7 seed’s only possible Divisional Round opponent is the No. 1 seed and because a No. 2 seed can’t play a No. 6 seed until the conference championship.
Have a look at each possibility.
49ers vs. Vikings
- What needs to happen: 49ers win, Vikings win
- Chance of happening: 54.27%
49ers vs. Buccaneers
- What needs to happen: 49ers win, Buccaneers win, Giants win
- Chance of happening: 10.69%
49ers vs. Cowboys
- What needs to happen: 49ers win, Cowboys win, Giants win
- Chance of happening: 16.04%
Vikings vs. Buccaneers
- What needs to happen: Vikings win, Buccaneers win, Seahawks win
- Chance of happening: 5.09%
Vikings vs. Cowboys
- What needs to happen: Vikings win, Cowboys win, Seahawks win
- Chance of happening: 7.64%
Buccaneers vs. Giants
- What needs to happen: Buccaneers win, Giants win, Seahawks win
- Chance of happening: 2.51%
Cowboys vs. Giants
- What needs to happen: Cowboys win, Giants win, Seahawks win
- Chance of happening: 3.76%