NFL Power Rankings: NFC Contenders on the Rise

The Green Bay Packers are looking harder and harder to beat as the NFC’s Super Bowl representative, but there are five other playoff spots up for grabs in the conference. Here are three teams in the hunt for those postseason berths whose stock is on the way up:

Chicago Bears

The Bears’ opportunistic defense closed out San Diego this evening for the team’s fifth consecutive victory. With the exception of a Week 16 trip to Green Bay, the Bears’ only remaining opponent with a winning record is Oakland, whom Chicago visits next week.

The Raiders will likely be without top wideout Darrius Heyward-Bey, who left today’s game with a head injury, and star RB Darren McFadden is unlikely to be 100 percent (if he plays at all) after missing the last month with an injured foot. A red-hot defense should be able to carry the Bears to a win in Oakland, setting them up with momentum for a playoff push.

Dallas Cowboys

A narrow escape against Washington today left the Cowboys at 6-4 and in second place in the NFC East (pending the Giants-Eagles outcome later tonight). The win was Dallas’ third straight, and more are likely to come before the streak is out.

The Cowboys are home to still-vulnerable Miami next week, followed by a road trip to Arizona. Dallas will regret it if they aren’t 8-4 heading into a home stretch that features two games with the first-place Giants plus a visit from Philadelphia.

Atlanta Falcons

After holding off the Titans this evening, Atlanta has taken four of five, with the only loss being last week’s heartbreaker against the Saints. After a sluggish start, Matt Ryan and the offense seem to have gotten on track in time to put Atlanta in the thick of the postseason race.

Like the Cowboys, the Falcons need to set themselves up for a playoff run before a tough closing slate (at New Orleans, home to Tampa Bay). Fortunately for them, three of their next four games pit them against Minnesota (which may be without Adrian Peterson), Carolina and Jacksonville, all of which should be easy wins.