NFC Playoff Picture: Ranking the Conference's Top Title Contenders

The NFC gap between the first-place Packers and everyone else closed a bit on Sunday with Green Bay falling and everyone else appearing to win (San Francisco tentative).

That being said, the NFC playoff landscape has certainly changed and is now shaping up to be an interesting finish.

So, here are the top NFC playoff contenders right now.

1. Green Bay Packers

The Packers are still No. 1.

It was a slip up game at Kansas City, and the Chiefs had the perfect game-plan along with some favorable variable factors on their side. For one, Kyle Orton had already played the Packers once when he was with Denver earlier this season.

So, it was no surprise to see Orton have another good game against the Packers vulnerable pass defense. Also, interim head coach Romeo Crennel is a defensive-minded genius.

Add in the pressure of perfection and a stout Chiefs ground game, and it was just one of those days for Green Bay. Well, now that the pressure of perfection is off and the fight for the No. 1 seed has yet to be locked up, don't expect the cheese to slow down.

The offense will get back on track and the defense actually played well against the Chiefs. For as great as the Packers are, it's scary to see that they still have room to improve.

Hence, they remain as the NFL's best team.

2. New Orleans Saints

If anyone thought that the Packers' loss to the Chiefs makes Green Bay vulnerable, well, then what about the Saints who lost to the now 2-12 Rams in St. Louis?

The Rams are surely a worse team than the Packers, plus Green Bay beat the Saints at home in Week 1. Nonetheless, New Orleans is the only team who can match Green Bay in the playoffs.

The Saints' explosive offense continues to roll defenses and their ability to win on the road has significantly increased. Also, remember the year New Orleans won the Super Bowl? They began 13-0 but finished 0-3.

So, not only do the Saints have that playoff experience but they proved that making the playoffs is all that matters. Now, much like in Green Bay, the defense in general still needs to improve. However, as long as the offense keeps rolling, the D's improvement only needs to be minimal.

All this being said, it will come as no surprise if New Orleans ends up as the No. 2 seed because the 49ers are slowly losing their grip as the season concludes.

3. Atlanta Falcons

After a rough 2-3 start, the Atlanta Falcons have gone 7-2 and need just one more win to lockup a playoff spot.

With remaining games against the Saints and Buccaneers, surely The Dirty Birds will win at least once more. Also, having the tiebreaker over the Lions is big, as that's currently keeping them two games above Seattle in the playoff race instead of just one game.

The Falcons have a balanced offense. And, when throwing the ball, QB Matt Ryan has an array of targets that will give any pass defense trouble.

At the moment, the Falcons pass defense is their biggest weakness— they're allowing 230 yards per game.

So, although they are the best equipped team to match the Packers and Saints, as well as having played both more than anyone else since last season (seven games combined one 2011 regular season ends), we will find out where they stand this week.

In Week 16, they play at New Orleans in a game that can still determine the NFC South champion. If the Falcons lose though, the gap widens between the Packers/Saints and Falcons/everyone else as contenders.

In any event, this is a team with much playoff experience and experience in playing the NFC's two top teams. Therefore, if you have to pick a team other the Green Bay and New Orleans to win the NFC, it is Atlanta.

4. Detroit Lions

Ok, so no NFC East or NFC West teams on the list. Well, if Dallas hadn't choked multiple times this season and if the 49ers hadn't look vulnerable recently, maybe the two would be on this list.

That said, the Lions are the next contenders because they are finally coming together as a team. They began on fire at 5-0 and then went 2-5. The success and exposure got to them, and we'll leave it at that.

However, since then, Detroit has ran off two straight wins and are comfortably ahead in the NFC Wild Card picture. And with two games left against the Chargers and Packers, we'll know exactly how good the Lions are after Week 17.

San Diego has won three straight and comes in on fire, so don't chalk up that win yet. Then it's off to Lambeau Field, where the Packers still want to lockup home-field advantage.

As for Detroit, it's the fight left in them that is impressive. Down 27-14 with less than eight minutes to play at Oakland, the Lions made an improbable comeback and won 28-27.

That kind of win on the road against a playoff caliber team displays how dangerous the Lions are.

If you don't play for 60 minutes, the Lions will beat you. And, in the postseason, that's important as anything else.

Follow John Rozum on Twitter @ Sportswriter27