And then there were eight. As we inch closer to the conclusion of 2025 regular season, more and more teams are getting eliminated. Such was the case on Christmas Day for the Detroit Lions, who received a lump of coal in their stocking. The Lions were officially eliminated from postseason contention following their abysmal 23-10 loss to the similarly eliminated Minnesota Vikings. Last year, these teams were two of the winningest squads in all of football. Detroit was 15-2 and the No. 1 seed, while the 14-3 Vikings were in the Wild Card. Now, at 8-8 for both, they will be sitting home in January.

Detroit’s elimination means there are now only eight NFC teams remaining for the playoffs. Eight teams, seven playoff spots, and six of them are already taken. Here are the current standings headed into Week 17:

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No. 5 – San Francisco 49ers (11-4, Wild Card 1)

Green Bay actually benefitted as well from the Lions’ loss, as it allowed them to mathematically clinch a playoff spot. The Packers will be no worse than the No. 7 seed… which is the final playoff spot. However, Green Bay can still win the NFC North if they win out and the Chicago Bears lose out.

The NFC South is also up for grabs as well. The Panthers are in the driver’s seat, but their position is tenuous at best. They host the Seahawks at home, while the Buccaneers (7-8) play the hapless Miami Dolphins. Should Carolina lose and Tampa Bay win, it will set up a winner-take-all showdown when these teams rematch in Week 18. The only question of who will make the playoffs resides in the NFC South.

As for the NFC West… the gauntlet. The best division in football. Three teams, and all three should be considered the favorites to represent the conference in the Super Bowl. Seattle can clinch the No. 1 seed and division title with a win + a Rams loss/tie + 49ers tie. Not impossible, but obviously highly implausible. The Seahawks and 49ers control their destiny for the No. 1 seed. If both teams win this weekend, Seattle and San Francisco will be playing for the No. 1 seed and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. For the Niners, this would mean they would not have to go on the road at all during a potential Super Bowl run, since their stadium is the host site for Super Bowl LX. The Seahawks would surely love to deny their hated rivals such an opportunity.

This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks vs Panthers: updated NFC playoff picture