Takeaways From Week Twelve In The NFL

A contender for a wild card spot has emerged in the NFC while the AFC playoff picture remains muddied. What happened this week in the NFL?

• The Seahawks Have The Inside Track To One Of The Playoff Spots In The NFC Wild Card Race: It was an ugly contest, but a win nevertheless for the Seattle Seahawks as they edged the Carolina Panthers, 30-27. Russell Wilson had one of his best games ever, throwing for 339 yards and two touchdowns. The Seahawks have a few benefits going for them heading down the stretch. One is that four of Seattle's last five games are at home, with the sole road game being in Santa Clara. Another is a sliding Washington team without many offensive pieces and a Carolina team that seems to be reeling. The last benefit is the tiebreaker it now holds over Carolina, with another chance at a tiebreaker coming on a Monday night game in two weeks against Minnesota.
  
• There Are Some Head Coaches That Need To Be Given The Pink Slip: How in the world does Marvin Lewis still have a job, especially after the CLEVELAND BROWNS came into Cincinnati and kicked their Ohio brethren's ass? Considering Lewis's less-than-sterling playoff record, I'm under the assumption that Lewis has some unflattering photos of the owner in his office. Another head coach that must go is Mike McCarthy. Another year with arguably the best quarterback in the NFL and lofty Super Bowl expectations has gone to waste with McCarthy's ineptitude.
  
• The NFC East Is Dallas's To Lose: With the Redskins hurting, the Giants being, well, the Giants right now, and the Eagles suffering a massive Super Bowl hangover, the NFC East is ripe for the picking for the Dallas Cowboys. A 31-23 victory over Washington on Thanksgiving gave the Cowboys a spot atop the NFC East. A couple tough games stand in their way, including a tough Thursday night match with New Orleans. However, Philly has a tough remainder to their schedule as well and Washington is reeling. Keep an eye out for December 9th as the Cowboys host the Philadelphia Eagles.
  

NFL Top Five:

1. New Orleans Saints
   
2. Los Angeles Rams
   
3. Kansas City Chiefs
   
4. New England Patriots
   
5. (Tied) Chicago Bears/Houston Texans