Arizona Cardinals fans should be huge Saints, Falcons, Jaguars fans in NFL Week 13
The Arizona Cardinals would be the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs if the postseason were to begin after Week 12.
Not bad for a team that hasn't been to the NFL playoffs since 2015.
The team currently sits at 9-2, the best record in the NFL.
It can help its own chances by moving to 10-2 with a win over the Chicago Bears in Week 13.
But it can also get a boost to its playoff chances with some help from other teams.
NFL Week 13 picks, predictions, odds:
Chargers at Bengals | Bucs at Falcons | Jaguars at Rams
Washington Football Team at Raiders | Ravens at Steelers
49ers at Seahawks | Broncos at Chiefs | Patriots at Bills
The top seed in each conference gets a bye in the playoffs and the other division winners get the No. 2 through No 4 seeds. The No. 5, No. 6 and No. 7 seeds go to the non-division winners with the best records.
How can the Cardinals get closer to clinching a playoff berth, and earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC postseason?
Here's a breakdown of what to root for in Week 13 of the NFL season to help Arizona's chances.
NFL Week 13 television information:
For Cardinals to get the No. 1 seed in NFC playoffs:
Saints over Cowboys: A win by the 5-6 Saints over the 7-4 Cowboys on Thursday Night Football would give Arizona more room over Dallas in the race for the top seed in the conference.
Falcons over Buccaneers: A victory by the 5-6 Falcons against the 8-3 Buccaneers would increase the Cardinals' chances to finish first in the NFC.
Jaguars over Rams: A win by the AFC's Jaguars, who are just 2-9, would put the Rams at 7-5 on the season, further behind the Cardinals in the battle for the No. 1 postseason seed in the conference.
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For Cardinals to win the NFC West:
Jaguars over Rams: The Cardinals already have a two-game lead on the Rams for the NFC West division lead. A loss by Los Angeles in Week 13 would make Arizona almost a shoo-in for the division title.
Seahawks over 49ers: The Seahawks are just 3-8. They are not going to win the division. A win over the 6-5 49ers would basically make it so the 49ers won't win the NFC West, either.
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For Cardinals to get closer to clinching a playoff berth:
Cowboys over Saints: The Cowboys are likely making the postseason, but a win over the Saints would hurt New Orleans' shot.
Dolphins over Giants: The AFC Dolphins beating the Giants would really hurt New York's NFC postseason hopes.
Lions over Vikings: The Lions are 0-10-1 while the Vikings are 5-6. A Detroit win would hurt Minnesota's hopes.
Jets over Eagles: The AFC's Jets could really hurt the Eagles' (5-7) shot at earning a postseason berth in the NFC.
Buccaneers over Falcons: The Buccaneers are going to be in the postseason, but the Falcons' chances would really suffer with a loss.
Jaguars over Rams: The Rams would be just 7-5 with a loss to the Jaguars (and it would be Los Angeles' fourth-straight loss). Suddenly, Los Angeles would be fighting for a playoff berth.
Raiders over Washington: The AFC's Raiders can really hurt Washington (5-6) with a win in Week 13.
Seahawks over 49ers or 49ers over Seahawks: No matter what happens in this game, one team's playoff hopes will take a huge hit. The Seahawks' hopes are basically already over as it is.
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Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Cardinals NFL Week 13 rooting guide: Saints, Falcons, Jaguars
