What does Cardinals-Panthers mean for NFC standings

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The Cardinals face the Panthers in Charlotte on Sunday. We break down what the game means for the NFL playoff picture.

The Arizona Cardinals travel to Charlotte in Week 16 to face the Carolina Panthers with plenty on the line. The Panthers are playing for positioning in the 2025 NFL Draft, but the Cardinals still have a shot at a playoff berth as the regular season comes down the home stretch. The game kicks off at 1 p.m. ET and the Cardinals are a 4.5-point favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook.

Cardinals playoff picture

Arizona is 7-7 and sitting in third place in the NFC West. The 49ers sit a game behind the Cardinals while the Rams and Seahawks each sit a game in front of them. In Week 16, the Cardinals can be eliminated from NFC West contention with a loss and a Rams win. That would also eliminate them from playoff contention.

The Cardinals path to the division title is clear. If they win out and the Seahawks lose two of their final three games, Arizona will win the division title. They hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Rams while the Seahawks hold it over them. Thus, they can finish tied with the Rams, but have to finish a full game clear of the Seahawks.

The Cardinals are also in tenth place overall in the NFC standings, sitting two games back of the Commanders for the final wild card berth. Arizona lost to Washington, so they have to gain three games in the standings to have a shot at the wild card.

Tiebreaker implications

This has no real implications in the Cardinals bid for a playoff berth. If they win out, they’ll have swept the Rams, been swept by the Seahawks, and have lost to the Commanders. The head-to-head tiebreaker would be the difference in virtually any result.