Poll: Who Will Earn NFC’s No. 1 Seed?
The NFC’s contender class (non-NFC East contingent) has separated from the pack, giving the conference a clear top five going into December. With the NFC-leading 49ers set for a historically brutal late-season stretch, cases can be made for each of the top five moving to the home-field advantage bracket position.
While the Cowboys and Eagles are almost certainly vying for the conference’s No. 4 seed, the 49ers, Saints, Seahawks, Packers and Vikings comprise one of the more interesting pursuits of a conference’s No. 1 slot in recent memory. Week 17 in the NFC may not feature many starters resting.
Armed with the ninth-best defensive DVOA figure through 11 games in the Football Outsiders-developed metric’s 34-season history, the 49ers carry a 10-1 record into the regular season’s final month. They made a statement in the first leg of their difficult three-game stretch, a defensive line-keyed rout of the Packers, but still have games in Baltimore and New Orleans (both oddly staying in the early-Sunday time slot) on tap. The 49ers also conclude their season with a Seattle trip. They have not won in Seattle since 2011, when Tarvaris Jackson was at the controls for the Seahawks, and have not earned a playoff bye in seven years.
While the 49ers have the NFL’s second-toughest schedule remaining, the Seahawks’ remaining SOS is not much easier. Their final five games double as the seventh-most difficult stretch run. Seattle (9-2, No. 8 in DVOA) is 9-2 but won in San Francisco during a 6-0 road start. Following their home tilt against the Vikings, who lost in Seattle on a Monday night in December 2018, the Seahawks have a road Rams game scheduled before meetings with the Panthers and Cardinals.
New Orleans does not have it any easier, with the league’s fifth-toughest slate remaining. After the 49ers, however, the Saints (10-2, No. 6 in DVOA) face the Colts at home before outdoor games in Nashville and Charlotte. Since 1994, only the Seahawks (2013-14) and Eagles (2002-04) have earned the NFC’s No. 1 seed in back-to-back years. Illustrating the stakes for the Saints: they are 6-1 at home in the playoffs under Sean Payton, with the loss obviously coming in controversial fashion last season, and 1-5 on the road during the Payton-Drew Brees era.
The Vikings (8-3, No. 7 DVOA) sit 11th in the December SOS rankings but do have each of their divisional home games remaining, with a “road” game against the Chargers mixed in. Were they to stick the landing and reach the playoffs, it would mark an extraordinarily rare run. With no Viking quarterback helping the team to two postseason berths since Daunte Culpepper, Kirk Cousins guiding Minnesota to January football would make six different starting quarterbacks since Culpepper’s 2004 season to lead the Vikings to the playoffs.
With two of their worst offensive games of the decade occurring in November trips to Los Angeles and San Francisco, the Packers (8-3, No. 10 DVOA) have cooled off considerably. They do, however, have by far the easiest road to January among the NFC’s premier quintet. Only the Eagles and Browns face a worse run of opponents than the Packers, who draw the Giants, Redskins, Bears and Lions. The Packers have not earned a playoff bye in five years but appear a stealth threat to make such a push this season.
So which of the NFC’s powers will end up securing home-field advantage? Vote in PFR’s latest poll (link for app users) and weigh in with your thoughts on this race in the comments section.
Who will earn the NFC's No. 1 seed?
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San Francisco 49ers 29% (984)
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New Orleans Saints 29% (979)
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Seattle Seahawks 25% (847)
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Green Bay Packers 11% (388)
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Minnesota Vikings 6% (218)
Total votes: 3,416
Seahawks Designate Ethan Pocic To Return
The Seahawks announced that they have designated Ethan Pocic to return from injured reserve. The offensive lineman will aim to take the field for the first time since his back injury sidelined him. 
Per league rules, the move will kickstart a two-week practice window for Pocic, who will be eligible to return in Week 15 against the Panthers. The move also means that the Seahawks cannot bring another player back from IR in 2019. The Seahawks used their other IR-DTR slot to bring Ed Dickson back into the fold last week, but the tight end quickly reverted to IR after his knee troubles re-emerged.
Pocic has served as a swiss army knife of an offensive lineman for the Seahawks, but he’ll likely be deployed at center to hold down the role previously filled by Justin Britt. Since Britt tore his ACL, Joey Hunt has been the starter, with Jordan Roos as his backup.
Pocic, a 2017 second-round pick, has started in 16 games as a pro. Between now and Week 15, the 9-2 Seahawks will have to keep fighting without him as they face the Vikings and Rams.
NFL Workout Updates: 11/26/19
Got a whole lot of workout updates to pass along:
Carolina Panthers
- DL Woodrow Hamilton, DL Stacy McGee, DL Jay-Tee Tiuli
Green Bay Packers
- OL Cody Conway, LB Joe Dineen, OT Antonio Garcia, OL Tyler Jones, OL Marquez Tucker
Jacksonville Jaguars
Los Angeles Chargers
New Orleans Saints
- C Josh LeRibeus, OT Michael Ola, OL Bryan Witzmann
New York Jets
- LB Garret Dooley, LB Nicholas Grigsby, LB Gimel President
Seattle Seahawks
- TE Keenen Brown, TE C.J. Conrad, DB Jayson Stanley
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFL Practice Squad Updates: 11/26/19
A handful of practice squad moves to pass along:
Green Bay Packers
- Signed: OT Cody Conway
Houston Texans
- Signed: S Jonathan Owens
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed: S Doug Middleton
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: FB Johnny Stanton
Philadelphia Eagles
- Signed: S Chris Johnson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: TE Wes Saxton
Tennessee Titans
- Signed: DB Kenneth Durden, DL Joey Ivie
Seahawks Host T Seantrel Henderson
Despite starting only two games over the past two seasons, Seantrel Henderson is generating interest as a free agent. The Seahawks met with the unattached tackle, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter).
Henderson visited the Bills recently but did not sign with his former team. The Texans released the sixth-year veteran from their NFI list last week.
Both Duane Brown and swing man George Fant were listed on Seattle’s injury report last week. Brown also missed time earlier this season. Henderson has played four games this year, starting for the Texans in Week 1 but playing sparingly after that. He started Houston’s first 2018 game, but a season-ending injury ended that brief first-string stay.
The former seventh-round draft pick has done well to stick in the NFL, first starting 26 games with the Bills from 2014-15 and then serving as a Buffalo backup. Teams are still interested in the former late-round investment, and it’s certainly possible Henderson lands with a contender soon.
Jadeveon Clowney Game-Time Decision
- Seahawks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is a game-time decision after missing three practices this week due to a hip injury, tweets ESPN’s Brady Henderson. Coach Pete Carroll told reporters that Clowney didn’t travel with the team to Philadelphia as he gets his hip checked out. Clowney suffered the injury during Monday’s win over the 49ers. In his first season with Seattle, the 26-year-old has compiled 25 tackles, three sacks, and three forced fumbles.
[SOURCE LINK]
Minor NFL Transactions: 11/22/19
Today’s minor moves:
Atlanta Falcons
- Waived: OL Sean Harlow
Cleveland Browns
- Promoted from practice squad: DT Brandin Bryant, DE Porter Gustin
Denver Broncos
- Promoted from practice squad: OLB Ahmad Gooden
- Waived: TE Orson Charles
Houston Texans
- Signed: DE Joel Heath, WR Steven Mitchell
New Orleans Saints
- Promoted from practice squad: TE Jason Vander Laan
- Placed on IR: WR Austin Carr
Seattle Seahawks
- Promoted from the practice squad: TE Tyrone Swoopes
Seahawks To Place Ed Dickson On IR
After having just activated him from injured reserve on Wednesday, the Seahawks are expected to place tight end Ed Dickson back on IR, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Seattle reportedly has concern about Dickson’s recovery from an ongoing knee issue.
Dickson was originally slated to miss four-to-five weeks after undergoing knee surgery in early August, but he never came close to meeting that recovery timeline. The Seahawks have already placed Will Dissly on injured reserve and traded Nick Vannett, so Dickson could have seen immediate work alongside fellow tight end Jacob Hollister had he been able to stay on the field.
Dickson signed a three-year, $10.7MM contract with the Seahawks last spring, but his 2018 debut was delayed by various injuries. After spending the first part of the year on the non-football injury list, Dickson was activated in October, and went on to post 12 receptions and three touchdowns in 10 appearances.
If the Seahawks want to move on from Dickson next spring after essentially two lost campaigns, they could cut the 32-year-old without much financial consequence. Seattle would save $3.4MM in cap space and incur only $866K in dead money by releasing Dickson.
Dolphins Place Jones, McCain On IR
The two longest-tenured Dolphin defenders will finish their seasons on injured reserve. Miami placed safeties Reshad Jones and Bobby McCain on IR, where they will join cornerback Xavien Howard.
This strips the Dolphins’ secondary of two key veterans — in a year that’s seen numerous Miami vets depart or head to IR — and creates questions about Jones’ future with the franchise. Jones is by far the Dolphins’ longest-tenured player, at 10 years, but he was a trade candidate throughout this offseason.
A chest injury cost Jones four games this season, but he returned for the Dolphins’ Week 11 matchup against the Bills. Against the Browns, the Dolphins will deploy a skeleton crew featuring Eric Rowe and a host of young players. McCain suffered a shoulder injury against Buffalo.
The Dolphins gave Jones a $12MM-per-year extension in March 2017; the two-time Pro Bowler’s play since, however, has not quite lived up to that price. Jones will turn 32 in February and stands to count $15.6MM toward Miami’s 2020 cap. The Dolphins could save nearly $8MM by releasing Jones next year, though that move would cost them almost as much in dead-money charges.
Miami offered Jones to Pittsburgh before sending Minkah Fitzpatrick there this year, but the former’s high salary impeded trade talks this offseason. For a Dolphins team that’s made no secret of a full-scale rebuild, as the exits of most of the franchise’s previous core have shown, it will likely not have an issue jettisoning Jones next year.
McCain has started eight games for Miami this season and 40 since joining the team as a 2015 fifth-round pick. He’s attached to a four-year, $27MM extension the Dolphins gave him in 2018. With only $5.5MM in 2020 salary due, the 26-year-old defender has a better chance of returning next season.
The Dolphins added safety help by signing ex-49ers starter Adrian Colbert off the Seahawks’ practice squad. They also placed 2019 Seahawks wide receiver draftee Gary Jennings on IR.
Seahawks Activate Ed Dickson From IR
The Seahawks’ tight end group has experienced considerable turnover this year, but they will add a key veteran for the stretch run. Seattle activated Ed Dickson from IR Wednesday.
Dickson’s second Seahawks season has unfolded similarly to his first. Last year, he did not debut until late October after spending the first several weeks of the season on Seattle’s NFI list because of a quadriceps injury. A late-summer knee surgery sidelined Dickson this year, and he experienced a slower-than-anticipated recovery. But the second-year Seahawk will make another midseason debut after returning to practice late last month.
The 10th-year veteran will again return for a Seahawks team that’s lost Will Dissly for the season. They also traded Nick Vannett to the Steelers. Yet this year, the team has received production from trade acquisition Jacob Hollister. Dickson joins Hollister and Luke Willson as Seattle’s active-roster tight ends.
In his abbreviated 2018 season, Dickson caught 12 passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns. The former Ravens and Panthers tight end has exceeded 300 receiving yards in just two seasons (2011, 2017). The 32-year-old vet is known more for his blocking, and this transaction will stand to help Seattle’s run game.
This is the second time the Seahawks have cut Taylor this year. They did so in August but brought him back before Week 2. He’s played a part-time role in his seventh NFL season, making 20 tackles in nine games as a backup. He will be available on the waiver wire.