The Cowboys gave their playoff hopes a big boost by beating the Saints on Thursday night. And they boosted the Rams as well.The Rams have leapfrogged the Saints and moved into the top spot in the NFC after New Orleans lost at Dallas. Although the Saints own the head-to-head tiebreaker and will earn the top seed if the two teams finish tied Stephen Curry Jersey , the Rams are now a half game ahead of the Saints heading into Week 13.Here’s how the playoff picture looks after Thursday night:1. Rams (10-1): They have an easy schedule the rest of the way, starting with Sunday at Detroit, so they have a good chance of finishing ahead of the Saints in the standings.2. Saints (10-2): Still the favorites to earn a bye week, but now they have an uphill climb to home-field advantage.3. Bears (8-3): The inside track to the No. 3 seed, but can they catch the Saints for a bye?4. Cowboys (7-5): Now owns sole possession of first place in the NFC East.5. Vikings (6-4-1): If they keep winning, they maintain a half-game lead in the wild card race.6. Washington (6-5): Owns the wild card tiebreaker over Seattle based on NFC record, and over Carolina based on head-to-head.7. Seahawks (6-5): Has the tiebreaker over Carolina thanks to Sunday’s head-to-head win.8. Panthers (6-5): Two straight losses in games they easily could have won have severely hurt their playoff chances.9. Eagles (5-6): Pulling out the comeback win against the Giants means they’re not dead yet in the NFC East.10. Packers (4-6-1): When they signed Aaron Rodgers to his huge new contract they thought they’d be playoff contenders for years to come. In Year One of the contract, they’re not.11. Falcons (4-7): Their Thanksgiving loss was the final nail in the coffin.12. Buccaneers (4-7): Jameis Winston‘s best game of the season was too little Shaq Thompson Color Rush Jersey , too late.13. Lions (4-7): Their Thanksgiving loss was the final nail in the coffin.14. Giants (3-8): Stuck in last place in the NFC East.15. Cardinals (2-9): Swept the 49ers for their only two wins of the season.16. 49ers (2-9): The worst team in the NFC. The question of whether Panthers safety Eric Reid‘s random PED tests were truly random continues to percolate, unresolved because Reid has failed to take the steps that would resolve it.Apparently, he doesn’t need to. Because his suspicions are gaining traction. On Thursday, Panthers coach Ron Rivera commented on the generally accepted (but unverified) belief that Reid has been randomly picked for PED tests seven times in 11 weeks with the team.“I guess there was something about some mathematician saying it’s highly improbable, but definitely possible,” Rivera told reporters, via David Newton of ESPN.com. “But I’ll say this, if my name came up that many times Kawann Short Jersey , I’d buy a lottery ticket.”Those observations presume that Reid has been randomly tested seven times. At a minimum, the media possibly has miscounted; the last time the issue came up, he’d been randomly test five times with a total of six tests. Unless he had yet another random test and didn’t complain about it (unlikely), he has been randomly tested only six times.But, again, that’s unverified. A player can claim that he’s been randomly tested every single week if he wants, and there’s nothing the league or the union can say or do to refute it. That’s not to say that Reid isn’t telling the truth. If he is, however Vernon Butler Color Rush Jersey , and if he believes that foul play has a occurred, he should direct the NFL and/or the NFLPA to disclose all details about his random testing.As recently explained, there are only three possible explanations for this situation: (1) Reid has been specifically and deliberately targeted for six or more “random” PED tests; (2) Reid hasn’t actually been randomly tested as many times as he claims he has been tested; or (3) Reid’s tests, however many there have been, are the result of the legitimate application of the random testing process.If it’s indeed deliberate, it would be one of the biggest scandals in recent NFL history. And it could easily be proven, via a fairly basic examination of the digital footprints generated, or not Cam Newton Color Rush Jersey , by the engagement of the algorithm that randomly selects 10 players per team per week.Reid could obtain that proof by directing the union to file a grievance. And he should want to do it, since it would not only bolster his collusion case but also create separate rights for which Reid would be entitled to some sort of remedy.Maybe Rivera simply said what he had to say because he feels compelled to support his player. If he really wanted to help his player, however, Rivera should tell Reid that he should quit talking about his suspicions and take action. Until Reid takes steps aimed at getting the truth out, it’s fair to be at least a little skeptical about the overall veracity of his allegations.