The NFC Playoff Race Mess

Remaining games for NFC Contenders:

(I'm not gonna bother with Seattle and the West since they've clinched their division and their playing like beasts right now)



NFC North
Chicago (9-4, 8-1 in NFC)
12/18 - Atlanta
12/25 - @ Green Bay
1/1 - @ Minnesota

Minnesota (8-5, 7-4 in NFC)
12/18 - Pittsburgh
12/25 - @ Baltimore
1/1 - Chicago

NFC East
N.Y. Giants (9-4, 8-3 in NFC)
12/17 - Kansas City
12/24 - @ Washington
12/31 - @ Oakland

Dallas (8-5, 6-3 in NFC)
12/18 - @ Washington
12/24 - @ Carolina
1/1 - St. Louis

Washington (7-6, 7-2 in NFC)
12/18 - Dallas
12/24 - N.Y. Giants
1/1 - @ Philly

NFC South
Tampa Bay (9-4, 7-3 in NFC)
12/17 - @ New England
12/24 - Atlanta
1/1 - New Orleans

Carolina (9-4, 6-3 in NFC)
12/17 - @ New Orleans
12/24 - Dallas
1/1 - @ Atlanta

Atlanta (7-5, 4-4 in NFC)
12/12 - New Orleans
12/18 - @ Chicago
12/24 - @ Tampa Bay
1/1 - Carolina

 

New Orleans game is a must win. If we lose that we are one foot in the grave. All we can do is beat the Saints and hope the Patriots and Bears take care of business.

 

That's the part that fucking sucks now.

 

the nfc has been a dog fight all season. i love these late season scenarios when every game is pivotal.

i just love it.

you're gonna see some great games coming up the next three weeks.

:bananalam

 

Chicago will at least beat Green Bay and Minnesota, so they will end up at least 11-5.

Minny will loose at least one of remaining games, and may lose to both Chicago and Pittsburgh. They go 10-6 at best.

Giants - I just don't know - K.C., Washington, and Oakland. They could win out or they could drop a couple of those. Anywhere from 12-4 to 10-6 (they should win at least one of the remaining 3 games), let's call it even at 11-5.

Dallas - Similar to the Giants - they play Washington, Carolina, and St. Louis. All three of those games could go either way. Dallas seemed to be having some problems of late on offense, until the K.C. game. Anywhere from 11-5 to 8-8.

Washington - They almost have to win out to have a shot at a wild card, being 2 games out of the division title with 3 games left. At best 10-6, but more likely 8-8.

Tampa Bay - Well, let's hope for the worst for them. New England almost has their division locked up. They would have if Miami had pulled the amazing upset over San Diego. So they do have something to play for. Maybe Atlanta can buck the trend against Tampa Bay the way we did against Atlanta and Tampa Bay did against us. Here's hoping for karma. Tampa Bay could very well win out, though I expect them to lose at least one of the remaining 3. I say 11-5 or 10-6.

Atlanta - @ Chicago, @ Tampa Bay and then Carolina in the Dome. They lose at least one if not two of those. At best, 10-6, more likely 9-7.

Carolina - We should beat the Saints. I get the feeling they're gunning for us. They can grab a shred of self-respect by deep sixing our playoff hopes. But I'm gonna consider it a win. Dallas, hmm. I really expected them to get punked by K.C. We better be healthy for that game. Then the Dome, that damn dome!!! Carolina's lost everytime I've been at the game in the Dome, so maybe they'll win since I won't be there this year. We could very well lose either the Dallas or Atlanta game. I say 11-5 (Damn, I think I predicted that at the begining of the year, I'll have to look).

So, maybe:

(Seattle is kicking everyone's butts, so they're first seed)

Chicago 11-5
Giants 11-5
Tampa Bay 11-5

Carolina 11-5
Minnesota 10-6
Dallas 10-6
Washington 9-7
Atlanta 9-7

If that scenario occured, there would be some tie-breaker headaches to determine the seeding of the divisional champs and then between Dallas and Minny for the final wildcard.

 

Atlanta @ Chicago is gonna be huge. Go Bears

 

Washington could be our new best freind.

 

Unless SEA, and NYG lose out, the chances of us getting the top seed and a first round bye are almost none. Certainly not enough to warrant even hoping for, ATP.

Nearest I can figure, 11 - 5 should get us in as a wild card team. 10 - 6 might be theoretically possible, but there are more permutations to that than I have time to figure out.

To win the division, we need to win 1 more game than TB. That being said, right now, I think our best friend is NE at home this week. TB has NO and ATL at home after that, which are both easily winable.

I don't see us dropping more than one, but if we do, we're probably toast. Win 2, and we're in as a wild card. Win 3 (with a Tampa loss) and we win the division.

 

We'd still get in at 10-6 if the one win was against Dallas. Minnesota won't win out, and we hold the tie breaker with them.

 

Would that be the case still if Atlanta won out? They would be 11-5. Then they would get one of the wild cards over us. Therefore if what you are saying is correct (which I don't doubt, I am just trying to clear it up) Washington could still win out and have a 10-6 record, then we would have to have the tie-breaker over them?