Playoff Positioning Week 12

[BallHawk]

Should we be rooting for a specific team to take the East?

Good question. Anyone but the Cowboys. Cheer for Giants to beat the Cowboys and Eagles to beat the Falcons this week.

The Packers want the Cowboys to be a wild card since the Packers have the head to head tiebreaker.

Assuming a Packer win of course:

1) If the Giants beat the Cowboys and Eagles beat the Falcons, the Eagles then lead the East. The Packers move ahead of the Cowboys for #1 wild card and the Cowboys are #2 wild card behind the Packers. It is also a kiss of death for Atlanta's playoff chances. This may be the best scenario long term.

2) If the Cowboys win and the Eagles win the Packers are more firmly entrenched at #2 Wild Card because the Giants and Falcons behind them are further behind. This is the safest scenario but the Packers are destined for #2 wild card. It gives them more room to lose.

3) If the Cowboys win and the Falcons win, the Packers become the #1 seed but they are still in a tight battle with the Eagles and Falcons.

4) A Giants win against the Cowboys and a Falcons win over the Eagles puts the Packers in the #1 Wild Card but the teams behind are much closer to them. This is almost the worst case scenario.

The worst thing is a Packer loss.

Great analysis, Cheez. Thanks for doing this. Very insightful.

[Packgator]

It's possible the Packers could play at Arizona two weeks in a row. Final reg. season game and then the first week of the playoffs.

[woodbuck27]

Should we be rooting for a specific team to take the East?

Good question. Anyone but the Cowboys. Cheer for Giants to beat the Cowboys and Eagles to beat the Falcons this week.

The Packers want the Cowboys to be a wild card since the Packers have the head to head tiebreaker.

Assuming a Packer win of course:

1) If the Giants beat the Cowboys and Eagles beat the Falcons, the Eagles then lead the East. The Packers move ahead of the Cowboys for #1 wild card and the Cowboys are #2 wild card behind the Packers. It is also a kiss of death for Atlanta's playoff chances. This may be the best scenario long term.

2) If the Cowboys win and the Eagles win the Packers are more firmly entrenched at #2 Wild Card because the Giants and Falcons behind them are further behind. This is the safest scenario but the Packers are destined for #2 wild card. It gives them more room to lose.

3) If the Cowboys win and the Falcons win, the Packers become the #1 seed but they are still in a tight battle with the Eagles and Falcons.

4) A Giants win against the Cowboys and a Falcons win over the Eagles puts the Packers in the #1 Wild Card but the teams behind are much closer to them. This is almost the worst case scenario.

The worst thing is a Packer loss.

Nice work CaliforniaCheez. So this weekend we hope for Giants at home over the Cowboys. Eagles on the road over the Falcons. Then ' of course ' the Packers over the Ravens in Lambeau.

GO PACK GO!

[CaliforniaCheez]

Should we be rooting for a specific team to take the East?

Good question. Anyone but the Cowboys. Cheer for Giants to beat the Cowboys and Eagles to beat the Falcons this week.

The Packers want the Cowboys to be a wild card since the Packers have the head to head tiebreaker.

Assuming a Packer win of course:

1) If the Giants beat the Cowboys and Eagles beat the Falcons, the Eagles then lead the East. The Packers move ahead of the Cowboys for #1 wild card and the Cowboys are #2 wild card behind the Packers. It is also a kiss of death for Atlanta's playoff chances. This may be the best scenario long term.

2) If the Cowboys win and the Eagles win the Packers are more firmly entrenched at #2 Wild Card because the Giants and Falcons behind them are further behind. This is the safest scenario but the Packers are destined for #2 wild card. It gives them more room to lose.

3) If the Cowboys win and the Falcons win, the Packers become the #1 seed but they are still in a tight battle with the Eagles and Falcons.

4) A Giants win against the Cowboys and a Falcons win over the Eagles puts the Packers in the #1 Wild Card but the teams behind are much closer to them. This is almost the worst case scenario.

The worst thing is a Packer loss.

Nice work CaliforniaCheez. So this weekend we hope for Giants at home over the Cowboys. Eagles on the road over the Falcons. Then ' of course ' the Packers over the Ravens in Lambeau.

GO PACK GO!

If all goes well the Eagles will beat the Giants next week. If that happens the Packers will be in very good shape.

[pbmax]

Should we be rooting for a specific team to take the East?

Good question. Anyone but the Cowboys. Cheer for Giants to beat the Cowboys and Eagles to beat the Falcons this week.

The Packers want the Cowboys to be a wild card since the Packers have the head to head tiebreaker.

Assuming a Packer win of course:

1) If the Giants beat the Cowboys and Eagles beat the Falcons, the Eagles then lead the East. The Packers move ahead of the Cowboys for #1 wild card and the Cowboys are #2 wild card behind the Packers. It is also a kiss of death for Atlanta's playoff chances. This may be the best scenario long term.

2) If the Cowboys win and the Eagles win the Packers are more firmly entrenched at #2 Wild Card because the Giants and Falcons behind them are further behind. This is the safest scenario but the Packers are destined for #2 wild card. It gives them more room to lose.

3) If the Cowboys win and the Falcons win, the Packers become the #1 seed but they are still in a tight battle with the Eagles and Falcons.

4) A Giants win against the Cowboys and a Falcons win over the Eagles puts the Packers in the #1 Wild Card but the teams behind are much closer to them. This is almost the worst case scenario.

The worst thing is a Packer loss.

So, number one scenario rolled out quite nicely today, if I am reading this correctly.

[pbmax]

Cheeze, the GBPG Pelissero has a different order for the Packers playoff spot after tonight:

If Dallas had beaten the New York Giants on Sunday afternoon, the Packers would have had a chance to open a two-game lead in the NFC wild-card race by beating the Baltimore Ravens tonight.

Instead, the Giants won 31-24 to improve to 7-5, a half-game behind the Packers (7-4) and a full game behind Philadelphia (8-4), which now is tied atop the NFC East Division with Dallas.

Based on tiebreakers, the Packers will exit the weekend in the No. 6 spot regardless of what happens tonight -- but clearly, a win would go a long way toward strengthening their standing in what looks like a four-way fight for three spots.

[CaliforniaCheez]

Yes the Cowboys beat the Eagles so all other tiebreakers (like division and conference record) do not matter until they play again the final week of the season.

A simplified version of the playoff race is the Packers v. 3 teams in the NFC East. As long as the Packers are not last they are in the playoffs. Currently the Giants are last but they have the tiebreaker over the Cowboys as do the Packers.

Have patience. The Cowboys are on a downhill slide with the Chargers and Saints games coming up.