Official NFC Playoff Standings Thread - 5 Weeks To Go

[Joemailman]

Division Winners

1) Arizona Cardinals 10-2
2) Green Bay Packers 9-3 Better conference winning pct. than Tampa Bay
3) Tampa Bay Bucs 9-3
4) Dallas Cowboys 8-4
__________________________________________________ __________________________

Wild Cards

5) Los Angeles Rams 8-4
6) Washington FT 6-6 Better conference winning pct. than San Francisco
7) San Francisco 49ers 6-6
__________________________________________________ __________________________

Outside Looking In

8) Philadelphia Eagles 6-7
9) Minnesota Vikings 5-7 Head to head tie-breaker over Carolina
10) Carolina Panthers 5-7 Head to head tie-breaker over Atlanta and New Orleans
11) Atlanta Falcons 5-7 Head to head tie-breaker over New Orleans
12) New Orleans Saints 5-7
13) New York Giants 4-8 Better conference winning pct. than Chicago and Seattle
14) Chicago Bears 4-8 Better conference winning pct. than Seattle
15) Seattle Seahawks 4-8
16) Detroit Lions 1-10-1
__________________________________________________ __________________________

Not much changed this week, other than Washington and San Francisco switching spots.

Key Week 14 Games:

Pittsburgh at Minnesota
New Orleans at New York Jets
Dallas at Washington
Atlanta at Carolina
San Francisco at Cincinnati
Buffalo at Tampa Bay
Chicago at Green Bay
Los Angeles Rams at Arizona

Bye:Philadelphia
__________________________________________________ __________________________

Remaining Schedule Of Top Contenders:

Arizona:

vs. Los Angeles Rams
@ Detroit
vs. Indianapolis
@ Dallas
vs. Seattle
__________________________________________________ __________________________

Green Bay:

vs. Chicago
@ Baltimore
vs. Cleveland
vs. Minnesota
@ Detroit
__________________________________________________ __________________________

Tampa Bay:


vs. Buffalo
vs. New Orleans
@ Carolina
@ New York Jets
vs. Carolina
__________________________________________________ __________________________

Dallas:

@ Washington
@ New York Giants
vs. Washington
vs. Arizona
@ Philadelphia
__________________________________________________ __________________________

Los Angeles Rams:
@ Arizona
vs. Seattle
@ Minnesota
@ Baltimore
vs. San Francisco

[Joemailman]

Packers can clinch NFC North with a win and Vikings loss or tie; or with a tie and Vikings loss.

I believe Packers can clinch a playoff spot with a win and a loss or tie by all of the 5-7 teams.

[King Friday]

Go Rams Go

[Fritz]

Division Winners

1) Arizona Cardinals 10-2
2) Green Bay Packers 9-3 Better conference winning pct. than Tampa Bay
3) Tampa Bay Bucs 9-3
4) Dallas Cowboys 8-4
__________________________________________________ __________________________

Wild Cards

5) Los Angeles Rams 8-4
6) Washington FT 6-6 Better conference winning pct. than San Francisco
7) San Francisco 49ers 6-6
__________________________________________________ __________________________

Outside Looking In

8) Philadelphia Eagles 6-7
9) Minnesota Vikings 5-7 Head to head tie-breaker over Carolina
10) Carolina Panthers 5-7 Head to head tie-breaker over Atlanta and New Orleans
11) Atlanta Falcons 5-7 Head to head tie-breaker over New Orleans
12) New Orleans Saints 5-7
13) New York Giants 4-8 Better conference winning pct. than Chicago and Seattle
14) Chicago Bears 4-8 Better conference winning pct. than Seattle
15) Seattle Seahawks 4-8
16) Detroit Lions 1-10-1
__________________________________________________ __________________________

Not much changed this week, other than Washington and San Francisco switching spots.

Key Week 14 Games:

Pittsburgh at Minnesota
New Orleans at New York Jets
Dallas at Washington
Atlanta at Carolina
San Francisco at Cincinnati
Buffalo at Tampa Bay
Chicago at Green Bay
Los Angeles Rams at Arizona

Bye:Philadelphia
__________________________________________________ __________________________

Remaining Schedule Of Top Contenders:

Arizona:

vs. Los Angeles Rams
@ Detroit
vs. Indianapolis
@ Dallas
vs. Seattle
__________________________________________________ __________________________

Green Bay:

vs. Chicago
@ Baltimore
vs. Cleveland
vs. Minnesota
@ Detroit
__________________________________________________ __________________________

Tampa Bay:


vs. Buffalo
vs. New Orleans
@ Carolina
@ New York Jets
vs. Carolina
__________________________________________________ __________________________

Dallas:

@ Washington
@ New York Giants
vs. Washington
vs. Arizona
@ Philadelphia
__________________________________________________ __________________________

Los Angeles Rams:
@ Arizona
vs. Seattle
@ Minnesota
@ Baltimore
vs. San Francisco

I suppose adding that extra wild card team has done what the NFL hoped it would: given fans more reason for hope (which translates into spending their cash on team tickets or merchandise or more visits to websites that can translate clicks into cash) that their 5 - 7 team will land a playoff spot if they can only go 3 - 2 over those last five games... Ugh.

I didn't like it when 10 - 6 teams missed the playoffs - that's a very good record - but 9 - 7 meant you were barely above average, and there was enough of that. But still, I could live with that. But when you start saying that a team that is average is good enough for the playoffs, then it's too much for me. Sure, you'd get an occasional 8 - 8 team in the playoffs in the old format, but now it sure seems like there will be a couple of 9 - 8 or 8 - 9 teams in the playoffs every year.

But it's all about the almighty dollar, so we have what we have. I hope that's not too political of a thing to say - but I don't think anyone would argue that, no matter their political leaning.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Agreed. I think the 17 game season and 7 playoff teams is ridiculous. If I didn't love the Packers so much, I'd probably do what I've done for most other sports--which is have no interest until the playoffs.

[Fritz]

I still recall the fourteen game season. Back then a 9 - 5 record seemed the minimum for a playoff berth - and of course they didn't have all the wild card stuff, not like now.

[King Friday]

I prefer the 6 team playoff...I think the top 2 teams in the conference deserve byes. I wouldn't mind going to 8, but have the bottom 4 teams face off to reduce to 6, then use the old format. That way, the top 4 teams get at least 1 week off. I want the great matchups to be between teams as healthy as possible.

[George Cumby]

Agreed. I think the 17 game season and 7 playoff teams is ridiculous. If I didn't love the Packers so much, I'd probably do what I've done for most other sports--which is have no interest until the playoffs.

I hate the 17 game season if for no other reason, it's hard enough to keep players healthy in a 16 game season.

It'd be cool if the League actually instituted policies which actually prolonged players' careers.

The upside for the League is that with the new format, more teams are still alive for the playoffs than with the prior format. More viewers, more revenue, you know the drill, the League loves their greenbacks.

[texaspackerbacker]

I can recall when there was no AFC or AFL, and the Eastern champ played the Western champ, and that was it.

I don't like the single playoff bye in each conference now. I'd prefer a more tiered playoff like the Big Ten in basketball. The way it is now, a team could be the 2nd seed and have to play a hot 7th seed wildcard (like the healthy and improved Niners), or a 3rd seed division winner might have to play a wild card team that got second in a powerful division and actually has a better record.

Have four wildcards who play 1 v 4 and 2 v 3 among them. Have the winners play the 3rd and 4th seeded division winners and the winners of those games play the top two seeds for the conference championship. Yeah, I know that's an extra week/2 consecutive bye weeks for the top two teams, but the top two have a chance to get more healthy, and the league gets more money from more games over more weeks. If it's perceived to drag to far into February, then delete the off week between the conference championship and Super Bowl.

[Joemailman]

There is no way in hell the NFL would want 2 rounds of playoffs without the top teams playing. Fans wouldn't want it either. Fans want to watch Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady playing more than Baker Mayfield. And I'm not sure a double bye would be a reward for the top 2 teams. 3 weeks between games might be too much.

[smuggler]

They're going to a 36-team league and eventually an 8-team conference playoff. It'll be the bottom two seeds to play-in and then the top seed with a bye.

[Anti-Polar Bear]

Packers can clinch NFC North with a win and Vikings loss or tie; or with a tie and Vikings loss.

I believe Packers can clinch a playoff spot with a win and a loss or tie by all of the 5-7 teams.

There are a few other scenarios involving draws,
but, in week 14, the two simplest ways for the Packers to punch their ticket into the big dance are:

1. Packers win + Queens loss
2. Packers win + Saints loss + 49ers loss

[Joemailman]

Packers did not clinch playoff spot. Retain #2 seed. Would be #1 if Rams beat Cardinals tomorrow night.

Lions eliminated from playoffs.

[Fritz]

They're going to a 36-team league and eventually an 8-team conference playoff. It'll be the bottom two seeds to play-in and then the top seed with a bye.

And the teams that don't get in will receive participation medals.

All this adding of more playoff teams just makes the regular season seem less meaningful in the long run. Once there are .500 and sub-.500 teams regularly appearing in the playoffs, credibility is in the toilet.

[George Cumby]

And the teams that don't get in will receive participation medals.

All this adding of more playoff teams just makes the regular season seem less meaningful in the long run. Once there are .500 and sub-.500 teams regularly appearing in the playoffs, credibility is in the toilet.

Credibility will be in the toilet, but the Owner's bottom line will not be.........