Playoff Picture

Lets look at the big picture:

Chicago 7-0
New York 5-2
New Orleans 5-2
Atlanta 5-2
Minnesota 4-2
Seattle 4-3
Dallas 4-3
St. Louis 4-3
Philadelphia 4-4
Carolina 4-4

4 games will define our season:

11/26 @ Atlanta
12/10 @ Dallas
12/24 @ NY Giants
12/31 v. Carolina

All four are NFC games against teams in the hunt which will have major playoff/tie breaker implications. I think if we can get out of this 2-2 it would be a blessing. Win 3 more and that gives us 10 wins which is virtually your ticket to the playoffs.

What you should be hoping for the rest of the season (besides the usual cheering against the division, for the Saints, etc):

1. Minnesota to flouder. The Bears are going to run away with that division so we can't afford to have the Vikings taking up a wild card spot. It starts tomorrow against New England.

2. Someone needs to take control of the NFC West. While I doubt there will be a wild card coming out of West, you never know.

3. Dallas and Carolina to go south. I have a feeling we will end up battling with these two teams for the wild card if we don't win the division. Dallas did us a huge favor by knocking Carolina off their high horse to 4-4. Now we need to cheer against these teams every chance we get. That game @ Dallas and at home against Carolina on New Years Eve will be huge.