Not much mystery left as to NFC playoff teams. (1 Viewer)

[st dude]

I can hardly remember a season where most of the NFC playoff spots were apparent with five games left. Barring some collapse or big turnaround, the only mystery, besides seeding and who gets the byes, is who will win the East. The Saints are in. San Francisco, Seattle, Green Bay and Minnesota look to be in. The sixth team will be Dallas or Philly. The East winner might not even have a winning record.

The NFL backloads schedules with intra division games to try to maintain excitement down the stretch. And but for the South, the division races are up for grabs.

There just are not a lot of teams with wildcard chances as one would normally expect. There will be no wild card out of the South or the East. Dallas is lucky its in a crappy division.

The Saints are having the type of season you need to get a bye, the crazy finishes in the Houston and Carolina games are the type games you need.

 

[NewOrleansFan]

PHI: @MIA, NYG, @WSH, DAL, @NYG
DAL: @CHI, LAR, @PHI, WSH

Dallas could go 1-3 the last 4 games. Philly schedule is easier. I think they will win the east.

 

[LiterOCola]

The difference in seasons can be crazy. The year Atlanta went to the Super Bowl they got the #1 seed at 11-5. This year, 12-4 could barely get a team the 6 seed unless a few teams collapse down the stretch.

I was wrong, it was the Cowboys at 13-3. I forgot they had a good season.

 

[shorvak]

Question about seeding: If you don’t win your division, you can’t possibly get a first round bye right? If that’s the case then we don’t have to worry about Seattle/the 49ers (one of the two) taking a first round bye, it would just be Minnesota/Green Bay we would have to worry about right? Obviously we want HFA throughout, but I’m curious.

 

[SunshinePumper]

The difference in seasons can be crazy. The year Atlanta went to the Super Bowl they got the #1 seed at 11-5. This year, 12-4 could barely get a team the 6 seed unless a few teams collapse down the stretch.

Atlanta was the #2 see that year, it's easy to forget because Dallas was the #1 seed and they pulled their normal playoff choke job against the Packers.

 

[fdl16]

Everyone's commenting on how we wrapped up the division so early - but how many other divisions had a solid month of division games in November? If those games had been more spread out into December, I'm guessing we wouldn't have wrapped up the South this early.

 

[26ISTHEMAN]

Question about seeding: If you don’t win your division, you can’t possibly get a first round bye right? If that’s the case then we don’t have to worry about Seattle/the 49ers (one of the two) taking a first round bye, it would just be Minnesota/Green Bay we would have to worry about right? Obviously we want HFA throughout, but I’m curious.

Not sure I understand your question. Right now, the 49ers are the #1 seed in the NFC, and only 2 teams get a first round bye. The Saints have to keep winning if they don't want to play wild card weekend.

 

[SaintsFanInLA]

This is what I tell people who complain about the style of victories:

There are no style points in the NFL.

A win is a win is a win.

Those wins we piled up COUNT.

And now, no matter how "ugly" you think the wins were, they have now given us the NFCS Championship, the distinction of being the first team to clinch a playoff berth, and the driver's seat for the #1 seed in the NFC and HFA throughout the playoffs.

 

[shorvak]

What I’m asking is: If the 49ers or Seattle wins their division and takes the 1 or 2 seed, then the other team from that division cannot also get a first round bye, even if their record is better than another team. They’d be forced to play a wild card game, as the division winners all guarantee at least one home game, correct?

For example, let’s say the 49ers Finish 13-3, the seahawks 13-3 and we finish 12-4. The packers and Vikings finish 11-5. The seeding would go like this 1: 49ers, 2: Saints, 3: Green Bay, 4: NFCE Winner, 5: Seattle, 6: Minnesota. Is that corre

 

[LiterOCola]

Atlanta was the #2 see that year, it's easy to forget because Dallas was the #1 seed and they pulled their normal playoff choke job against the Packers.

Dang, you are right. The Cowboys were 13-3, and completely disappeared in the playoffs.

Still, 11-5 for the #2 seed is crazy different than what is going on this season.

 

[SunshinePumper]

What I’m asking is: If the 49ers or Seattle wins their division and takes the 1 or 2 seed, then the other team from that division cannot also get a first round bye, even if their record is better than another team. They’d be forced to play a wild card game, as the division winners all guarantee at least one home game, correct?

For example, let’s say the 49ers Finish 13-3, the seahawks 13-3 and we finish 12-4. The packers and Vikings finish 11-5. The seeding would go like this 1: 49ers, 2: Saints, 3: Green Bay, 4: NFCE Winner, 5: Seattle, 6: Minnesota. Is that corre

Yes. That happened in 1999 when Jacksonville and Tennessee were better than all the other teams in the AFC but Tennessee was still a wild card that had to play Buffalo wild card weekend.

 

[fdl16]

What I’m asking is: If the 49ers or Seattle wins their division and takes the 1 or 2 seed, then the other team from that division cannot also get a first round bye, even if their record is better than another team. They’d be forced to play a wild card game, as the division winners all guarantee at least one home game, correct?

For example, let’s say the 49ers Finish 13-3, the seahawks 13-3 and we finish 12-4. The packers and Vikings finish 11-5. The seeding would go like this 1: 49ers, 2: Saints, 3: Green Bay, 4: NFCE Winner, 5: Seattle, 6: Minnesota. Is that corre

Correct

 

[SunshinePumper]

Dang, you are right. The Cowboys were 13-3, and completely disappeared in the playoffs.

Still, 11-5 for the #2 seed is crazy different than what is going on this season.

In 2002, the AFC 1, 2, and 3 seeds were all tied at 11-5.

 

[44slayer]

Will 4 games left, I believe we are guaranteed a top 3 seed. The best Dallas can finish is 10-6 and we own H2H, and if Philly wins out, wins the east and we lost out we both finish 10-6, but we would own the conference record tie breaker. The bad news is, if we lose to SF, we are on the outside looking in on the 1st round bye. GB will own conference record tie breaker over us and if they get past MINN, theres no reason they cant finish 13-3. Meaning a potential trip to Lambeau in January.

The SF-NO game is HUGE as it could be the difference between playing at home, or in Lambeau.

The NFC this year is full on absurd. The conference could conceivably have 4 13 win teams.

We have SF, TENN, CAR and Indy left, Opponent record: 27-17 record. We control our destiny for HFA.

SF has Balt, NO, LAR, ATL and SEA left. They are looking at 13-3. Opponents record: 37-20, take out ATL and its 34-11. Brutal. SF also controls its destiny for HFA.

GB has by FAR the easiest remaining schedule of teams in bye contention - NY, WASH, CHI, MINN and DET. There is NO reason they cant at least finish 12-4 with that schedule. If they beat MINN, they have a clear path to 13-3. Opponents record: 21-35-1, but GB needs SF to lose 3 times (H2H tiebreaker) and NO to lose against a NFC team to control its destiny for HFA

MINN has SEA and GB left and a few cupcakes. I'll say they finish 11-5 with the #6 seed. Opponents record: 30-26-1

SEA has SF, MINN, CAR, AZ and LAR. Opponents Record: 32-22-1

 

[Saint Taysom]

The Saints need the 1 or 2 seed, or they may as well be a WC team. 3 and 4 seeds get to play at home in the WC round, but they still have to play that WC round against another solid team and get beat up.