With about half an hour to go until week 15 gets underway let me get in some quick fire predictions for today's NFL games:
(8-5) Steelers vs Falcons (5-8)
The Falcons almost did the impossible in Lambeau Field when they were very close to pulling off a comeback against Aaron Rodgers and co from a double digit deficit but fell short at the end. With Julio Jones ruled out it will be hard to replicate the offensive clinic they put on in the 2nd half last week but with the NFC South still up for grabs and their opponents Pittsburgh also right in the mix of the fight for the AFC North title it makes today's games one of the most intriguing. Just because of the unpredictability of the NFL I fancy it to be high scoring with Big Ben and Bell leading the way for the Steelers but with the Falcons somehow pulling out a victory and young wideout Harry Douglas having a big game.
(3-10) Redskins vs Giants (4-9)
In one of the most irrelevant games of this NFL 2014 season the two bottom teams in the NFC East go head to head with just pride at stake. As we know Odell Beckham Jr has shown in recent weeks that he has what it takes to become a superstar in this league and I fancy him to tear apart this weak Washington defense which will pile pressure on the Redskins organisation that is facing many big decisions in this upcoming off-season.
(7-6) Dolphins vs Patriots (10-3)
The New England Patriots bounced back from a tough loss to Green Bay a fortnight ago to win a close encounter in San Diego last weekend on Sunday Night Football. Tom Brady and co will be fired up for today's game against Miami as they can win the division as well as clinch a playoff berth with a win today. With the Pats unbeaten at home this season and Tom Brady 11-0 against the Dolphins when he has started and finished a game at home against them all signs point to a New England victory. Personally I feel it could be tougher than many people expect but ultimately it will end in a Pats win.
(2-11) Raiders vs Chiefs (7-6)
The Oakland Raiders pulled off the shock of the season last week when they defeated the 49ers in the battle of the Bay Area last weekend and will look to cause another upset when they walk in to the cauldron that is ArrowHead Stadium. The Chiefs are brilliant at home and have the playoffs in their sights; with San Diego facing Denver this is the perfect weekend for Kansas City to stake their claim for a wildcard spot and given the fact that they were defeated when they faced Oakland last time out they will want to get some revenge when the two teams face off today.
(7-6) Texans vs Colts (9-4)
The Colts can end the race for the AFC South today with a win against divisional rivals Houston. Andrew Luck vs JJ Watt is a rivalry that will continue to dominate this matchup for years to come and last time out Watt almost led his team to a famous win against the Colts with an inspired defensive performance. The Colts won that game 33-28 and despite the Texans offensive woes I expect a similar close and hard fought game today but with Indianapolis at home I fancy the Colts to grab their 10th win of the year.
(8-4-1) Bengals vs Browns (7-6)
With the AFC North about as predictable as the outcome of the Second World War anything could happen in today's game between the Bengals and Browns. With Cincinnati on the road at 4-2 and Cleveland 4-3 at home it makes this game even tougher to determine but with Johnny Manziel making his first NFL start today as QB of the Browns I expect him and Josh Gordon to combine and make the difference to help complement a talented Browns defense giving them a win that will make AFC North even harder to predict for the final two weeks of the regular season.
(2-11) Jaguars vs Ravens (8-5)
98 times out of 100 the Jags are awful where the Ravens are one of the most consistent teams in football which means one outcome... Jacksonville wins! Okay just kidding Baltimore moves to 9-5.
(10-3) Packers vs Bills (7-6)
Green Bay goes up against a talented Buffalo defense but at the moment it seems impossible to stop this green bay wrecking ball that has racked up 5 straight wins and seen Aaron Rodgers cement himself as the best quarterback in football. Green Bay has been scoring points for fun and even if Buffalo make it tough at times the Packers will come out with the win as they look to secure a bye with home field advantage going in to the playoffs.
(2-11) Tampa Bay vs Panthers (4-8-1)
This game has all the makings to be a real car crash... Okay I could have done better there let me try again! This season has been a real car crash for these two teams and with the Panthers missing Cam Newton after his erm car crash it makes this game tough to predict. Thankfully for Carolina their defense has started to show shades of the 2013 class and took Drew Brees and co to town last week when the Panthers were rampant in their win over the Saints; Panthers win.
(2-11) Jets vs Titans (2-11)
Two 2-11 teams with nothing at stake besides maybe having the number one overall pick next year. Considering the Jets need a new QB more than the Titans as their new starter Zach Mettenberger has shown promising signs I'll go with Tennessee winning a close and uneventful meeting.
(10-3) Broncos vs Chargers (8-5)
The Denver Broncos decimated the Chargers last time the two teams met but with San Diego still holding on the prospects of a wild card spot it makes this divisional matchup one of the games of the day. The Broncos aerial attack wasn't at its best last week with Peyton Manning only throwing 20 times but with Manning and Rivers facing off today 9 times out of 10 that means it will be a shootout. Both of these teams have good units on both sides of the ball so time of possession and turnovers will be key to the outcome of the game. It will be one of the closest games of the day but in the regular season teams led by Peyton know how to get it done especially in divisional matchups and that is what makes me think that Denver will win to keep the pressure on New England in the race for the first seed.
(6-7) Vikings vs Lions (9-4)
Minnesota are looking to ruin their divisional rivals hopes of a playoff berth but this Lions team looks different to those in years gone by as they have the know how to win and now that their roster is getting healthy with key players returning to the mix Detroit will find a way to grab their tenth win of the season.
(7-6) 49ers vs Seahawks (9-4) and (9-4) Cowboys vs Eagles (9-4)
These two games are the biggest of the day with all 4 teams in the mix of the NFC playoff battle. The Niners will travel to Seattle as they attempt to do the unthinkable whilst the Cowboys will be looking to make amends for their Thanksgiving Day home defeat to the Eagles. I fancy Seattle to continue their dominant streak setting up a mouthwatering clash for the NFC West Title next week against Arizona and in the other game the Cowboys are 6-0 on the road whereas the Eagles are 6-1 at home so this game will be determined by the flip of a coin... I'm not going to do that but I am going to for a Dallas win. I do think that somehow they will defy the demons of years gone by and win the division to make the postseason.
Sunday 14 December 2014
Sunday 30 November 2014
Patriots vs Packers: Is this a Super Bowl preview?
Today sees the 9-2 New England Patriots take their seven game winning streak to Lambeau Field where they will face off against the Green Bay Packers in a clash between what many consider to be the two best teams in football right now. This is the first time ever that Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers' teams will go head to head which is something that somehow adds more spice to what is already the most mouthwatering affair of this 2014 NFL season to date.
In their last 3 games the Patriots have faced all division leaders and defeated all 3 in comfortable fashion. Before their bye week they hosted the Denver Broncos and blew them out of the water with Tom Brady putting on a passing clinic in a 43-21 victory and after the bye week they went to Lucas Oil Stadium to take on the Colts where they wore down the defense of the Colts with ground and pound football in a 42-20 win.
That game saw a new starlet in the form of Jonas Gray who scored 4 touchdowns that night to deflate Indianapolis just as they did in last years playoffs when LaGarrette Blount did the same in another blowout victory. Blount has sinced resigned with the team and celebrated his return with a touchdown in last weeks 34-9 victory against Detroit at Gillette Stadium where the Patriots frustrated the Lions' offense with brilliant defensive play. They mixed up the schemes and showed different coverages to limit Calvin Johnson and frustrate Matthew Stafford.
The Patriots recipe to success many times during the Brady-Belichick era has been playing 60 minutes of smart football and that is what they will need tonight when they come up against Aaron Rodgers and co. Just like New England the Green Bay Packers started the season at 2-2 and came under intense scrutiny from many but following a blowout defeat on the road in New Orleans 44-23 before their bye week the Pack have come out all guns blazing and have scored a combined 132 points in their last three outings giving them huge wins at home over Chicago and Philadelphia before winning a close one against Minnesota on the road 24-21 last weekend.
The fact that the Patriots have also scored over triple digits in total with 119 points in their past three games just shows how breathtaking today's game could be and with Brady and Rodgers at the QB position it is very unlikely that these two teams will disappoint us. With the two best offenses in football at their disposal Brady and Rodgers will both be looking to put their best work on display under the lights of prime time football. Terrific Tom has 26 touchdowns to just 6 interceptions on the year with 2,998 passing yards to his name too and a QB rating of 101.0 which is very impressive considering how poorly the Pats started the year.
A-Rod better known as Aaron Rodgers well he has been in devastating form this season and has accumulated 30 touchdown passes to just 3 picks and is also just short of the 3,000 yard passing mark with 2,957 yards on the year. He is way ahead passer rating wise of all the other quarterbacks with a ridiculous overall rating of 119.3 which just explains how great Rodgers is. Tonight personally and what a lot of people have suggested already is a matchup between the two best quarterbacks of their respective eras and between two QB's who will definitely be in the conversation for greatest quarterback of all-time for years and years to come.
Now despite the Packers early season woes besides a rusty opening season game against Seattle where Green Bay looked scared they have bounced back very well to get to 8-3 and as mentioned previously their displays in recent weeks have been amazing but the Patriots troublesome times early on in 2014 are almost incomparable. It has been said time after time but after that Monday Night madness against the Chiefs back in week 4 the Patriots came under so much scrutiny in particular Tom Brady.
After that huge bounce back win against Cincinnati the Patriots have been on a hot streak steamrolling through everyone in their path. Despite his supposed woes Brady still managed to rarely turn the football over even during this offenses poor start to the year now when you combine the fact of Brady's intelligence with how well this New England offense is doing then you can start to see as well as appreciate why this team is so devastating. The return of Rob Gronkowski has been unquestionable one of the main ingredients for how effective this Patriots offense has been and it has been brilliant to see Gronk return to the superstar level that only a handful of other players in the league can reach. He continues to dominate opponents and will be a real handful for the Packers and it will be interesting to see if Clay Matthews stays as an inside backer especially given the resurgence of the Patriots run game.
The prospect of a Gray-Blount one two punch gives Shane Vereen the ability to do what he does best which is catch passes out of the backfield and cause mismatches for opposing defenses. As we know this Patriots offense has been in devastating form with everyone contributing to its success which has helped Brady and Gronk have such a devastating affect just because they don't have all the pressure to get it done themselves now that everyone else is stepping up and a lot of that credit should go to the offensive line who, now that it has a settled starting line up, has brought the stability and great lineman play needed in order to make this New England offense tick once again.
Having a mad scientist-coaching mastermind in the form of Bill Belichick helps the Patriots offense because with the players they have on the other side of the ball it has given them the opportunities needed to make plays and both the defense and offense are helping each other out. This is especially true this season as this Patriots defense is probably the best we have seen since 2007 when New England almost pulled off the perfect season. Bill Belichick is having lots of fun defensively this year and he along with defensive coordinator Matt Patricia are thriving with the talent they have on this side of the ball with the likes of Revis, Browner, Arrington Hightower, Collins, Chung, McCourty, Chandler and Chris Jones, Ninkovich and even the new additions of Ayers and Casillas coming to mind.
They'll need whoever is on the field tonight to be at their best when they come up against Rodgers and co as they have a stellar receiving core with Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson leading the way along with a supporting cast of Boykin and rookie wideout Devante Adams who has slowly worked his way in to the offense. Add running back Eddie Lacy to the mix who despite some personal on-field troubles himself at times this season still is considered to be one of the best backs in the league and you can see why this Packers offense is equipped to succeed. In a pass heavy team Lacy's stats sometimes don't reflect well on him but with his obvious talents it gives a different dimension to Green Bay and a running back that has the ability to succeed where maybe in years gone by this is something they've lacked.
As I mentioned before tonight sees, in my opinion, the best quarterbacks of two generations/eras whatever you like to call it go head to head. Brady and Belichick have not only won three Super Bowls together but they have also combined to pick up numerous accolades along with the respect of many for their many achievements over the last almost 15 years. Packers coach Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers if anything are both the next generation of Brady and Belichick. They may only have one ring to their name but surely at some point in their careers in Wisconsin at least a second championship will follow but the same regarding a fourth has been said about Brady-Belichick yet that hasn't happened as of yet.
In their last 3 games the Patriots have faced all division leaders and defeated all 3 in comfortable fashion. Before their bye week they hosted the Denver Broncos and blew them out of the water with Tom Brady putting on a passing clinic in a 43-21 victory and after the bye week they went to Lucas Oil Stadium to take on the Colts where they wore down the defense of the Colts with ground and pound football in a 42-20 win.
That game saw a new starlet in the form of Jonas Gray who scored 4 touchdowns that night to deflate Indianapolis just as they did in last years playoffs when LaGarrette Blount did the same in another blowout victory. Blount has sinced resigned with the team and celebrated his return with a touchdown in last weeks 34-9 victory against Detroit at Gillette Stadium where the Patriots frustrated the Lions' offense with brilliant defensive play. They mixed up the schemes and showed different coverages to limit Calvin Johnson and frustrate Matthew Stafford.
The Patriots recipe to success many times during the Brady-Belichick era has been playing 60 minutes of smart football and that is what they will need tonight when they come up against Aaron Rodgers and co. Just like New England the Green Bay Packers started the season at 2-2 and came under intense scrutiny from many but following a blowout defeat on the road in New Orleans 44-23 before their bye week the Pack have come out all guns blazing and have scored a combined 132 points in their last three outings giving them huge wins at home over Chicago and Philadelphia before winning a close one against Minnesota on the road 24-21 last weekend.
The fact that the Patriots have also scored over triple digits in total with 119 points in their past three games just shows how breathtaking today's game could be and with Brady and Rodgers at the QB position it is very unlikely that these two teams will disappoint us. With the two best offenses in football at their disposal Brady and Rodgers will both be looking to put their best work on display under the lights of prime time football. Terrific Tom has 26 touchdowns to just 6 interceptions on the year with 2,998 passing yards to his name too and a QB rating of 101.0 which is very impressive considering how poorly the Pats started the year.
A-Rod better known as Aaron Rodgers well he has been in devastating form this season and has accumulated 30 touchdown passes to just 3 picks and is also just short of the 3,000 yard passing mark with 2,957 yards on the year. He is way ahead passer rating wise of all the other quarterbacks with a ridiculous overall rating of 119.3 which just explains how great Rodgers is. Tonight personally and what a lot of people have suggested already is a matchup between the two best quarterbacks of their respective eras and between two QB's who will definitely be in the conversation for greatest quarterback of all-time for years and years to come.
 |
| Who will lead their team to victory in today's game? |
Now despite the Packers early season woes besides a rusty opening season game against Seattle where Green Bay looked scared they have bounced back very well to get to 8-3 and as mentioned previously their displays in recent weeks have been amazing but the Patriots troublesome times early on in 2014 are almost incomparable. It has been said time after time but after that Monday Night madness against the Chiefs back in week 4 the Patriots came under so much scrutiny in particular Tom Brady.
After that huge bounce back win against Cincinnati the Patriots have been on a hot streak steamrolling through everyone in their path. Despite his supposed woes Brady still managed to rarely turn the football over even during this offenses poor start to the year now when you combine the fact of Brady's intelligence with how well this New England offense is doing then you can start to see as well as appreciate why this team is so devastating. The return of Rob Gronkowski has been unquestionable one of the main ingredients for how effective this Patriots offense has been and it has been brilliant to see Gronk return to the superstar level that only a handful of other players in the league can reach. He continues to dominate opponents and will be a real handful for the Packers and it will be interesting to see if Clay Matthews stays as an inside backer especially given the resurgence of the Patriots run game.
The prospect of a Gray-Blount one two punch gives Shane Vereen the ability to do what he does best which is catch passes out of the backfield and cause mismatches for opposing defenses. As we know this Patriots offense has been in devastating form with everyone contributing to its success which has helped Brady and Gronk have such a devastating affect just because they don't have all the pressure to get it done themselves now that everyone else is stepping up and a lot of that credit should go to the offensive line who, now that it has a settled starting line up, has brought the stability and great lineman play needed in order to make this New England offense tick once again.
Having a mad scientist-coaching mastermind in the form of Bill Belichick helps the Patriots offense because with the players they have on the other side of the ball it has given them the opportunities needed to make plays and both the defense and offense are helping each other out. This is especially true this season as this Patriots defense is probably the best we have seen since 2007 when New England almost pulled off the perfect season. Bill Belichick is having lots of fun defensively this year and he along with defensive coordinator Matt Patricia are thriving with the talent they have on this side of the ball with the likes of Revis, Browner, Arrington Hightower, Collins, Chung, McCourty, Chandler and Chris Jones, Ninkovich and even the new additions of Ayers and Casillas coming to mind.
They'll need whoever is on the field tonight to be at their best when they come up against Rodgers and co as they have a stellar receiving core with Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson leading the way along with a supporting cast of Boykin and rookie wideout Devante Adams who has slowly worked his way in to the offense. Add running back Eddie Lacy to the mix who despite some personal on-field troubles himself at times this season still is considered to be one of the best backs in the league and you can see why this Packers offense is equipped to succeed. In a pass heavy team Lacy's stats sometimes don't reflect well on him but with his obvious talents it gives a different dimension to Green Bay and a running back that has the ability to succeed where maybe in years gone by this is something they've lacked.
As I mentioned before tonight sees, in my opinion, the best quarterbacks of two generations/eras whatever you like to call it go head to head. Brady and Belichick have not only won three Super Bowls together but they have also combined to pick up numerous accolades along with the respect of many for their many achievements over the last almost 15 years. Packers coach Mike McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers if anything are both the next generation of Brady and Belichick. They may only have one ring to their name but surely at some point in their careers in Wisconsin at least a second championship will follow but the same regarding a fourth has been said about Brady-Belichick yet that hasn't happened as of yet.
Belichick and McCarthy both teased the media this week with the pair both asked to compare the two
quarterbacks early in the week. Belichick's reply was "They both
wear No. 12," before ending the media session and McCarthy's response to the same question was that "They're both from California," before he ended his session too. With both these franchises in prime positions to make a run at a championship under the guidance of brilliant head coaches and fantastic quarterbacks stemming down to well equipped offenses that know what it takes to win games in any way shape or form it is no wonder that this is being hyped up as a preview of Super Bowl XLIX come February 1st.
Personally I don't see both of these teams making the big game and if I had to choose one to make it I would go with the Patriots just because they seem to be more well rounded overall of these two teams but in regards to tonight's game going to Lambeau Field is no easy task and that is what makes the prospect of tonight's matchup so gripping with the winner of tonight's game probably the hardest choice to make. Will the Patriots assert themselves as the best team in the NFL by making it 8 wins straight in one of the toughest places to play in football or will Rodgers and co derail the Brady led New England train and rack up their 4th straight win to take a step closer to getting a bye going in to the postseason... We'll find out in a few hours!
Thursday 27 November 2014
NFC Playoff Picture: Predictions
The NFC playoff picture is one of the most complicated pictures we have seen in recent memory. The Arizona Cardinals have built on an impressive 2013 season to take the NFC West by storm in 2014 which has left a huge possibility that two of the conferences juggernauts in Seattle and San Francisco may miss out on this years postseason. With Seattle traveling to San Francisco in the third installment of today's NFL Thanksgiving Feast it proves to be a mouthwatering day and one that could really influence the NFC playoff picture but also just over complicate it some more in the short term. So with that being said let us take a look
So far these are the 6 teams currently in the playoffs right now:
And here are the 4 teams on the brink of the playoffs. The NFC South is so bad that either the Saints, Falcons or Panthers will sneak in and that spot is anybody's guess. The Bears would have to win out starting with today's game against Detroit to have any chance whilst the 49ers could leapfrog the Seahawks in to the wild card spots with a win over them tonight before the two lock horns again in a couple of weeks.
Because of the nature of how complicated this playoff picture is I am going to take a somewhat unique take on this and predict each of the teams remaining schedules which will then make it, hopefully, easier to rank who I think will make the postseason and it what seeds so let's start from 1st place onwards.
Arizona Cardinals (9-2):
Week 13: Win @Atlanta
Week 14: Win at home vs Kansas City
Week 15: Lose @ St. Louis
Week 16: Lose at home vs Seattle
Week 17: Win @ San Francisco
Final record: 12-4: NFC West Champions. Their 9 conference wins gives them 1st seed and home field advantage over Green Bay
Green Bay Packers (8-3):
Week 13: Lose at home vs New England
Week 14: Win at home vs Atlanta
Week 15: Win @ Buffalo
Week 16: Win @ Tampa Bay
Week 17: Win at home vs Detroit
Final record: 12-4: NFC North Champions. One less win in the NFC means they have to settle for 2nd in the NFC seedings but they still get a bye week going in to the postseason
Dallas Cowboys (8-3):
Week 13: Win today at home vs Philadelphia *Thanksgiving game*
Week 14: Win @ Chicago
Week 15: Lose @ Philadelphea
Week 16: Lose @ Indianapolis
Week 17: Win at home vs Washington
Final record: 11-5: Finally the Dallas Cowboys are NFC East Champions earning them the 3rd seed and a home playoff game in the wild card round
4th seed: NFC South Winner?
Atlanta Falcons (4-7)
Week 13: Lose at home vs Arizona
Week 14: Lose @ Green Bay
Week 15: Win at home vs Pittsburgh
Week 16: Lose @ New Orleans
Week 17: Win at home vs Carolina
Final record: 6-10
Carolina Panthers (3-7-1)
Week 13: Win @ Minnesota
Week 14: Lose @ New Orleans
Week 15: Win at home vs Tampa Bay
Week 16: Win at home vs Cleveland
Week 17: Lose at Atlanta
Final record: 6-9-1
New Orleans Saints (4-7)
Week 13: Win @ Pittsburgh
Week 14: Win at home vs Carolina
Week 15: Lose @ Chicago
Week 16: Win at home vs Atlanta
Week 17: Lose @ Tampa Bay
Final record: 7-9:
After some crazy final day results during the regular season the Saints lose at Tampa Bay making them the second team to make the playoffs with a losing record. Carolina had a shot to make it in with a win @ Atlanta but they lost meaning the Falcons only have themselves to blame for not winning this dismal division after some narrow losses during the year meaning that Sean Payton's Saints take the 4th seed and the NFC South crown.
Final two spots go to....?
Seattle Seahawks (7-4):
Week 13: Lose today @ San Francisco *Thanksgiving game*
Week 14: Win @ Philadelphea
Week 15: Win at home vs San Francisco
Week 16: Win @ Arizona
Week 17: Win @ St. Louis
Final record: 11-5: The defending Super Bowl Champions sneak in to the postseason and avoid the tie-breaking complications with a win at St. Louis on the final day meaning they take the 5th seed and that they travel to New Orleans during wild card week!
Only one spot remains!:
Philadelphia Eagles (8-3):
Week 13: Lose today @ Dallas *Thanksgiving game*
Week 14: Lose at home vs Seattle
Week 15: Win at home vs Dallas
Week 16: Lose @ Washington
Week 17: Win vs New York Giants
Final record: 10-6
San Francisco 49ers (7-4):
Week 13: Win today at home vs Seattle *Thanksgiving game*
Week 14: Win @ Oakland
Week 15: Lose @ Seattle
Week 16 Win at home vs San Diego
Week 17: Lose @Arizona
Final record: 10-6
Detroit Lions (7-4)
Week 13: Lose today at home vs Chicago *Thanksgiving game*
Week 14: Win at home vs Tampa Bay
Week 15: Win at home vs Minnesota
Week 16: Win @ Chicago
Week 17: Lose @ Green Bay
Final record: 10-6
Chicago Bears (5-6)
Week 13: Win today @ Detroit *Thanksgiving game*
Week 14: Lose at home vs Dallas
Week 15: Win at home vs New Orleans
Week 16: Lose at home vs Detroit
Week 17: Win @ Minnesota
Final record: 8-8
And the 6th seed is: With the 49ers, Eagles and Lions all on 10-6 I've given myself quite the headache to try and work out who gets the 6 seed. According to NFL Tie-Breaking Procedures this is how it goes:
1. Apply division tie breaker to eliminate all but the highest ranked club in each division prior to proceeding to step 2. The original seeding within a division upon application of the division tie breaker remains the same for all subsequent applications of the procedure that are necessary to identify the two Wild-Card participants.
2. Head-to-head sweep. (Applicable only if one club has defeated each of the others or if one club has lost to each of the others.)
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
So according to my calculations as each of the three teams are from different divisions this we skip to step 2 but as the Lions and Niners didn't play each other step 2 doesn't apply so on to step 3 we go.... Time for me to calculate each of these teams conference winning ratios *stay with me*
Detroit Lions: 8-4 in conference games
San Francisco 49ers: 7-5 in conference games
Philadelphia Eagles: 6-6 in conference games
So with a 75% win ratio in the NFC the Detroit Lions make up our NFC playoff picture and will travel to Dallas in wild card week!
Skye's NFC playoff picture summary:
1st seed: Arizona Cardinals (12-4)
2nd seed: Green Bay Packers (12-4)
3rd seed: Dallas Cowboys: (11-5)
4th seed: New Orleans Saints (7-9)
5th seed: Seattle Seahawks (11-5)
6th seed: Detroit Lions (10-6)
*tie-breaking procedures explained above*
So far these are the 6 teams currently in the playoffs right now:
And here are the 4 teams on the brink of the playoffs. The NFC South is so bad that either the Saints, Falcons or Panthers will sneak in and that spot is anybody's guess. The Bears would have to win out starting with today's game against Detroit to have any chance whilst the 49ers could leapfrog the Seahawks in to the wild card spots with a win over them tonight before the two lock horns again in a couple of weeks.
Because of the nature of how complicated this playoff picture is I am going to take a somewhat unique take on this and predict each of the teams remaining schedules which will then make it, hopefully, easier to rank who I think will make the postseason and it what seeds so let's start from 1st place onwards.
Arizona Cardinals (9-2):
Week 13: Win @Atlanta
Week 14: Win at home vs Kansas City
Week 15: Lose @ St. Louis
Week 16: Lose at home vs Seattle
Week 17: Win @ San Francisco
Final record: 12-4: NFC West Champions. Their 9 conference wins gives them 1st seed and home field advantage over Green Bay
Green Bay Packers (8-3):
Week 13: Lose at home vs New England
Week 14: Win at home vs Atlanta
Week 15: Win @ Buffalo
Week 16: Win @ Tampa Bay
Week 17: Win at home vs Detroit
Final record: 12-4: NFC North Champions. One less win in the NFC means they have to settle for 2nd in the NFC seedings but they still get a bye week going in to the postseason
Dallas Cowboys (8-3):
Week 13: Win today at home vs Philadelphia *Thanksgiving game*
Week 14: Win @ Chicago
Week 15: Lose @ Philadelphea
Week 16: Lose @ Indianapolis
Week 17: Win at home vs Washington
Final record: 11-5: Finally the Dallas Cowboys are NFC East Champions earning them the 3rd seed and a home playoff game in the wild card round
4th seed: NFC South Winner?
Atlanta Falcons (4-7)
Week 13: Lose at home vs Arizona
Week 14: Lose @ Green Bay
Week 15: Win at home vs Pittsburgh
Week 16: Lose @ New Orleans
Week 17: Win at home vs Carolina
Final record: 6-10
Carolina Panthers (3-7-1)
Week 13: Win @ Minnesota
Week 14: Lose @ New Orleans
Week 15: Win at home vs Tampa Bay
Week 16: Win at home vs Cleveland
Week 17: Lose at Atlanta
Final record: 6-9-1
New Orleans Saints (4-7)
Week 13: Win @ Pittsburgh
Week 14: Win at home vs Carolina
Week 15: Lose @ Chicago
Week 16: Win at home vs Atlanta
Week 17: Lose @ Tampa Bay
Final record: 7-9:
After some crazy final day results during the regular season the Saints lose at Tampa Bay making them the second team to make the playoffs with a losing record. Carolina had a shot to make it in with a win @ Atlanta but they lost meaning the Falcons only have themselves to blame for not winning this dismal division after some narrow losses during the year meaning that Sean Payton's Saints take the 4th seed and the NFC South crown.
Final two spots go to....?
Seattle Seahawks (7-4):
Week 13: Lose today @ San Francisco *Thanksgiving game*
Week 14: Win @ Philadelphea
Week 15: Win at home vs San Francisco
Week 16: Win @ Arizona
Week 17: Win @ St. Louis
Final record: 11-5: The defending Super Bowl Champions sneak in to the postseason and avoid the tie-breaking complications with a win at St. Louis on the final day meaning they take the 5th seed and that they travel to New Orleans during wild card week!
Only one spot remains!:
Philadelphia Eagles (8-3):
Week 13: Lose today @ Dallas *Thanksgiving game*
Week 14: Lose at home vs Seattle
Week 15: Win at home vs Dallas
Week 16: Lose @ Washington
Week 17: Win vs New York Giants
Final record: 10-6
San Francisco 49ers (7-4):
Week 13: Win today at home vs Seattle *Thanksgiving game*
Week 14: Win @ Oakland
Week 15: Lose @ Seattle
Week 16 Win at home vs San Diego
Week 17: Lose @Arizona
Final record: 10-6
Detroit Lions (7-4)
Week 13: Lose today at home vs Chicago *Thanksgiving game*
Week 14: Win at home vs Tampa Bay
Week 15: Win at home vs Minnesota
Week 16: Win @ Chicago
Week 17: Lose @ Green Bay
Final record: 10-6
Chicago Bears (5-6)
Week 13: Win today @ Detroit *Thanksgiving game*
Week 14: Lose at home vs Dallas
Week 15: Win at home vs New Orleans
Week 16: Lose at home vs Detroit
Week 17: Win @ Minnesota
Final record: 8-8
And the 6th seed is: With the 49ers, Eagles and Lions all on 10-6 I've given myself quite the headache to try and work out who gets the 6 seed. According to NFL Tie-Breaking Procedures this is how it goes:
1. Apply division tie breaker to eliminate all but the highest ranked club in each division prior to proceeding to step 2. The original seeding within a division upon application of the division tie breaker remains the same for all subsequent applications of the procedure that are necessary to identify the two Wild-Card participants.
2. Head-to-head sweep. (Applicable only if one club has defeated each of the others or if one club has lost to each of the others.)
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
So according to my calculations as each of the three teams are from different divisions this we skip to step 2 but as the Lions and Niners didn't play each other step 2 doesn't apply so on to step 3 we go.... Time for me to calculate each of these teams conference winning ratios *stay with me*
Detroit Lions: 8-4 in conference games
San Francisco 49ers: 7-5 in conference games
Philadelphia Eagles: 6-6 in conference games
So with a 75% win ratio in the NFC the Detroit Lions make up our NFC playoff picture and will travel to Dallas in wild card week!
Skye's NFC playoff picture summary:
1st seed: Arizona Cardinals (12-4)
2nd seed: Green Bay Packers (12-4)
3rd seed: Dallas Cowboys: (11-5)
4th seed: New Orleans Saints (7-9)
5th seed: Seattle Seahawks (11-5)
6th seed: Detroit Lions (10-6)
*tie-breaking procedures explained above*
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