NFC Battle for Final 3 SPOTS!!

[TexasRam]

The Rams, Saints and Bears are making the playoffs.

That leaves 3 spots up for grabs for 5 remaining teams!!

Below is listed your final 5 NFC Teams hoping to punch their playoff ticket.

WHO WILL GET IN?

Tell us based on remaining schedule below how the final 5 teams will finish and where the losses are.

My predictions are below highlighted in red.

Washington
Current Record 6-5

Remaining Schedule:
@PHI
NYG
@JAX
@TEN
PHI

My Prediction 8-8.
----------

Dallas
Current Record 6-5

Remaining Schedule:
NO
PHI
@IND
TB
@NYG

My Prediction 9-7. DALLAS Wins Division and earns the 4 seed.
----------

Seattle
Current Record 6-5

Remaining Schedule:
SF
MIN
@SF
KC
ARI

My Prediction 10-6. Seattle earns #5 seed based on head to head with Carolina.
----------

Carolina
Current Record 6-5

Remaining Schedule:
@TB
@CLE
NO
ATL
@NO

My Prediction 10-6. Carolina earns the 6 seed.
----------

Minnesota
Current Record 6-4-1

Remaining Schedule:
@NE
@SEA
MIA
@DET
CHI

My Prediction 8-7-1
----------

Summary: Based on remaining schedule I have the following matchups slated for wildcard weekend.

#4 Dallas host #6 Carolina
#3 Bears host #5 Seattle


What say you????????????

 

[SeminoleRam]

Great reasoning! Looks very possible (Likely!) although I really don’t like it since two of my least favorite teams are the Cowboys and the Seahawks!

 

[Karate61]

Nice job laying that out Tex.

Looking like Bears at home for first playoff game? Possibly Carolina is the Saints lose control of the #1 seed.

 

[SteveBrown]

I like most of all this thinking. I wonder if Bears would rest starters week 16 since their record will allow them the hold field win or lose in the first round. I don't the Rams want to play Seattle a 3rd time.....like the Bears, they can beat the Rams and/or beat us up enough to cost us in the NFCC.

I do believe the Saints will lose one more game--against Carolina or Steelers (so if we beat Bears, which is a 51/49 proposition at best), then we could have homefield throughout....not counting that pesky Wentz game!

So, Rams vs Carolina Round 1,
Rams in LA vs Saints for the super bowl entry.

Even if Rams play in NO for the NFCC, I think that we win. Saints look unbeatable sounds so lacking....lol...no, really. Rams ran out of gas in the last game. If Rams can keep Saints to 17-24 points in the 1st half, we will be ok. Wade might be retiring, but the NFCC will be one his all time great finagles!!!

 

[TexasRam]

Nice job laying that out Tex.

Looking like Bears at home for first playoff game? Possibly Carolina is the Saints lose control of the #1 seed.

Anything can happen, but that appears to me the most likely scenario.

Bears play @Gmen, Niners and Vikings at home vs Rams and Pack. I cant see them losing 3 of those games.

So the Bears are getting the #3 seed, unless something really goes south.

Assuming the Bears win Wildcard weekend we will play the Bears in LA.

Unless of course the Saints lose at some point.

 

[Picked4td]

With Alex Smith our and numerous other injuries and the cowboys really heating up of late, i think falls takes the east for sure.

A week or 2 ago I would have said panthers take the 5th seed but with back to back losses, including to Seattle, and Seattle hearing up i think Seattle will take the 5th seed.

As for the panthers, they have 2 games vs the saints and they are probably gonna need to win one to beat out the Vikings for the 6th. If they can get a win I think they for sure get the 6th, if they lose both I’d gove the Vikings a slight edge but that tie might come back to bite them

 

[Liberator]

I think the Vikings make it over the Panthers. Really not even sure Carolina ends up 8-8.

 

[T-REX]

Washington
Current Record 6-5

Remaining Schedule:
@PHI
NYG
@JAX
@TEN
PHI

My Prediction 9-7. Washington Wins Division and earns the #4 seed.
----------

Dallas
Current Record 6-5

Remaining Schedule:
NO
PHI
@IND
TB
@NYG

My Prediction 8-8.
----------

Seattle
Current Record 6-5

Remaining Schedule:
SF
MIN
@SF
KC
ARI

My Prediction 9-7. Seattle earns #6 seed.
----------

Carolina
Current Record 6-5

Remaining Schedule:
@TB
@CLE
NO
ATL
@NO

My Prediction 8-8.
----------

Minnesota
Current Record 6-4-1

Remaining Schedule:
@NE
@SEA
MIA
@DET
CHI

My Prediction 9-6-1. Minnesota earns #5 seed.
----------

Summary: Based on remaining schedule I have the following matchups slated for wildcard weekend.

#4 Washington host #5 Minnesota
#3 Bears host #6 Seattle

 

[T-REX]

#4 Dallas host #6 Carolina
#3 Bears host #5 Seattle

Wouldn't #4 play #5 and #3 play #6?

 

[Mackeyser]

Wouldn't #4 play #5 and #3 play #6?

Beat me to it and yes. Lowest remaining seed always plays the highest seed remaining

 

[BonifayRam]

Getting the NFC five playoff teams is easy:
Saints
Rams
Bears
Cowboys
Seahawks

But the hard oe will who ends up wk #17 as the 6th.

 

[majrleaged]

The Rams, Saints and Bears are making the playoffs.

That leaves 3 spots up for grabs for 5 remaining teams!!

Below is listed your final 5 NFC Teams hoping to punch their playoff ticket.

WHO WILL GET IN?

Tell us based on remaining schedule below how the final 5 teams will finish and where the losses are.

My predictions are below highlighted in red.

Washington
Current Record 6-5

Remaining Schedule:
@PHI
NYG
@JAX
@TEN
PHI

My Prediction 8-8.
----------

Dallas
Current Record 6-5

Remaining Schedule:
NO
PHI
@IND
TB
@NYG

My Prediction 9-7. DALLAS Wins Division and earns the 4 seed.
----------

Seattle
Current Record 6-5

Remaining Schedule:
SF
MIN
@SF
KC
ARI

My Prediction 10-6. Seattle earns #5 seed based on head to head with Carolina.
----------

Carolina
Current Record 6-5

Remaining Schedule:
@TB
@CLE
NO
ATL
@NO

My Prediction 10-6. Carolina earns the 6 seed.
----------

Minnesota
Current Record 6-4-1

Remaining Schedule:
@NE
@SEA
MIA
@DET
CHI

My Prediction 8-7-1
----------

Summary: Based on remaining schedule I have the following matchups slated for wildcard weekend.

#4 Dallas host #6 Carolina
#3 Bears host #5 Seattle


What say you????????????

If seeding is as you predict. Bears being the highest seed would play Panthers and Dallas being the the lowest seeded division winner would play Seahawks.

 

[…..]

Hey...how freaking awesome is it that we're looking at the playoffs from the inside out?

I think the Vikings might squeek out the division. They're really coming on lately and have more potential for a deeper run than the Bears in my opinion.

Washington going wrong direction with QB out. That division may come down to a couple 8-8 teams going to tie breaker.

My prediction

Saints #1
Rams #2
Vikes #3
Cowgirls #4 for a very weak 4 seed
Hawks #5
Bears #6

Vikes beat Bears in week 17 to win the division and set up a showdown a week later in the playoffs. We could end up facing Seattle after our bye if the Bears beat the Vikings in that scenario.

 

[12intheBox]

Great thread.

As hard as it is beating a team 3x in a season, I’d welcome Seattle in the playoffs. Fluker, Britt - there is some unfinished business there.

I’d also love to play just about anyone from the NFC East at this point and I’d be fine hosting the Bears.

I’d like to avoid Minnesota and Carolina - I just don’t like the matchups as much.

Let’s hope the Saints lose a few - number 1 seed would be nice. If we are going to make it, it seems like a rematch with the Saints is inevitable. Hopefully, it’s in LA.

 

[Mojo Ram]

Beating same team three times in a season:

• 2009 Dallas Cowboys over Philadelphia Eagles
• 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers over Baltimore Ravens
• 2004 St. Louis Rams over Seattle Seahawks
• 2002 Pittsburgh Steelers over Cleveland Browns
• 2000 New York Giants over Philadelphia Eagles
• 1999 Tennessee Titans over Jacksonville Jaguars
• 1997 Green Bay Packers over Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• 1997 New England Patriots over Miami Dolphins
• 1994 Pittsburgh Steelers over Cleveland Browns
• 1993 Los Angeles Raiders over Denver Broncos
• 1991 Kansas City Chiefs over Los Angeles Raiders
• 1986 New York Giants over Washington Redskins
• 1982 Miami Dolphins over New York Jets (in a shortened season)
• 1965 Green Bay Packers over Baltimore Colts
• 1964 Buffalo Bills over San Diego Chargers
• 1958 New York Giants over Cleveland Browns
• 1952 Detroit Lions over Los Angeles Rams

 

[Mojo Ram]

Assuming Seattle wins 3 of their last 5 games they'd finish 9-7. First wildcard tiebreaker for SEA/CAR is head to head so they've got that in the bag. Of course, head to head tiebreaker doesn't mean squat for Seattle if Carolina finishes with a better record.

vs SF
vs MIN
@ SF
vs KC
vs AZ


Washington without A.Smith looks to fade, i get that, but i'm not so sure they'll completely collapse.
8-8? 9-7?

@ PHI
vs NYG
@ JAX
@ TEN
vs PHI

Carolina obviously blew it yesterday and they'll have to finish with a better record than Seattle due to head to head tiebreaker. I see 10-6 here if they finish strong.

@ TB
@ CLE
vs NO
vs ATL
@ NO

Philadelphia is 5-6 and will have to run the table. That looks extremely unlikely.

vs WASH
@ DAL
@ LAR
vs HOU
@ WASH

I'm still going with Carolina getting in as the #6 seed with them finishing 10-6 and Seattle 9-7.

 

[Ram65]

Minnesota
Current Record 6-4-1

Remaining Schedule:
@NE
@SEA
MIA
@DET
CHI

My Prediction 8-7-1

Viking pass rush looked good last night even if it was the Packers. They could give the Hags a run for their money.

Cowboys look best in the East.

Carolina seems to come up big in big games late in the year. Hags miss out.

 

[Elmgrovegnome]

Minnesota, Dallas, Seattle

 

[Mackeyser]

I have a slightly different take based on some of the things I've seen.

I used ESPN's Playoff Machine to play out the season and this is what I end up with.

NFC

1 LAR
2 NO
3 Chi
4 Dal
5 Sea
6 Min

AFC

1 KC
2 Hou
3 NE
4 Pit
5 Den
6 LAC

Surprises? I dunno if there are any surprises in the NFC other than Carolina not making it, but their remaining schedule is tough.

AFC has some surprises. Denver making it and Indy not is a little surprising, but Denver has one of the easiest remaining schedules and Indy doesn't. Also, I see Houston winning out and NE having another loss which puts Houston in the #2. Obviously tons change if just Indy wins on the road. Like...a lot.

Key matchups: Week 13 LAC @ Pit, NO @ Dal, Week 14 Indy @ Hou, Car @ Cle (I have Cleveland winning that one), LAR @ Chi, Min @ Sea, Week 15 LAC @ KC, Dal @ Ind, NE @ Pit, NO @ Car, Week 16 Pit @ NO, KC @ Sea, Week 17 Chi @ Min, Car @ NO, LAC @ Den.

Obviously, if even one game goes differently than I predict this whole playoff salad gets retossed.

How do I think it breaks out in the playoffs?

NFC

WC round
3-6 Min @ Chi. Pretty sure this is all Chicago's game to lose and outdoors is a marked advantage since Minny became an indoor team with the new stadium.
4-5 Sea @ Dal. Running team v Running team. I think with the improvement of Dallas' D line play, I see them winning this in a very close game.

Div round
1-4 Dal @ LAR. With the DL blowing up and the secondary much better with Talib, this game isn't super close although Dallas ends up with a lot of yards on the ground. Rams still win by more than 14.
2-3 Chi @ NO. If styles make fights, this one is double tough for the Saints. They'll see how the Rams beat the Bears and think it's in the bag, but without the ability to run, that DL will tee off on Brees. It'll come down to a late int or strip sack, but the Bears pull out a stunner in NO.

Conf round
1-3 Chi @ LAR. Was tougher in Chicago, but we have a more diverse weapon set than the Saints and don't rely as much on the interior run setting up the pass. Goff has another career day. Rams win in a game that looks closer than it really was.

Rams to SB

AFC

WC round
3-6 Den @ NE. Denver has played well and their D gives NE a bit of a tough time, but winning in NE in the playoffs is too much.
4-5 LAC @ Pit. Pittsburgh for all the good they do has a penchant this year for self-destruction and the Chargers have played tougher teams. Chargers go into Pittsburgh and pull out a tough win. This is a repeat of their week 13 matchup.

Div Round
1-5 LAC @ KC. Chargers have had a heck of a run and Rivers is playing lights out, but the Chiefs at home are too much.
2-3 NE @ Hou. Coaching determines this one as NE just understands too well how to win in the post-season.

Conf round
1-3 NE @ KC. Three weeks on the road is unfamiliar territory for the Pats and Arrowhead stadium is among the most hostile places to play in the NFL. That place is rocking and the Chiefs pull out a resounding victory.

SB
Rams v Chiefs.

Chiefs don't make as many mistakes, but McVay doesn't either in play calling. Also, with Talib in the Rams secondary, the Chiefs aren't as explosive. Rams win in a classic.

 

[TexasRam]

whoops.

yea #3 should play #6 in the original post. #4 would play #5.

Glad you were paying attention class.

now back to the discussion.