If the regular season ended today:
1. Giants (11-1)
2. Buccaneers (9-3)
3. Vikings (7-5)
4. Cardinals (7-5)
5. Panthers (9-3)
6. Falcons (8-4)
Outside looking in:
7. Cowboys (8-4)
8. Redskins (7-5)
9. Eagles (6-5-1)
10. Bears (6-6)
11. Saints (6-6)
12. Packers (5-7)
Outlook:
– The Giants are essentially a lock and a win over the Eagles this Sunday would clinch the NFC East.
– The Bucs have two tough road games against the Panthers and Falcons the next two weeks, but then have two very winnable games against the Chargers and Raiders. Tampa has the second best defense in the NFC after the Giants and has already beaten Carolina and Atlanta in convincing fashion this season. Wins over the Panthers and Falcons the next two weeks would secure the NFC South Crown.
– The Cardinals just need one more victory or a 49ers’ loss and they’ll win the pathetic NFC West. And with the Vikings possibly set to lose both of their run stuffers due to suspension, they should take a hold of the No. 3 spot in the playoffs, which would guarantee them at least one home game in the postseason.
– The NFC North is a mess and things are far from decided. The Vikings are currently playing the best in that division, but losing Kevin Williams and Pat Williams to suspension will be a huge blow. And after they play the Lions on Sunday, the have the Falcons, Cardinals and Giants the rest of the way. Of course, Arizona and New York would both of secured playoff spots by then, which means they might rest starters and give Minnesota an easier road to the postseason.
– The Panthers got themselves back on track with an impressive win in Green Bay last Sunday, but things don’t get any easier. They host Tampa on Monday night, host Denver, and then finish at the Giants and at the Saints. We’ll know a lot more after the Panthers play the Bucs on Monday night. If they beat Tampa, first place in the NFC South is up for grabs. If they lose and Atlanta beats New Orleans on Sunday, the Panthers and Falcons would flip-flop places in the playoff picture.
– The surprising Falcons have a very manageable rest of the season. They play a depleted Saints team on Sunday, host the Bucs next week, play a possibly Williams-less Vikings team in Minnesota and then finish the year against a hapless Rams team at the Georgia Dome. The division title might be a reach, but the playoffs certainly aren’t and that’s amazing to think after some media publications predicted the Falcons to finish 1-15 this year.
– The Cowboys have a brutal stretch to end the season: at Steelers, vs. Giants, vs. Ravens, at Eagles. They could easily go 1-3 the rest of the way out, which means an 9-7 finish and no playoffs. If the Cowboys fail to make the playoffs because of one game, how much does that Week 7 loss to the Rams come back to haunt them.
– The Redskins are still very much in the playoff chase, although they might need some help. They’ll probably need to win three of their last four games, which is possible given their remaining schedule (at Ravens, at Bengals, vs. Eagles, at 49ers). A win this week in Baltimore would go a long way. The Eagles essentially have the same task, although a much tougher road because they have to face their NFC Division rivals one more time before the end of the season. Their only break is vs. Cleveland in two weeks.
– The Bears and Packers just got new life with the news that the Vikes’ Williamses will be suspended for four games. But both Chicago and Green Bay have their own issues (mainly defensive issues). The Packers actually have the easiest schedule, but they’ll have to win out and hope the Vikings crash and burn without their stud DTs. (Assuming of course that the suspensions hold up.)
Anybody up for predictions on how this thing will play out?
