Hypothetical: Which Wildcard Team Should We Hope To Face In Playoffs?

[Sky King]

It's a rock, paper, scissors league.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

12th most difficult. Is that before or after the Seattle game. Because the only team that Green Bay has played that the Viking haven't is Carolina.

Actually after this week´s games Football Outsider ranks the Packers past schedule as the 15th toughest in the league with the Vikings being 17th.

I haven´t made any claim the Packers have had a tougher schedule, the reason they´re tied with the Vikings is the fact they have completely underperformed during this season while Minnesota has played up to their potential. There´s no doubt in my mind that if the Packers are able to do that as well, which is a big question mark this season, they´re the far superior team.

 

[Raptorman]

So, as long a we are dealing with hypothetical playoff. MN wins out, Panthers lose out, Cardinals lose 2, Vikings take the number one seed. Didn't know it was still possible until today.

 

[Deleted member 6794]

So, as long a we are dealing with hypothetical playoff. MN wins out, Panthers lose out, Cardinals lose 2, Vikings take the number one seed. Didn't know it was still possible until today.

Well, seems like you have to win at Arizona without Barr, Joseph, Sedenjo and Smith.

 

[Raptorman]

Well, seems like you have to win at Arizona without Barr, Joseph, Sedenjo and Smith.

Not likely. I count this game as a loss.

 

[PackerfaninCarolina]

I see. So this time we go by current record. Well, Vikings beat the Chiefs as well, and the Rams before they went below .500. And the Falcons. But, let's keep up.

I always go by current record, or attempt to at least. I think the bigger issue isn't always opponent record, I mean it can be but not always, I'd tend to think it's more about the implications of a game. Had Minny beat us when they had a chance to take sole possession of the NFC north when all was going well for them and struggling for us, we'd probably be looking at the picture differently right now than we are, but they didn't, in a game with that magnitude. And yeah, I admit those injuries against Seattle were bad and did have an impact (on defense at least), but it doesn't let their offense off the hook for not finding the endzone. Game again had major implications and quite frankly, I actually was hoping they'd win, but once again not showing up when it mattered. That, at the root, is the problem.

 

[bigbubbatd]

Actually after this week´s games Football Outsider ranks the Packers past schedule as the 15th toughest in the league with the Vikings being 17th.

I haven´t made any claim the Packers have had a tougher schedule, the reason they´re tied with the Vikings is the fact they have completely underperformed during this season while Minnesota has played up to their potential. There´s no doubt in my mind that if the Packers are able to do that as well, which is a big question mark this season, they´re the far superior team.

Is the only difference so far the packers having Carolina and the Vikings having the Falcons? That alone is a one game swing. The Vikings lose to Carolina and the Packers beat the Falcons. Difference between packers at 9-3 and Vikings at 7-5. I think the other difference is the Vikings have already played the Raiders and the packers are done with the bears

 

[PackerfaninCarolina]

So the big games to keep the eye on now, since Minny lost the other day, are....

Washington @ Chicago
New Orleans @ Tampa Bay
Seattle @ Baltimore

I had said last week that the Bears' season was looking pretty much over with a loss to SF. Maybe not quite true, but at this moment, if we win and they lose, they just might be officially out of the playoffs.

 

[JacobInFlorida]

At this point the packers have wrapped up at least a chance of winning the division in week 17 no matter what happens against the raiders and cardinals.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

We may not catch Arizona for the #2, but let's just stay ahead of the Seahags and eliminate any and all possibility of having to travel back to Seattle! Both the Cardinals and the Packers have 3 tough games ahead, the Seahags just have the AZ game to really worry about.

 

[PackerfaninCarolina]

We may not catch Arizona for the #2, but let's just stay ahead of the Seahags and eliminate any and all possibility of having to travel back to Seattle! Both the Cardinals and the Packers have 3 tough games ahead, the Seahags just have the AZ game to really worry about.

http://www.nfl.com/playoffs/playoff-picture

I do not believe, barring losing to both the Cards and Vikings, or losing out and them winning out, that the Packers can get behind Seattle. The Cards win one more game and they clinch the west and the best Seattle can get at that point is a 5-seed.

To clarify that scenario, say we lose to the Raiders and Cards, giving us 6 losses on the season, but win against Minny therefore winning the north, Arizona takes the division, Seattle gets no home playoff games, they could finish 11-5 while we finish 10-6 but by winning the division taking 3rd seed, we get the HFA over them. It's about seeding not necessarily records.

Anything could happen but right now it seems to be all about the NFC East.

So basically atm, you got one 13-0 team, an 11-2 team, a 9-4 team, two 8-5 teams and basically five 6-7 teams to boot

Only 2 teams have been officially eliminated on the NFC side: Detroit and San Francisco. Dallas is not quite out yet, but being 2 games behind the 3 pack teams with only 3 games to go, they'd need to beat a tough NYJ squad at home to start a win out, and need a ton of help in the process. So barring just a bunch of craziness I think you can pretty safely assume they are out.fo

As for the three 5-8 teams, none of them are mathematically eliminated yet, but .... considering 1 of them is reliant on a Seattle loss to Cleveland, and the other 2 would need the Vikings to completely lose out along with other help, I think you can pretty much mark their playoff chances as slim to none.

As to the 6-7 team that you could probably pretty much call done, that would probably be Atlanta considering they have to finish with a better record than both Minny and Seattle and still have 1 more against the Panthers and have just played poorly this 2nd half of the season, I think you can stick a fork in them, which will happen anyway if both Minny and Seattle win this weekend.

Now even if Minny beats Chicago this weekend, which I expect will happen, there are still plausible scenarios that they can get beat out for the Wildcard if they lost to both the Giants and Packers, but those of course would be contingent on what Tampa Bay does, and on what happens with the NFC East. But more likely than not, I'd suspect the wildcards are in the NFC North and East.

 

[AKCheese]

Seattle

If you can't beat Seattle at Lambeau do us all a favor and go home early

 

[RRyder]

We may not catch Arizona for the #2, but let's just stay ahead of the Seahags and eliminate any and all possibility of having to travel back to Seattle! Both the Cardinals and the Packers have 3 tough games ahead, the Seahags just have the AZ game to really worry about.

As long as we win week 17 there's a zero percent chance of going to Seattle in the playoffs assuming Arizona wins their division

 

[JBlood]

We may not catch Arizona for the #2, but let's just stay ahead of the Seahags and eliminate any and all possibility of having to travel back to Seattle! Both the Cardinals and the Packers have 3 tough games ahead, the Seahags just have the AZ game to really worry about.

Right now I would say Seattle is the best team in the NFC. Would love to have them at Lambeau for the NFC Championship.

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Right now I would say Seattle is the best team in the NFC. Would love to have them at Lambeau for the NFC Championship.

Agreed. How sweet would it be to host the NFCC game against the Seahags and see Pete Carroll walk off the field in defeat?

 

[RRyder]

Agreed. How sweet would it be to host the NFCC game against the Seahags and see Pete Carroll walk off the field in defeat?

Screw it. I want Seattle in the wildcard round now assuming we don't get the bye.

Seahawks fans are allready getting on my nerves.

PS: Carolina is the best team in the NFC. The only reason that anyone is saying Seattle is because they've been there the last two years but when a teams 13-0 and winning with pretty much the same formula as the previously mentioned team just with a better QB I see ZERO reason to saying they're not the best team in the conference.

Hell "IF" our offense ever figures things out with the way our D has played I'd rank Seattle as the 4th best team in the conference heading into the playoffs

 

[1940sfootball]

Green Bay is the team that will be the wild card anyway

 

[Un4GivN]

Seattle

If you can't beat Seattle at Lambeau do us all a favor and go home early

I agree with this... 100%. You want to prove you are the best, that you deserve to make it to the Super Bowl, beat the best.

Green Bay is the team that will be the wild card anyway

That's a stretch given the current landscape. Given that Green Bay only has to beat Minnesota in Green Bay to win the division. And Minnesota has looked quite "average" lately.

Not saying it can't happen, but I think unlikely at this point.

 

[Sky King]

Even though there's only three games left in the regular season so much can still happen, injuries being the worst for any and all aspiring playoff teams. Just look at Cincy. No doubt there's still more to come. It's a brutal game.

 

[PackerfaninCarolina]

It's going to be interesting, apart from our game against Oakland this Sunday, the games to keep an eye on are Tampa Bay vs St Louis, NYG vs Carolina, and Philly vs Arizona.

If the NYG upset the Panthers, the game between them and Minny next week could have major wildcard playoff implications.

Although also, if by some crazy fortune the Bucs were to beat the Rams, Bears, and upset the Panthers on the road, Bucs could get into the Vikings spot if the Vikings lost to the Giants and then us, and the Giants lost 1 more than them. And this also still assumes Minny beats Chicago.

 

[red4tribe]

At this point the wild card teams are pretty much set. It will be us/Minny and Seattle. The only playoff spot in the NFC really up for grabs is the NFC East, but they'll of course be the #4 seed.

I think if we win the division I'd prefer to face Minny than Seattle. I don't like the idea of playing Minny back to back weeks, but it's better than playing Seattle, in my opinion.

 

[lilredwing]

Atlanta

 

[PackerfaninCarolina]

At this point the wild card teams are pretty much set. It will be us/Minny and Seattle. The only playoff spot in the NFC really up for grabs is the NFC East, but they'll of course be the #4 seed.

I think if we win the division I'd prefer to face Minny than Seattle. I don't like the idea of playing Minny back to back weeks, but it's better than playing Seattle, in my opinion.

Normally I'd agree, it's just I can't put the idea past Minny to blow these next two games before us. Sure they almost beat AZ, but they've looked as uncompetitive at home a few games this year as any team looking like they coulda come in and beat them. If they do that, they could be eliminated.

 

[PackerfaninCarolina]

Well in all but the NFC East winner, the playoff picture is officially set. Not sure why they haven't shown Minny as clinching a playoff spot yet because they have, and I know that from this math. They now have 9 wins, and the Rams, Saints, Bucs, and Giants all have 8 losses, and of course Cowboys, Lions, Bears, and 49ers all have more. The Falcons best shot is to finish 9-7 but they still can't get in because even if they won out and Minny lost out, Minny owns head to head on them. Washington is 7-7 and Philly atm is 6-7 could finish 7-7 by the end of this game, but they still play each other and ... more likely than not one of those teams loses, but even in a tie, that then means neither can get 9 wins. So best case scenario is only 1 team there gets 9 wins but that would mean they win the division, therefore no 5th or 6th seed can go through the East or South.

So pretty much it's set in stone that both the Packers and Vikings are in the playoffs, our last game against them will decide who gets 6th seed, and who gets 3rd seed.

 

[Raptorman]

Pretty sure if the Eagles lose, the Vikings are in. Don't think anyone else can get to 9-7