NFC Playoff picture and thoughts

[Dagger85]

I know. That division is a joke. How the heck do the Saints not roll right thru that?

No clue. 3 weeks ago I thought they would roll and now they're moving backward. It's honestly anyone's division to take.

 

[Narveson]

The most important thing about the last 2 weeks is HOPEFULLY the players had their eyes opened to the fact that "Hey, we are pretty damn good at home and it's going to be really hard for someone to beat us here in Lambeau. Let's grab this 1 or 2 seed and make teams come here to play us." The Pats game is going to be the one that tells the NFL this, if the last 2 weeks didn't. Man, I can't wait for Thanksgiving weekend now.

 

[BearDroppings]

Here me out for a second, and I will tell you why we should not grab a number 1 or 2 seed in the playoffs. The lower the better, the more pressure it is on other NFC teams that will be facing us in the playoffs. I think we can go on a tear with a 3 or 4 seed in the playoffs. Philadelphia is angry, and they seem to have it out for us after that 53-20 beating we landed on them. We gotta start believing we are the best, and we will end up doing what we did in 2010. For the last four or so years how many times have you hoped for a second ring for Rodgers and friends????

 

[Forget Favre]

The way this is shaping up, it's looking like we may very well have a couple wildcard teams that are much better than a division winner. For God's sake, Atlanta is horrible and they're in first at 4-6!

I feel like I need to go to the eye Dr. to get an eye exam whenever I see those standings.
So fricken unbelievable.

 

[NOMOFO]

I feel like I need to go to the eye Dr. to get an eye exam whenever I see those standings.
So fricken unbelievable.

Might be one of those years that it'll be better to have the WC than win a division if it means playing a team like the Falcons.

 

[GoPGo]

- The #1 seed, IMO, is locked up.

There are 6 more games to play. The #1 seed is nowhere near locked up. They have 4 more division games to play, including all three road games. I'm looking for them to lose 2 of those four games. They will likely lose to Seahawks this week. They beat them last time they played in Seattle but to do so twice in a row is a tall order for anyone. The Rams and Niners are pretty good a their own places and the Chefs [sic] are as hot as they are. The Cardinals could very easily lose 2-4 of their remaining 6 games.

Regardless, I'm hoping for a Superbowl I rematch.

 

[Zartan]

Dont write off the Tampa Bay Bucs they are only 2 games back from the division. With only 2 wins.

 

[adambr2]

Here me out for a second, and I will tell you why we should not grab a number 1 or 2 seed in the playoffs. The lower the better, the more pressure it is on other NFC teams that will be facing us in the playoffs. I think we can go on a tear with a 3 or 4 seed in the playoffs. Philadelphia is angry, and they seem to have it out for us after that 53-20 beating we landed on them. We gotta start believing we are the best, and we will end up doing what we did in 2010. For the last four or so years how many times have you hoped for a second ring for Rodgers and friends????

Well first of all we won't be the 4 seed, that distinction will go to the South winner.

I hear you but I don't agree. Lower the better? Higher the better to me...1-2 seed is huge. You literally get a pass the first week. 2 wins gets you to the Super Bowl, max of 1 on the road. Otherwise you need to win 3 and likely 2 on the road.

I know we went on a tear as the 6 seed but that's the exception. It's only happened twice. Yes, any team can get hot in January but it still puts you at a big advantage having to win less games and getting those games at Lambeau. Would you really rather face Philly at their place than at Lambeau? Philly can be as angry as they want, they still aren't coming into Green Bay in January and winning.

What about those other teams? Dallas? New Orleans? No way would I prefer to go there than get those dome/warm weather teams to come up here and try to win a game.

If we believe we are the best and perform like we are the best, we should do plenty well enough down the stretch to earn a top 2 seed. It's the NFL playoffs, pressure is pressure. It's a tremendous amount of pressure either way and it's the responsibility of each team to handle that pressure. Are we really going to feel less pressure as a 3 seed than a 2 seed? I don't think so. Give me the home games and shorter route to Arizona for the Super Bowl.

 

[BearDroppings]

Well first of all we won't be the 4 seed, that distinction will go to the South winner.

I hear you but I don't agree. Lower the better? Higher the better to me...1-2 seed is huge. You literally get a pass the first week. 2 wins gets you to the Super Bowl, max of 1 on the road. Otherwise you need to win 3 and likely 2 on the road.

I know we went on a tear as the 6 seed but that's the exception. It's only happened twice. Yes, any team can get hot in January but it still puts you at a big advantage having to win less games and getting those games at Lambeau. Would you really rather face Philly at their place than at Lambeau? Philly can be as angry as they want, they still aren't coming into Green Bay in January and winning.

What about those other teams? Dallas? New Orleans? No way would I prefer to go there than get those dome/warm weather teams to come up here and try to win a game.

If we believe we are the best and perform like we are the best, we should do plenty well enough down the stretch to earn a top 2 seed. It's the NFL playoffs, pressure is pressure. It's a tremendous amount of pressure either way and it's the responsibility of each team to handle that pressure. Are we really going to feel less pressure as a 3 seed than a 2 seed? I don't think so. Give me the home games and shorter route to Arizona for the Super Bowl.

You know what you are right though, and you remember what happened in 2011-2012? Yeah when went 15-1 and got destroyed by an inferior franchise at the time? You want that to happen again? I mean the higher seed the better but we can't lose any focus when we are in there. We have got to win, and we have to win now if we want to get the superbowl. Hopefully this team doesn't overlook the Vikings, and is well prepared for this game coming up. This has been the healthiest Packers team in a LONG time!

 

[El Guapo]

Like the Yankees of a few seasons ago, sometimes past champions regain their swagger around playoff time. I'm still not sure that I'd want to play Seattle or San Francisco in the post season. There is a monkey, he's on our back, and I'm not sure that he's hit his ride time yet.

I'd most like to face the Lions in the playoffs. As I've said in the kitty thread, I think that they are a good team but I don't think they are good enough to beat the Packers at Lambeau in the playoffs.

 

[adambr2]

Like the Yankees of a few seasons ago, sometimes past champions regain their swagger around playoff time. I'm still not sure that I'd want to play Seattle or San Francisco in the post season. There is a monkey, he's on our back, and I'm not sure that he's hit his ride time yet.

Me either. However I think beating either one would be an incredibly satisfying win in the playoffs.

I'd feel reasonably confident about beating Seattle right now IF it was in Green Bay. But a lot could change in the next 2 months.

 

[BearDroppings]

We've been making the playoffs consistently in the last few years and I am pretty sure we will again this year.

 

[longtimefan]

1st game of the year and some posters said they wont make the playoffs

 

[Sky King]

Like the Yankees of a few seasons ago, sometimes past champions regain their swagger around playoff time. I'm still not sure that I'd want to play Seattle or San Francisco in the post season. There is a monkey, he's on our back, and I'm not sure that he's hit his ride time yet.

I'd most like to face the Lions in the playoffs. As I've said in the kitty thread, I think that they are a good team but I don't think they are good enough to beat the Packers at Lambeau in the playoffs.

The possibility of back-to-back games vs. the Lions? Interesting.

 

[Poppa San]

The possibility of back-to-back games vs. the Lions? Interesting.

Even more so if they were at Lambeau.

 

[Carl]

You know what you are right though, and you remember what happened in 2011-2012? Yeah when went 15-1 and got destroyed by an inferior franchise at the time? You want that to happen again? I mean the higher seed the better but we can't lose any focus when we are in there. We have got to win, and we have to win now if we want to get the superbowl. Hopefully this team doesn't overlook the Vikings, and is well prepared for this game coming up. This has been the healthiest Packers team in a LONG time!

Being the higher seed in 2011 was not the reason we lost. Four turnovers and overall bad play lost us that game. Could being a higher seed have caused a lack of focus or overconfidence? Possibly, but unlikely considering it was playoffs and the Giants during the regular season was the toughest win of that year.

It's not even arguable that it would be better to go through Arizona, New Orleans, or Dallas or whoever instead of them coming to Lambeau.

 

[Carl]

http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/visuals/post/_/id/10921/graphic-which-nfl-playoff-seeds-succeed

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Only two 3/4 seeds and two 5/6 seeds have won the Super Bowl from the NFC since 1975.

This also points out being number 1 certainly isn't a lock to get to the Super Bowl, but the odds certainly are greater.

 

[Half Empty]

Those #4 Broncos in 1997 remain a painful memory.

 

[Pkrjones]

#1 or #2 seed would be fantastic, as it gives the players a week off to heal-up a bit from the "usual" bruises, tweaks and pains. Think Capers and MM would have a little better game plan with 2 weeks to prep instead of 1? Complacency or entitlement is always a fear, but I'd take an extra bye-week EVERY time.

Excellent chart, Carl!

 

[Dagger85]

I completely agree that a first round bye would be great. Since our bye this season, the last 2 weeks have been phenomenal. Getting rested up and getting 2 weeks to prepare for an opponent is always a plus.

Look at KC last night. Tough game against Seattle, pull out the win, have 1st place right in front of them and lose to Oakland. Momentum isn't always a guaranteed victory the next week. I'll take the playoffs how we can get them, but I don't want a tough opponent getting an extra week to prepare for us.

 

[ivo610]

Might be one of those years that it'll be better to have the WC than win a division if it means playing a team like the Falcons.

if we played atlanta we would be favored by 14 I bet. Has a home team in the playoffs ever been 14 point underdogs?

I bet ATL still has nightmares of rodgers

 

[Carl]

Might be one of those years that it'll be better to have the WC than win a division if it means playing a team like the Falcons.

Unless winning the divisions comes with the 1 or 2 seed and the first round bye.

 

[adambr2]

Might be one of those years that it'll be better to have the WC than win a division if it means playing a team like the Falcons.

You're still going to have to win 2 more games on the road against much tougher teams after that.

Go 5-1 or better the rest of the way and we shouldn't have to worry about playing in the Wild Card round at all.

 

[adambr2]

As of right now, we would have a 4-7 playoff team (Falcons) and five 7-4 teams missing out (Browns, Ravens, Steelers, Lions, 49ers).

Regardless I'm still in favor of the current system. Sometimes it works to your favor, sometimes it doesn't, but I still think a division champion should automatically result in a playoff spot. If you want to take that away, there's really no point in separating teams by division anymore.

I'd be fine with re-seeding the Wild Card round winners after the first round to ensure that 3-4 seed division winners aren't allowed to host 5-6 seed wild card winners in the NFC Championship if they have an inferior record and give the worst teams the toughest road after the first round.

 

[Jdeed]

My thoughts??

AZ Falls Dallas or Packers win the NFC.