Ranking the NFC

[LondonSox]

Green bay looks set to get the one seed, and freaking good luck to anyone winning there. So unless the Eagles win out and the Packers slip up vs Detroit or lay an egg vs a lesser team they are the team to beat.
 
Eagles Seahawks next weekend may determine the 2 seed. I think Seattle wins that division now.
That said Eagles are very solid at home and match up pretty well vs Seattle (the biggest weakness is in the secondary and the Seahawks receivers are not a strength).
 
Arizona is in danger of free falling. They can't score, and their defense isn't THAT good. They have 4 tough games left, Chiefs, @ Rams (which isn't looking like fun currently), Seattle and @ SF I mean ouch. There is a chance they don't win another game and are the ones left out.
 
If I had to guess right now on seedings
1) Packers
2) Eagles
3) Seahawks
4) NFC South "winner"
5) Detroit
6) Dallas

 

[ivanvamp]

The road to the Super Bowl goes through Lambeau and Gillette.  I think it will stay that way.

 

[DanoooME]

Thru Week 14
 
1A. Green Bay 10-3
1B. Seattle 9-4
3. Philadelphia 9-4
4. Dallas 9-4
5. Arizona 10-3
6. Detroit 9-4
 
 
7. San Francisco 7-6 
8. St. Louis 6-7
9. Minnesota 6-7
10. Chicago 5-8
11. Atlanta 5-8
12.  New Orleans 5-8
13. Carolina 4-8-1
14. New York Giants 4-9
15. Tampa Bay 2-11
16. Washington 3-10
 
Clear top two to me, tough to pick between the two, both are playing really well.

 

[Dan to Theo to Ben]

1. Seattle
2, Green Bay (secondary is too weak)
3. Philly
4. Arizona
 
 
 
5. Dallas
6. Detroit
 
 
7. Minnesota
8. San Francisco
9. St. Louis
 
 
10. New Orleans
11. Chicago
12. Atlanta
13. Carolina
 
 
14. Giants
 
 
15. Washington
16. Tampa Bay

 

[TheMoralBully]

1. GB
2. Seattle
 
3. Philly
4. Detroit
5. Dallas
6. Arizona
 
7. St. Louis
8. San Fran
9. Atlanta
 
10. New Orelans
11. Minny
12. Carolina
13. Chicago
14. NY Giants
 
15. Washington
16. Tampa Bay
 
Seattle is getting back to form but I can't drop GB when they're the probable 1 seed, they just beat NE and Rodgers is playing at such a high level.  Julio Jones also torches a lot of teams, he killed Patrick Peterson last week.

 

[dbn]

1. Seattle
2, Green Bay (secondary is too weak)
3. Philly
4. Arizona
 
 
 
5. Dallas
6. Detroit
 
 
7. Minnesota
8. San Francisco
9. St. Louis
 
 
10. New Orleans
11. Chicago
12. Atlanta
13. Carolina
 
 
14. Giants
 
 
15. Washington
16. Tampa Bay

 
I read this post and thought MIN at #7??! Really? Then I looked at the teams you have below them. The Vikings are not a good team, but neither are any of the others. Weird season.

 

[j44thor]

AZ is in serious trouble.  Take a look at that offense, they might currently have the worst offensive personnel in the NFC with only WAS/MN in the discussion.  I like DET & DAL a lot more than AZ right now.  AZ will most likely lose out.

 

[tims4wins]

This is the weirdest* season, record-wise, I can ever remember. In the AFC you have 12 teams that are legitimately competitive at 7-6 or better, then a huge gulf, then 4 teams at 2-11 or worse.
 
Meanwhile in the NFC the records are spread in a far more normal distribution; however, there is a lot of suck, and basically 6 good teams are fighting for 5 playoff spots, and another 2-3 bad teams are fighting for the last spot.
 
*Thank you Peter King

 

[Marciano490]

Pretty excited now for a potential Det-Sea matchup.  It's just a pity Fauria doesn't play defense.

 

[Morgan's Magic Snowplow]

On a neutral field, I take STL over Arizona (Vegas basically agrees, given the -3.5 line for the upcoming game at STL).  I don't think the gap between STL and DET or DAL is all that big either right now.
 
GB
SEA
(Substantial gap)
PHI
(Substantial gap)
DAL
DET
STL
ARI
(Substantial gap)
SF
NO
ATL
MIN
CAR
NYG
(Gap)
TB
WAS

 

[tims4wins]

If GB has to play on the road in the playoffs they are done. Averaging 22 ppg vs 40 at home and just aren't the sane team.

 

[tims4wins]

Well I think chances are that if they play at Arizona it would be in the 2nd round and they would still have to play at Seattle after that. But yeah obviously they could beat Arizona on the road.

 

[Hendu for Kutch]

You don't think they could beat Ryan Lindley and the vaunted Arizona offense?

 
I think most people are counting on Seattle catching Arizona in the west.

 

[LondonSox]

i think it's too early for Seattle to be given the division.
But agreed you'd think they should beat Arizona's third string qb. But if they won out the Packers would have been the NFC favourites with home field.
Detroit isn't a gimme, but it is at home. They'll be big favourites in their last two games. 

 

[LondonSox]

You know if Arizona does hold on the NFC South winner will have a not impossible path. At home vs lions/ seahawks/ packers/ niners/ eagles. Could be any of them still. But home game bottom line.
Then possibly on the road to the Cards, not easy but better than Packers, Seahawks or Eagles. 
 
6 wins and the schedule others would prefer..... Genius

 

[jsinger121]

Green Bay went from the 2nd seed to the 6th seed with that loss.

 

[dynomite]

Green Bay went from the 2nd seed to the 6th seed with that loss.

 
The Packers may have cost themselves the #1 seed, and probably just gave it to the Seahawks.   If the Seahawks win their last 2 games (@ARI, vs.STL) they're the #1 (even if GB/DET and ARI also finish 12-4).   

 

[ivanvamp]

GB, as good as they are, do NOT want to have to travel to Seattle in the playoffs.

 

[Hendu for Kutch]

 
The Packers may have cost themselves the #1 seed, and probably just gave it to the Seahawks.   If the Seahawks win their last 2 games (@ARI, vs.STL) they're the #1 (even if GB/DET and ARI also finish 12-4).   

 
It's unlikely to play out this way, but Dallas has the tiebreaker over Seattle if they're the only two teams tied.  If Det or GB are also tied, it'd go 1. SEA - 2. GB or DET - 3. DAL

 

[dynomite]

 
It's unlikely to play out this way, but Dallas has the tiebreaker over Seattle if they're the only two teams tied.  If Det or GB are also tied, it'd go 1. SEA - 2. GB or DET - 3. DAL

 
True.  This would require the Lions to lose @CHI and the Packers to lose @TB next week.
 
In other words... somehow the Seahawks are going to be the #1.

 

[Oil Can Dan]

 
True.  This would require the Lions to lose @CHI and the Packers to lose @TB next week.
 
In other words... somehow the Seahawks are going to be the #1.

No. If the Lions lose to Chicago then beat the Packers, and the Cowboys and Seahawks win out, then Dallas in the #1 seed.

Unlikely, but that's how it could go.

 

[DanoooME]

Thru Week 15
 
 
1. Seattle 10-4
2. Green Bay 10-4
3. Dallas 10-4
4. Arizona 11-3
5. Philadelphia 9-5
6. Detroit 10-4
 
 
7. San Francisco 7-7 
8. St. Louis 6-8
9. Minnesota 6-8
10. Chicago 5-8
11. Atlanta 5-9
12.  New Orleans 5-8
13. Carolina 5-8-1
14. New York Giants 5-9
15. Tampa Bay 2-12
16. Washington 3-11

 

[dynomite]

Double post, dammit.

 

[dynomite]

No. If the Lions lose to Chicago then beat the Packers, and the Cowboys and Seahawks win out, then Dallas in the #1 seed.

Unlikely, but that's how it could go.

 
Sorry, you're right.  That would also work.  Hadn't even put that in the ESPN Machine because it didn't even occur to me the Lions could win in Green Bay.  
 
Edit: If I'm looking at Football Reference correctly, the Lions haven't won in Green Bay since 1991.  That can't be right, can it?

 

[Greg29fan]

Edit: If I'm looking at Football Reference correctly, the Lions haven't won in Green Bay since 1991.  That can't be right, can it?

 
yep December 15, 1991.

 

[LondonSox]

IT's really painful that one of the best teams is going to miss out to allow one of the worst teams in. A 10 or possibly 11 win team is going to miss out to a 6 win team. 

 

[Conigliaro's Potential]

I strongly suspect the NFC South champion will wind up with 7 wins. The Falcons play at New Orelans and vs. Carolina; if they win out they get to 7-9, and if not, New Orelans gets to 7-9 with wins over two of CHI/ATL/TB (or 8-8 with a sweep), and Carolina gets to 7-8-1 with wins over CLE/ATL.
 
By the way, in case you haven't noticed, Atlanta is 5-9 and third in their division with two weeks to go, and they CONTROL THEIR OWN PLAYOFF DESTINY - two wins and they're in. How insane is that?

 

[GeorgeCostanza]

At least in the Pats 11-5 Cassell year the worst playoff team was .500

 

[MentalDisabldLst]

So, which game likely to be flexed to the SNF 8:30 slot for Week 17?  They always like to have a game that's a win-and-you're-in game for both teams, right?
 
Likeliest candidate is probably DET @ GB, but I could also see Chargers/Chiefs.  Browns/Ravens is unlkely to be a play-in game, but Bengals/Steelers or even CAR @ ATL are possibilities.

 

[Infield Infidel]

IT's really painful that one of the best teams is going to miss out to allow one of the worst teams in. A 10 or possibly 11 win team is going to miss out to a 6 win team. 

 

Green Bay went from the 2nd seed to the 6th seed with that loss.

 
 
Going from 2 to 6 is bad, but going from 3 to 5 is good this year. Which is such a joke. Right now what would you rather be, Dallas having to host Green Bay, or Seattle playing at Carolina?

 

[DJnVa]

So, which game likely to be flexed to the SNF 8:30 slot for Week 17?  They always like to have a game that's a win-and-you're-in game for both teams, right?
 
Likeliest candidate is probably DET @ GB, but I could also see Chargers/Chiefs.  Browns/Ravens is unlkely to be a play-in game, but Bengals/Steelers or even CAR @ ATL are possibilities.

 

It's gotta be DET/GB. They'll have to pick that game this week right? If so, that game has a chance to decide A LOT.
 
If Indy beats Dallas next week then that DET/GB could mean the winner gets the #2 seed and the loser is OUT. Those are some pretty awesome stakes--a bye or OUT.

 

[SumnerH]

I strongly suspect the NFC South champion will wind up with 7 wins. The Falcons play at New Orelans and vs. Carolina; if they win out they get to 7-9, and if not, New Orelans gets to 7-9 with wins over two of CHI/ATL/TB (or 8-8 with a sweep), and Carolina gets to 7-8-1 with wins over CLE/ATL.
 
By the way, in case you haven't noticed, Atlanta is 5-9 and third in their division with two weeks to go, and they CONTROL THEIR OWN PLAYOFF DESTINY - two wins and they're in. How insane is that?

Carolina was 3-8-1 just 9 days ago and controls their own destiny.

 

[Rudy's Curve]

Carolina was 3-8-1 just 9 days ago and controls their own destiny.

 
If New Orleans wins out, they're 8-8 while Carolina can only finish 7-8-1.

 

[SumnerH]

 
If New Orleans wins out, they're 8-8 while Carolina can only finish 7-8-1.

Whoops you're right.  I was looking at the W column and it slipped my mind that NO hasn't played yet this week.