With the first playoff berth being locked up in last night's game, I figured it's high time to start looking forward to what the NFL playoff picture looks like.
NFC West and the road to the Super Bowl - Although Seattle has only officially clinched *a* playoff berth, I think a good argument can be made that the road to the Super Bowl goes through Seattle this year in the NFC. Four games remain. While Seattle (11-1) only has a two game lead over New Orleans (9-3) and Carolina (9-3), they own the tiebreaker for both - and so would have to lose three games to not have home field advantage over either. Furthermore, Seattle has a three game lead over San Francisco (8-4). S.F. *must* beat Seattle at home next week to have any chance of more than a wildcard berth - if they lose, they have to win out the remainder of the season, Seattle must lose the remainder of their games, and Seattle wins the tiebreaker. If Seattle wins, they have the division title locked up and a No. 1 seed all but locked up - and the bye and home field advantage that goes along with it. I do not expect Seattle will lose this one after how they manhandled New Orleans. Projection - Seattle wins the division and a #1 seed, S.F. wins the #6 seed.
NFC South - New Orleans (9-3) and Carolina (9-3) are deadlocked, and play each other twice in the next three weeks. Projection - One will win the division and the #2 seed, the other a wildcard berth and the #5 seed. No one else in the division is even remotely close.
NFC North and East - Damn near anything can happen here. Washington (3-9) and Minnesota (3-8-1) appear to be mathematically eliminated - but no one else is more than two games behind their division leader. Projection - no one in either division is likely to win a wildcard, and the division titles (and corresponding #3 and #4 seeds) are up for grabs - Detroit and Dallas currently lead. The division winners will face very tough opponents in the wildcard round.
Obviously, Carolina, New Orleans, and Seattle have the best shot at representing the NFC in the Super Bowl - and fanboyism aside, it appears that Seattle has the best chance of coming out on top.
NFC West and the road to the Super Bowl - Although Seattle has only officially clinched *a* playoff berth, I think a good argument can be made that the road to the Super Bowl goes through Seattle this year in the NFC. Four games remain. While Seattle (11-1) only has a two game lead over New Orleans (9-3) and Carolina (9-3), they own the tiebreaker for both - and so would have to lose three games to not have home field advantage over either. Furthermore, Seattle has a three game lead over San Francisco (8-4). S.F. *must* beat Seattle at home next week to have any chance of more than a wildcard berth - if they lose, they have to win out the remainder of the season, Seattle must lose the remainder of their games, and Seattle wins the tiebreaker. If Seattle wins, they have the division title locked up and a No. 1 seed all but locked up - and the bye and home field advantage that goes along with it. I do not expect Seattle will lose this one after how they manhandled New Orleans. Projection - Seattle wins the division and a #1 seed, S.F. wins the #6 seed.
NFC South - New Orleans (9-3) and Carolina (9-3) are deadlocked, and play each other twice in the next three weeks. Projection - One will win the division and the #2 seed, the other a wildcard berth and the #5 seed. No one else in the division is even remotely close.
NFC North and East - Damn near anything can happen here. Washington (3-9) and Minnesota (3-8-1) appear to be mathematically eliminated - but no one else is more than two games behind their division leader. Projection - no one in either division is likely to win a wildcard, and the division titles (and corresponding #3 and #4 seeds) are up for grabs - Detroit and Dallas currently lead. The division winners will face very tough opponents in the wildcard round.
Obviously, Carolina, New Orleans, and Seattle have the best shot at representing the NFC in the Super Bowl - and fanboyism aside, it appears that Seattle has the best chance of coming out on top.
