Could the Cardinals at 7-9 make the playoffs??

[AZCardsWin]

For the sure fun of it I looked over every 6-6 teams remaining schedule. For the Cardinals to stay alive (and YES they ARE still ALIVE) they need to win out to become 7-9, plus have the NY Giants win one of the two wildcard spots (beating the Panthers & Eagles down the stretch). Atlanta needs to go 1-3 but only winning vs. Carolina. Carolina can either lose out or go 1-3 with the only win coming against Pittsburgh this week. Philadelphia needs to beat Atlanta the final week. What does all of this mean??? The Cardinals would get the 2nd wildcard spot based on a 3 way tie with Atlanta and Carolina at 7-9. Cardinals would have a 5-7 NFC Conference Record along with both the Panthers and Falcons. The third tie-breaker after head to head and conference record -because all 3 teams did not play each other- is strength of schedule. In my calculations the Cardinals had the tuffest schedule (playing the AFC West combined with the Bears, Dallas, etc. in NFC) so that gives them the playoff spot.

Go Cards/ America!
Tim

 

[RedStorm]

I thought the Cards did play Atlanta this year (Game 3??) and lost.

 

[CardLogic]

The Cardinals would get the 2nd wildcard spot based on a 3 way tie with Atlanta and Carolina at 7-9.

That would be...


well, WILD!

 

[AZCardsWin]

I thought the Cards did play Atlanta this year (Game 3??) and lost.

They did so we might need one of the current 4-7 teams to come up into the mix at 7-9 so it turns everything into a strength of schedule tie breaker. That will be the Cards best chance.

Go Cards/ America!
Tim

 

[JC_AZ]

I thought the Cards did play Atlanta this year (Game 3??) and lost.

You are almost correct... Game FOUR, and of course LOSS!

 

[DKCards]

Yes the Cards could make the playoffs at 7-9, but the real question is can the Cards get to 7-9?

 

[Scott MS]

Awesome, when will the Cardinals be contacting me for the deposit for my playoff tickets?!?

 

[Mulli]

Awesome, when will the Cardinals be contacting me for the deposit for my playoff tickets?!?

 

[RedViper]

O hell yeah. We are going to the show! People wrote us off way too early. It should seem obvious we've saved the best for last. This is going to be big.

 

[HeavyB3]

Awesome, when will the Cardinals be contacting me for the deposit for my playoff tickets?!?

Never. We can't win the division so we wouldn't have any home games.

 

[mjb21aztd]

I would like to think we could win out but I just dont see us beating seattle this weekend Alexander always scores atleast 2 or 3 tds against us I hope i'm wrong and we win out and beat seattle this sunday but I just find that very unlikely to happen.

 

[Jersey Girl]

The Kool Aid cups runneth over.

 

[schwalbhimself]

laugh my ass off at you guys, arizona cardinals=no playoffs

 

[Scott MS]

Never. We can't win the division so we wouldn't have any home games.

Heavy B, I was joking!! No way they will win out, but even if they do, I doubt 7-9 will make the playoffs.

And you're right, you need to win the division to get a home game.

 

[AZCardsWin]

O hell yeah. We are going to the show! People wrote us off way too early. It should seem obvious we've saved the best for last. This is going to be big.

Ok, after numerous scenarios, etc. Here it is for all of you to enjoy!
Going into this week for the Cardinals to remain mathematically alive for the playoffs the following must happen:

- NY Giants win at Carolina 1pm EST
- Tampa Bay win vs. Atlanta 1pm EST
- Redskins win vs. Eagles 1pm EST
- Cardinals win vs. Seahawks 4pm EST

We will know our fate prior to taking the field. Anything is possible if you believe!

Go Cards/ America!
Tim

 

[CardLogic]

- NY Giants win at Carolina 1pm EST
- Tampa Bay win vs. Atlanta 1pm EST
- Redskins win vs. Eagles 1pm EST
- Cardinals win vs. Seahawks 4pm EST

That's not too much to expect!

 

[JeffGollin]

Every once in a blue moon, the breaks fall your way.

If it's mathematically possible, it's possible.

 

[Lloydian]

Philadelphia needs to beat Atlanta the final week.

Nope. You've already put the Giants in as the first wild card. Philadelphia is 1-3 against the AFC, so if they win one more game, they'd be 6-6 against the NFC (assuming they finish 7-9) and that's a game better than the Cardinals.

It's over. We're spoiler material.

 

[Wild Card]

What's the point...

... of making the playoffs, if you get eliminated in the first round?

Assuming that the stars align, and the Cardinals somehow sneak into the playoffs at 7-9 (becoming poster children for the weakness of the NFC in the process), somebody tell me which of the other likely playoff participants they're gonna beat ON THE ROAD?

WC

 

[dreamcastrocks]

... of making the playoffs, if you get eliminated in the first round?

Assuming that the stars align, and the Cardinals somehow sneak into the playoffs at 7-9 (becoming poster children for the weakness of the NFC in the process), somebody tell me which of the other likely playoff participants they're gonna beat ON THE ROAD?

WC

Does it even matter?

Getting to the playoffs after starting 2-9 would have to be a record, and DEFINITELY something to build off of next year.

 

[Wild Card]

Getting to the playoffs after starting 2-9 would have to be a record, and DEFINITELY something to build off of next year.

DCR:

I'd submit that "getting to the playoffs" at 7-9, only to get beat like a drum once you're there, is nothing to build on. Walking off an opponent's field on the losing end of a lopsided score isn't the last memory you wanna take into the offseason.

In order to go 7-9, the Cardinals will have to win four in a row, beating two division leaders and two second-place teams. If they can pull that off, I think the Cards would be better served to end their season on a five-game win streak, quieting the San Diego fans with a convincing win over the playoff-bound Chargers. That's the way to springboard this team into 2007.

Of course, my greatest concern is that such a turnaround might somehow save Denny Green's job. But I'm willing to cross that bridge when/if we come to it.

WC

 

[BlueTalon]

Every once in a blue moon, the breaks fall your way.

If it's mathematically possible, it's possible.

But it's about as statistically likely as having the blue moon fall on you.

 

[Gambit]

That's not too much to expect!

I love this site. It's like Pandora's Box--the only thing left is hope. Everyone knows the Kook-Aid is poison-laced, but you can't help but drink it anyway.

 

[Denny Green Fan]

Look at the bright side we are going to get Joe Thomas if we stink the rest of the way

 

[daves]

what's the point

... of making the playoffs, if you get eliminated in the first round?

What's the point of making the playoffs? To get to and win the Super Bowl! You play to win the game!

Let me get this straight... you're suspending disbelief for a moment and going along with the premise that the Cardinals (fresh off recent victories over the Lions and Rams!) could actually win four more games in a row, and you're willing to allow that there's a miniscule chance that all the other teams that would need to lose, would lose... but your imagination can't get around the idea that the Cardinals could win their first playoff game???

As long as we're fantasizing here, if you can conceive of the Cardinals (with the 27th ranked offense and 30th ranked defense in the league) finishing out the season with five consecutive wins, three of them on the road, and including victories over Seattle, Denver, and San Diego... in that scenario, why couldn't they beat the Seahawks, Cowboys, or Saints on the road in the playoffs???





...dave