Updated Playoff Picture

[AsUdUdE]

I can't believe I am writing this, and I told myself I would not participate in playoff discussion until we beat the 49ers at home.. and here we are. Here is a look at where we stand in the playoff picture with 3 games to go..

Teams we are competing against:

Atlanta: 8-5 final games: Jax (W), @NO (L), TB (W). Realistically puts them at 10-6, not likely they will lose a home game to Jax or TB, but if they somehow do and lose @NO on Monday night they would be 9-7 (7-5 in conference)

Detroit: Bad news they are 8-5, good news they could easily lose their finaL three games @Oak, SD, @GB. as of the moment they are just 6-5 in conference, so if they lose to EITHER Oak or SD, and they lose to GB (hopefully they are going for 16-0 and will be jacked to get it at home) they will basically be eliminated from the playoffs losing the tiebreaker.

Chicago: 7-6 6-3 in conference. This is a tough one and to me along with the Falcons is the biggest road block for the Cards playoff hopes. Their final 3 games are SEA, @GB, @Min. If Seattle can go into Chi this week and win it would be a HUGE boost to the Cardinals chances. If they go 2-1 in their final three games they would end at 9-7, but would hold the tie breaker with a 8-4 conference record. Every Cardinal fan needs to be a BIG Seahawk fan this weekend, and failing that Minnesota fan the last game of the season. two loses in their final 3 games would eliminate the Bears from Playoff contention, THANK YOU TIM TEBOW!

Dallas: 7-6 5-4 in conference. Final games include @TB, PHI, @NYG. TB has fallen apart, hard to see them losing on the road, though stranger things have happened. assuming they win this week they and beat PHI they will be 9-6 (7-4) in conference heading into the final game @NYG, more on this in a bit.

NYG:7-6 4-6 in conference. Final games Was, @NYJ, Dal. They basically don't leave NY for the rest of the year. Washington seems like a safe win, the Jets could go either way. However if they lose any of their final games they will basically be eliminated form the playoffs with 6 losses already in conference and a 9-7 record.

Essentially, If Dallas wins out, they will take the NFC East at 10-6 and the Giants are eliminated. If the Giants win out beating Dallas, they will win the NFC east and the Cowboys will be tied with the Cards at 9-7 (7-5). BEST CASE for the Cards is if the Cowboys lose to PHI or TB, then the last game of the season becomes a playoff game loser goes home.

I don't count the Seahawks because under this scerenio, we beat them at home the last game of the season eliminating them from contention...

You got it? Great!

Simplest way to look at it for this week, if the Seahawks beat the bears this week, and Oak knocks off DET the Cardinals playoff chances will be greatly improved.

In the end, if the Cards can win out, they have a pretty damn good chance at getting that 6th seed and the way things are heading looking like it could be a rematch in SF in the playoffs, how sweet would that be!


Thoughts?

 

[Dback Jon]

Good summary.

Lot of football to be played, but exciting to be able to talk about it.

 

[TheCardinal]

The biggest game for us this weekend (after CLE-ARI) has to be SEA-CHI. However, even if the Bears win, and then beat either GBP or MIN to get to 9-7, not all is lost. Detroit could still bail us out should they finish exactly 9-7 (but must lose to GBP) and cover-up the Bears' stronger conference mark. Strange how if the Bears win and Lions lose this weekend, we might actually need Detroit to WIN next weekend!

The DAL-NYG jumble will most likely have no effect on us unless some strange stuff takes place later. Would be nice for them both to lose now just to be safe, but wouldn't dramatically improve our chances.

 

[cardpa]

Bottom line is our odds of getting in are pretty long. A lot of things have to go our way in order to eek into the playoffs.

 

[AsUdUdE]

But that is the thing, there are not a lot of things that have to happen for the Cards to get in...

in all reality DAL/NYG knocks each other out..

I think ATL will pretty much lock up a spot, so it comes down to DET with three TOUGH GAMES and if they lose two of them they are elminated, and the Bears who have lost 3 in a row, have a guarenteed loss @GB, and then only has to lose one of SEA/@MIN and they too will be elminated from playoff contention..

Its crazy, but not that many things have to happen in order for the Cards to make the playoffs and then in all reality may very well get to play @SF in the first round which would be a great matchup for the Cards..

Pretty exciting stuff

 

[MadCardDisease]

We were promised pictures. Where are the pictures???

 

[ajcardfan]

The more I read this stuff, the more I think we are going to lose to the Browns.

 

[TheCardinal]

If we lose to the Browns, we can still get in. . .

 

[Chopper0080]

If we lose to the Browns, we can still get in. . .

If we lose to the Browns, we don't deserve to get in.

 

[PoolBoy]

if we win out, lots of scenarios have us getting in, look at the playoff machine on espn.com

 

[D-Dogg]

Let's win out regardless.

Going from 1-6 to 9-7 is one hell of an accomplishment. Let the chips fall where they may, then.

 

[Totally_Red]

Jim Mora (Sr.) must have retired on all the royalties he MUST be getting for his screech on the playoffs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwq7BYOnDrM

 

[RugbyMuffin]

We were promised pictures. Where are the pictures???

You must be registered for see images

DONE

 

[imaCafan]

If it comes down to the Cards, NYG or the cowpukes we want NY to be the division champs, not Dallas. We beat out Dallas at 9-7 each. If the Cowboys win the division and NY is 9-7 they get in ahead of the Cards.....

 

[seesred]

At 1-6 we were ready ti fire Horton , Whiz, Graves and others. Today we speak about getting into the playoffs! Cardiac Cards. My heart can't take much more I'm old and weak. Just dream think playoffs. Anyway it ends up, 9-7 would be awesome...

GBR
40

 

[TheCardinal]

If New York is the NFC East runner-up at 9-7 they only get in ahead of us if we are the only two remaining 9-7 wildcard contenders left to pick from. In a three-way wildcard tie-breaker, head-to-head only applies if one team swept or was swept. As we don't play DET or ATL, the Giants lose their advantage, and stink it up in the next tie-breaker step, conference record.

 

[gmabel830]

If New York is the NFC East runner-up at 9-7 they only get in ahead of us if we are the only two remaining 9-7 wildcard contenders left to pick from. In a three-way wildcard tie-breaker, head-to-head only applies if one team swept or was swept. As we don't play DET or ATL, the Giants lose their advantage, and stink it up in the next tie-breaker step, conference record.

And imagine the NY media's response if the lowly Cardinals get in over them in a tie-breaker after they beat us at home.. that would be fantastic!

 

[40yearfan]

You must be registered for see images

DONE

Rugby, you have just become my favorite poster.

 

[splitsecond]

are you sure we'd play SF if we got in? for some reason I thought the NFL had a no division rematch rule like the MLB.

 

[wilycoyote24]

are you sure we'd play SF if we got in? for some reason I thought the NFL had a no division rematch rule like the MLB.

I'm pretty sure it works. There is a playoff scenario out there in which SF, AZ, AND SEA get into the playoffs with SF as the third seed. I think that scenario required SEA @ SF and AZ @ DAL.

 

[TheCardinal]

No problem with division rematches in the NFL playoffs. Number 3 hosts number 6, regardless of which divisions they come from (remember a few years ago, it was 5GBP-4ARI, 6PHI-3DAL in the first round). Most scenarios which have us in, have us at #6 and the 49ers at #3, but that's assuming SF loses to Pittsburgh. All those seeds are fluid at this point. We could still get the #5 seed. It's even mathematically possible for us to finish with the #5 seed, at 8-8!

 

[MrYeahBut]

I see the Redskins are putting a beatdown on the Jints... Crowboys won so I'm not sure if this is good or bad. Don't know if I should want the Hags or Bears to win that game. I assume it would be better if the Hags won and the Cards can eliminate them in their game.

 

[English on tour]

Seattle just tied it up. Just feels weird wanting them to win.

 

[Buckybird]

Seattle just tied it up. Just feels weird wanting them to win.

We're toast if the Bears do win!!!

 

[imaCafan]

I think the key is the Lions & Bears. At least the way the play off machine made it look like that to me....