go packers???
Packers need helping playoff hand from Vikings and Redskins
By Bill Huber
bhuber@greenbaypressgazette.com
With the St. Louis Rams beating the Washington Redskins in overtime on Sunday, Green Bay Packers fans will find themselves in the uncomfortable position of having to cheer for the Minnesota Vikings next weekend.
In the battle for the NFC's final wild-card spot, five teams enter the final weekend of the season with 7-8 records: the Packers (NFC North; at Chicago on Sunday), New York Giants (NFC East; at Washington on Saturday), Carolina Panthers (NFC South; at New Orleans on Sunday), Atlanta Falcons (NFC South; at Philadelphia on Sunday) and Rams (NFC West; at Minnesota on Sunday).
To stay alive, the Packers must win at Chicago.
After that:
The first applicable tiebreaker is conference record. If all five playoff hopefuls win next week, the best NFC records would belong to the Packers and Giants (both 7-5).
The Giants, however, would earn the playoff spot based on the next tiebreaker, record against common opponents.
If the Giants lose and the Packers, Rams and Panthers and/or Falcons win (the first tiebreaker states only one team per division advances to the second tiebreaker, and that would be Carolina ahead of Atlanta if both finish 8-8), the Packers would get the playoff spot based on conference record. The others would be 6-6 in the NFC.
If the Giants lose, the Rams win and the NFC South hopefuls lose, the playoff berth would go to St. Louis because of its Oct. 8 victory at Lambeau Field.
The Packers did get plenty of help on Sunday.
The Giants would have eliminated the Packers had they beaten the Saints. Instead, New Orleans won big, 30-7.
Atlanta would have eliminated the Packers by winning Sunday and next week. Instead, the Falcons lost 10-3 to Carolina.
San Francisco was eliminated with a 26-20 loss to Arizona. Had the 49ers won their final two games, they would have won the NFC West, and Seattle - which won the West by virtue of the 49ers' loss - would have taken the wild card.
By Bill Huber
bhuber@greenbaypressgazette.com
With the St. Louis Rams beating the Washington Redskins in overtime on Sunday, Green Bay Packers fans will find themselves in the uncomfortable position of having to cheer for the Minnesota Vikings next weekend.
In the battle for the NFC's final wild-card spot, five teams enter the final weekend of the season with 7-8 records: the Packers (NFC North; at Chicago on Sunday), New York Giants (NFC East; at Washington on Saturday), Carolina Panthers (NFC South; at New Orleans on Sunday), Atlanta Falcons (NFC South; at Philadelphia on Sunday) and Rams (NFC West; at Minnesota on Sunday).
To stay alive, the Packers must win at Chicago.
After that:
The first applicable tiebreaker is conference record. If all five playoff hopefuls win next week, the best NFC records would belong to the Packers and Giants (both 7-5).
The Giants, however, would earn the playoff spot based on the next tiebreaker, record against common opponents.
If the Giants lose and the Packers, Rams and Panthers and/or Falcons win (the first tiebreaker states only one team per division advances to the second tiebreaker, and that would be Carolina ahead of Atlanta if both finish 8-8), the Packers would get the playoff spot based on conference record. The others would be 6-6 in the NFC.
If the Giants lose, the Rams win and the NFC South hopefuls lose, the playoff berth would go to St. Louis because of its Oct. 8 victory at Lambeau Field.
The Packers did get plenty of help on Sunday.
The Giants would have eliminated the Packers had they beaten the Saints. Instead, New Orleans won big, 30-7.
Atlanta would have eliminated the Packers by winning Sunday and next week. Instead, the Falcons lost 10-3 to Carolina.
San Francisco was eliminated with a 26-20 loss to Arizona. Had the 49ers won their final two games, they would have won the NFC West, and Seattle - which won the West by virtue of the 49ers' loss - would have taken the wild card.