I've Seen this Movie Before (Playoff Scenarios)

[TwentyOne]

This is not a complete statement.

If the Giants lose one of their last two games, and Dallas wins one of its last two games, Dallas is guaranteed a playoff spot.

you guys are too fast

i already edited it. you are right.

 

[grp05]

Any NYG loss clinches a spot for DAL. Go here to look at all possibilities.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/playoffscenario?algorithm=WinningPct

Not if we lose both games. They're only one game back atm, so if they split and we lose out, they'll advance via head-to-head tiebreaker.

 

[catskillthunder]

I like this scenario best. DAL wins out. MIN loses out. GB beats ARI in week 17. DAL is #2 seed.

 

[JD_KaPow]

Any NYG loss clinches a spot for DAL. Go here to look at all possibilities.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/playoffscenario?algorithm=WinningPct

That link shows that this is false. The Giants can lose a game and still make it if we lose both games.

If we win at least as many as the Giants, we're in. If they win 0, we need 0. If they win 1, we need 1. If they win 2, we need 2.

 

[catskillthunder]

Not if we lose both games. They're only one game back atm, so if they split and we lose out, they'll advance via head-to-head tiebreaker.

Correct you are! I forgot about that scenario.

 

[catskillthunder]

That link shows that this is false. The Giants can lose a game and still make it if we lose both games.

If we win at least as many as the Giants, we're in. If they win 0, we need 0. If they win 1, we need 1. If they win 2, we need 2.

Yes, I corrected myself.

 

[Coy]

We can talk about the 2nd seed or clinching a playoff berth with a win next week all we want, but by far the most likely scenario is this:

In week 17, we have to beat the Eagles to make the playoffs.

Just like last year, except this time at least we get them at home. It's also different because Philly has a spot locked up, but they'll be playing for the division title just like we will.

I know we beat them already, and I know we can beat them, but boy does that game scare me.

Not exactly true, if we lose vs the Commanders and win vs Philly and the Giants win out we are probably out unless GB loses both games vs Seattle and AZ and that probably wont happen.

Forget about everyone else and lest go win these 2 games although it would be great if the Giants lose a game.

 

[catskillthunder]

Not exactly true, if we lose vs the Commanders and win vs Philly and the Giants win out we are probably out unless GB loses both games vs Seattle and AZ and that probably wont happen.

Forget about everyone else and lest go win these 2 games.

Tons of possibilities! Thats what makes it so fun.

 

[demdcowboys#1]

A scenario I could see playing out so that we dont play Philly in back to back weeks would be

Dallas win over Washington week 16
New York Giants loss to Carolina Panthers week 16

Philly win over Dallas week 17
New York Giants win over Minny week 17 (due to Minny resting starters)

This would have us on the road @ Minny in the wild card. A VERY winnable game.....

 

[MarionBarberThe4th]

Id rather host GB. I think theyre a little fughazee. Id like to see what Ware/Spencer do on the turf.

And hosting Philly twice in 6 days would just be weird.

 

[catskillthunder]

Id rather host GB. I think theyre a little fughazee. Id like to see what Ware/Spencer do on the turf.

And hosting Philly twice in 6 days would just be weird.

Almost brings back memories of 07. Beat NYG twice in reg season only to fall to them in playoffs. I think Id slash my wrists!

 

[Coy]

A scenario I could see playing out so that we dont play Philly in back to back weeks would be

Dallas win over Washington week 16
New York Giants loss to Carolina Panthers week 16

Philly win over Dallas week 17
New York Giants win over Minny week 17 (due to Minny resting starters)

This would have us on the road @ Minny in the wild card. A VERY winnable game.....

Why would they? they would still be playing for the 2nd seed.

 

[demdcowboys#1]

Wht would they? they would still be playing for the 2nd seed.

Oh yeah, completely forgot. Wow, this makes it another interesting scenario! There are just so many!!!

 

[Coy]

Oh yeah, completely forgot. Wow, this makes it another interesting scenario! There are just so many!!!

Let´s just go play our 2 games and win them.
Although that doesn´t mean we shouldn´t cheer for the panthers and/or Vikings to beat the Giants.

 

[demdcowboys#1]

Let´s just go play our 2 games and win them.
Although that doesn´t mean we shouldn´t cheer for the panthers and/or Vikings to beat the Giants.

100% agreed. I hope we are not in our "comfort zone" after beating New Orleans. After big wins, teams usually get extremely comfortable and satisfied with the win. We have NO room for error. These next 2 games are the definition of MUST WINS

 

[Coy]

This is clear enough

http://espn.go.com/blog/dallas/cowboys/post/_/id/4665200/breaking-down-the-nfc-east-tiebreakers

Breaking down the NFC East tiebreakers
December, 21, 2009 Dec 2111:21AM CTEmail Print Share By Tim MacMahonIRVING, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys would be the odd team out in the NFC East ends in a three-way tie, but that's a slim possibility after they pulled off the upset of the New Orleans Saints.

ESPN Stats and Information breaks down all the NFC East tiebreakers:

*The Eagles, Cowboys, and Giants are all contending for playoff spots in the NFC, with many possible scenarios still in play. The Eagles have clinched a playoff spot but not the division title; the other 2 teams have not clinched a postseason berth.

*If the Cowboys and Eagles finish the season tied at 10-6 or 11-5 with the Giants further back, it would mean the Cowboys beat the Eagles in Week 17, giving them the head-to-head sweep of Philly. Therefore, the Cowboys would win the tiebreaker and the NFC East, and the Eagles would earn a Wild Card spot.

*If the Giants and Eagles finish the season tied at 10-6 with the Cowboys further back, the Eagles will win the division tiebreaker based on their head-to-head sweep of the Giants. The Giants will earn a Wild Card spot, and the Cowboys would be eliminated unless they had a tie game against the Commanders (putting Dallas at 9-6-1) and the Packers lost their final 2 games (putting Green Bay at 9-7).

*If the Giants and Eagles finish the season tied at 10-6 with the Cowboys ahead (i.e. Dallas wins the NFC East), then the Eagles will win any 2- or 3-team Wild Card tiebreaker over the Giants based on the head-to-head sweep. In this situation, the Giants could still earn the No. 6 seed dependent on Green Bay's final record.

*If the Cowboys and Giants finish the season tied at 9-7 or 10-6 with the Eagles ahead of both, the Giants will win any 2- or 3-team Wild Card tiebreaker over the Cowboys based on New York's head-to-head sweep of Dallas. If the tie is at 9-7, the Cowboys will be eliminated from the playoffs because the Packers would be at least 9-7, and Green Bay holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Dallas as well. If the tie between the Giants and Cowboys is at 10-6, the Cowboys could still earn the No. 6 seed if Green Bay finishes with a record worse than 10-6.

*There is an outside chance that all 3 contending NFC East teams could finish tied at 10-6 at the end of the season. This would require the Giants to win their remaining 3 games, the Eagles to lose their last 2 games (including the season finale at the Cowboys), and the Cowboys to lose to the Commanders in Week 16 (but then beat Philly in Week 17). In this scenario, the Eagles would have swept the Giants, the Giants would have swept the Cowboys, and the Cowboys would have swept the Eagles, so the head-to-head (first tiebreaker) would be tied at 2-2 for all 3 teams.

The next tiebreaker is division record. In this scenario, the Cowboys would be 3-3 in the NFC East, while the other 2 teams would be 4-2, thereby eliminating Dallas from NFC East title contention. Then, the Giants and Eagles revert back to a 2-team tiebreaker, which the Eagles would win based on their head-to-head sweep of New York, making Philly the NFC East champion.

The Giants would then go into a Wild Card tiebreaker with the Cowboys (and possibly the Packers in a 3-team tiebreak), but either way would come out ahead of Dallas (again based on New York's head-to-head sweep of the Cowboys). Therefore, the Eagles would win the division and the Giants would earn a Wild Card spot in the case of a 3-team tie at 10-6. The Cowboys would not necessarily be eliminated, but they would need to be ahead of the Packers in W-L to make the playoffs because Green Bay holds the tiebreaker over Dallas.

*Putting this all together, the Giants can no longer win the NFC East, but they could still earn a Wild Card spot. They do need help from either Green Bay or Dallas (at least 1 loss or 2 ties by either team) in order to have a chance to make the postseason.

*Ignoring the possibility of tie games, the Cowboys-Eagles game in Week 17 will decide the NFC East title IF:

1) The Cowboys beat the Commanders in Week 16 (because then the Eagles can't clinch until the following week no matter what they do in Week 16)

OR

2) The Eagles lose to the Broncos in Week 16 AND the Giants don't win all 3 of their remaining games (if the Giants win all 3, then the Eagles will clinch the title regardless of the Week 17 result because they own the 3-way tiebreaker)

*This means the Cowboys-Eagles game in Week 17 WON'T decide the NFC East title IF:

1) The Cowboys lose AND the Eagles win in Week 16 (in which case the Eagles will have already clinched the division by better W-L)

OR

2) The Cowboys and Eagles both lose in Week 16 AND the Giants win their remaining 3 games (in which case the Eagles will have already clinched the division by holding the 3-way tiebreak going into Week 17).

NFC East Tiebreaker Summary:

*At the end of the season:

-2-team tie between Cowboys and Eagles (for division) goes to Cowboys

-2-team tie between Eagles and Giants (for division or Wild Card) goes to Eagles

-2-team tie between Giants and Cowboys (for Wild Card) goes to Giants

-3-team tie (at 10-6) gives NFC East title to Eagles, Wild Card spot to Giants<< >>Cowboys not necessarily eliminated (depends on Packers)

*Giants Playoff Scenarios:

-Cannot win NFC East title, but can earn Wild Card spot

-Need at least 2 wins in final 3 games to remain in contention

-Need at least 1 loss or 2 ties by Cowboys OR 1 loss or 2 ties by

Packers to get into postseason

*Cowboys-Eagles Week 17 Game Decides NFC East Title IF:

- Cowboys defeat Commanders in Week 16

OR

- Eagles lose to Broncos in Week 16 AND Giants don't win all 3 remaining games

 

[chuffly]

It's pretty simple. We have to win as many games as the Giants do to get in. And as I said, the most likely scenario is still that the Philly game is critical.

The good news is this: if Philly, NYG, Minny and Dallas all hold serve next week, then a Philly win and Minny loss in week 17 makes Philly the #2 seed. Which means that the Vikings will probably have to play all out against the Giants.

This is great news. What's crazy is that as Cowboys fans, we should actually be cheering for Philly this week. A loss against the Broncos does nothing for us, but a win means that Minny actually has to play a meaningful game against the Giants to keep the Eagles from overtaking them for the 2nd seed.

I hate cheering for an Eagles win, but oh well.

 

[Fletch]

Let´s just go play our 2 games and win them.
Although that doesn´t mean we shouldn´t cheer for the panthers and/or Vikings to beat the Giants.

Exactly. One game at a time. Beat the Skins first. Worry about the next game later. Let's take care of our own business.

 

[Idgit]

You guys must really have been scarred badly if you're still afraid of Philly a year later and playing at home.

 

[chuffly]

You guys must really have been scarred badly if you're still afraid of Philly a year later and playing at home.

You know, we've lost too many important games against Philly in December lately to not be at least a little scared. I normally think the whole "December curse" stuff is highly overrated, but this is a trend that is going to scare me until we break it.

Not to mention, the Cowboys won the earlier matchup and sweeping a dangerous team like the Eagles isn't exactly an easy feat. You add in the fact that the Eagles have enough big play potential that they can take down any team in the league when they are "on". I don't think their team is really built to win a Super Bowl because of the large variance in performance this style brings, but you have to fear them when they are on. So yeah, I'm a bit scared. I'm not marking down an automatic loss or anything, but I'm sure as heck not marking down a win either.