newera
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Where we are now
The Dallas Cowboys are currently in 1st place in the NFC East with a record of 8-4. Their remaining games are against the Chargers, Saints, Commanders and Eagles.
The Philadelphia Eagles are 8-4 and, due to the tiebreaker, in 2nd place in the NFC East and hold the 1st wildcard spot. Their remaining games are against the Giants, 49ers, Broncos and Cowboys.
The Green Bay Packers are 7-4 and currently hold the 2nd wildcard spot in the NFC. Their remaining games are against the Ravens, Bears, Steelers, Seahawks, and Cardinals. They hold the tie breaker over the Dallas Cowboys in the event of a tie for a wildcard spot.
The New York Giants are 7-5 and are currently on the outside looking in as far as the playoffs are concerned. Their remaining games are against the Eagles, Commanders, Panthers, and Vikings. They too hold the tiebreaker over the Cowboys.
Looking Ahead
It would seem that in order to get to the playoffs, a record of no less than 10-6 will be needed. Obviously, record wise, the Cowboys and Eagles have the inside track to this number with 8 wins on the season already. A loss by the Packers this evening would further enhance the probability, numbers wise, of the Cowboys clinching a playoff birth although this is a moot point for the 'Boys if they are unable to shake their December woes.
Cowboys:
The Cowboys play 3 teams with winning records, along with a Commanders team that is playing much better than their 3-9 record would indicate.
See Eagles below for Evaluation
Eagles:
The Eagles play 3 teams with winning records along with an up and down 49ers team who have played the Colts and Vikings tough earlier in the year.
The Eagles and Cowboys both play decently tough schedules down the stretch. The main difference is that the Cowboys play 2 current division leaders and have a history of slumping in December whereas the Eagles play 1 current division leader and have a history of heating up come December. Even if the Cowboys play well through the rest of December, the division may come down to another week 17 matchup against the Eagles.
Giants:
The Giants play 2 teams with a winning record, although the Vikings may not have to play their starters in week 17.
If the Giants are able to somehow beat the Eagles next week, the schedule sets up nicely for them to make a push towards the playoffs and possibly an NFCE title.
Packers:
The Packers play 2 teams with a winning record along with a Steelers team who are currently playing without Troy Polamalu.
If the Packers are able to beat the Ravens tonight, they have the inside track to a wildcard berth. They could possibly lose 2 more games and still wind up with a playoff spot if Dallas falters down the stretch. A loss on Monday would give the Cowboys a little more room for error heading into the final 4 weeks.
Well guys this is where we stand and I have given a very brief overview of some of my thoughts. I'd love to get everyone's thoughts on the season, now that you see where we stand, and what is ahead for the NFC playoff contenders.
P.S. I left Atlanta (6-6) out of this discussion because they have seemingly fallen way off. They have a slim chance of competing for a spot but it doesn't seem likely
