Playoff Hopes - Only one available wildcard?

[ThatGuy]

Hey guys, new here (although I've lurked). Anyways, I've being doing a Redskins blog for a few weeks now and I thought I'd pass it on here. Here is a sample of what kind of stuff I try to write about. I've recently done midseason grade for the starters as well. Its obviously free, so check it out.

Link: http://theredskinreport.blogspot.com/

Much like Major League Baseball, one major issue in determining playoff berths is strength of schedule. It gets brought up more in MLB since the two highest payrolls exist in the same division. Year after year teams like Baltimore and Toronto start behind the eight ball knowing they have to battle Yankees and Red Sox while a team like the White Sox gets to play Detroit and Kansas City.

It�s a different animal in the NFL because of parity. Teams swing from good to bad to mediocre from year to year. So no one team is constantly being hurt by the schedule. For example, last year the NFC East had 1 good team and 3 weak teams. This year the NFC East has 4 legitimate contenders in it. So while St. Louis gets 4 games against New Orleans and Arizona, the Redskins are playing the Eagles and Cowboys. It is enough to keep a lesser team like the Rams in the race.

While I don�t think the Rams will end up being much of a factor in our playoff hopes, one wild card team will probably end up coming from the NFC South. Until Brian Griese got hurt, the South featured 3 contending teams. But the Chris Simms led Bucs team is tanking and no longer are much of a threat.

That leaves Carolina and Atlanta to battle it out for NFC South supremacy. The 2nd place team in the division will end up being a strong candidate for the wildcard. A quick gander at their schedules shows a significant advantage over the Redskins in that quest.

Carolina has become the trendy pick to win the NFC. The most complete team in the NFC they say. The Redskin homer in me wants to say �what about us?� But that notwithstanding, are the Panthers really that good? The honest answer is we don�t know. They�ve played one decent team thus far this year. This is a team that has lost to Miami and New Orleans. They�ve had tight games against Green Bay, Detroit and Arizona. The reason for all the hype is consecutive blowouts against weak Minnesota and fading Tampa Bay.

Luckily for Redskin fans they do face a harder road in the 2nd half. They go to Chicago and Atlanta and have home games against Dallas and Atlanta. They may get tested in Buffalo as well, but they do have some more cream puff games against the Jets, Tampa and New Orleans. Carolina will probably finish at 11-5.

I�d be willing to bet that the next media favorite will be Atlanta. They�ve won 2 straight and their next three games are home to Green Bay and Tampa Bay, then on the road in Detroit. Winning those 3 will put them at 9-2, and 1st in the NFC. They do have some tougher games down the stretch: the home and home against the Panthers and at Chicago. I�d look for them to finish 12-4.

If my fellow Redskins fan is looking for a bright side take solace in the fact that we�ll be battle tested if we do make the playoffs. These tough NFC East battles are going to be good experience when it comes to playoff time.

[ArizonaHOG]

I think you make some valid points. I've been looking into the future myself with playoff possibilities in mind and agree that there may only be one wild card spot that we could be fighting for (if we don't win the division). tha's why this weeks game is so important. We already have the 1st tiebreaker over Chicago and Seattle, both teams in the playoff hunt. A win over Tampa would give us the tiebreaker over them, as well....same for the Rams. Additionally, these are all NFC teams. NFC records may come into play to break a tie, too.

A win over Tampa and the Rams, puts us at 7 wins.....Arizona makes it 8, and all NFC teams. Beating Dallas AGAIN would give us the 1st tie breaker over them and another division/NFC win, and win number 9. Same for the Giants except it's win 10. That leaves Eagles, Chargers, and Raiders. Winning only one of the two home games gives us 11 wins with the 1st tie breaker over Dallas, Chicago, Seattle, St. Louis, and Tampa, all teams currently still "alive". Each of them would have to win 12 games to take a wild card over us (Division in the case of dallas).

I know 6-2 in the second half is a lot to wish for....for any team. But, these are all games we can win, especially the home games with our growing home-field advantage.

Beating Tampa this week is critical for us to build a lead over the others teams fighting for the playoffs. Having the tie breakers in hand puts all the preassure on the other teams.

Hail Redskins!!

[BossHog]

Spam, spam, spam, spam!

We get it. You have a blog.

[HailSkins94]

That is exactly why those two games against Dallas and Phili were so huge, and also our 5-1 record against the NFC. We need to keep that up and there is no doubt we will be in.

[Punu]

So far

Team........... W L.. DIV
N.Y. Giants..... 6 2.. 1-1
Dallas............ 5 3.. 2-1
Washington..... 5 3.. 2-1
Philadelphia..... 4 4.. 0-2

NFC North
Team....... W L.. DIV
Chicago.... 5 3.. 3-0
Detroit.... 3 5.. 1-3
Minnesota.. 3 5.. 2-1
Green Bay.. 1 7.. 0-2

NFC South
Team ........W L.. DIV
Atlanta .....6 2.. 1-0
Carolina ....6 2.. 1-1
Tampa Bay .. 5 3.. 0-1
New Orleans .2 7.. 1-1

NFC West
Team............ W L.. DIV
Seattle......... 6 2.. 3-0
St. Louis....... 4 4.. 1-2
Arizona......... 2 6.. 1-3
San Francisco... 2 6..

From what I see so far, we dont want any wildcard coming out of the north or the west. The east and South have so many good records. We could end up a very good record and end up in second in our division, so I dont wanna sweat at the end of december, I'd rather feel like a lock for wild card.
Det. Minn, Greenbay continue to have a worse record than us, were good. Same for St. Louis and Arizona. I know this is early and anything can still happen (i mean last year it was nuts) but I keep track all season, and this was just a thought I wanted to throw out there.

1st Atlanta 6-2
2nd Carolina 6-2
3rd giants 6-2
4th Seattle 6-2 (we beat!)
5th WASHINGTON 5-3
6th Chicago 5-3 (we beat them, will help down the road)
7th dallas 5-3 (we beat, will help)
8th Tampa 5-3 (if we beat will help a lot!)

Now that's 6 teams in order to make playoffs if it were to start tomm. (at least I think it is) So now I know who to root for around the NFL this weekend. Every game counts, and down the road we'll be thankful a few of these 5-3 teams lost this weekend, except us!

[1niksder]

If the playoffs started today

Seattle......... 6 2.. West Champs
Atlanta .........6 2.. South Champs
N.Y. Giants..... 6 2.. East Champs
Chicago......... 5 3.. North Champs
Carolina ....... 6 2.. Wildcard #1
Washington...... 5 3.. Wildcard #2

[Punu]

I'll take it. I really think we won games against the teams we'll be fighting for a playoff spot and that helps so much. Look'n good so far.

[reggiebrooks4life]

its a little early for playoff talk right???

[Punu]

naaa... too excited. cant help it.

[SkinsChic]

its a little early for playoff talk right???

No....not too early...Danny will be wanting his playoff ticket money soon.