Updated Playoff Scenarios

Okay let’s hope I can keep this all straight unlike last night when I had to take down a post because it was so full of errors:

The Cowboys game last night never really mattered to us because the Giants already clinched the division and we are only concerned with division-leader seeding scenarios right now (the Wild Card being such a remote possibility that we don’t even want to worry about it).  Still, it was fun watching Dallas flail around like dying sea creatures in the last game at that dump Texas Stadium.  Now there’s a good chance the Cowboys won’t even make the playoffs and that makes me so happy I can’t really describe it.

The main thing right now is the Panthers-Giants game which will crown a #1 seed in the NFC.  The Giants have clinched the division and the Panthers have clinched a playoff berth but not yet sewn up their division.  If the Panthers win today, they will be division champs and the #1 overall seed.  Assuming a Vikings victory over Atlanta today, Minnesota would then have a shot at claiming the #2 overall seed next week against the Giants in the Metrodome.  Should the Giants win today, the Vikes could still get the #2 seed by winning a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Panthers assuming the Panthers are division champs at the end of the regular season.  The head-to-head situation is not as good against Tampa because they beat us.

The Vikes can still clinch the division even with a loss.  The Bears would just have to lose tomorrow against the Packers – a remote possibility given the way the Packers have been playing.  I personally don’t need the stress of waiting for someone else to lose so let’s just go the heck out today and beat Atlanta and put the NFC North to bed.