Week 9: If the playoffs started today (in Vikefans color!)...

[BlackMagic7]

PLAYOFF TEAMS:

1. KC Chiefs (8-1)
2. New England Patriots (7-2)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2-1)
4. Houston Texans (6-3)
5. LA Chargers (6-2)
6. Cincinnati Bengals (5-3)

1. LA Rams (8-1)
2. New Orleans Saints (7-1)
3. Chicago Bears (5-3)
4. Washington Redskins (5-3)
5. Carolina Panthers (6-2)
6. Minnesota Vikings (5-3-1)

OUTSIDE LOOKING IN:

Dolphins (5-4)
Falcons (4-4)
Seahawks (4-4)
Ravens (4-5)


Fun to hit the brakes quick and look at the current NFL playoff standings and put the first half of the NFL season into context as we play through the back 9.

[Guest]

Wow, some crappy teams on that list. I think we were better than the Saints last week, but they appear to be improving. I think the Rams were better than us earlier in the year, but I'm not so sure they still are. Their defense is struggling. Pats are the Pats and impossible to figure out. Chiefs might have the best offense the league has seen in 10 years... and the scary thing is their defense is improving. Either way, those are the best five teams in the NFL IMHO.

Really excited to see what this Vikings team can do at full strength. 

[Guest]

It's all about what version of the team shows up, isn't it? 

Nothing is certain in the NFL and it is amazing how fast things can change. Top teams fall off - journeymen teams turn into Rocky with everything clicking - it's nuts.

A lot of those teams do look bad; but heck I don't know if they are going to slow down. There are a lot of supposedly "good" teams completely out of the picture right now. If our defense keeps playing like that we're as tough as anyone in the NFC, I believe that.

I don't understand the Bears, I don't understand the Bengals. The Dolphins are right there... I guess I feel like if these teams can be where they are why shouldn't we expect any other club to be able to pull off something similar down the stretch? The only clubs that should be counted out at this point should be the bottom of the barrel teams like Oakland or New York.

We need to keep playing like we did last week and continue buckling down. If we play LA or New Orleans again we are going to need that defense. Brees had a long day against us (outside of our turnovers), if we got after Goff like that it would be a long day for the Rams offense. 

I think that's part of the fun of checking out the current playoff picture now. It doesn't mean anything... but it does. It really illustrates the meaning of the games ahead and the storylines to follow as teams rise or fall from this point. We're the #2 Wild Card team right now - but I expect we beat Chicago and take the lead in the North.

[Guest]

This is just conference position not seeds. Unless they changed format. Did they? Carolina is a wildcard now they would be behind Chicago and Washington. Wouldn't change our position. 

[Guest]

my bad. i took the teams in from an info graphic, and then I colored in (pun intended?) the rankings using the NFL standings sorted by record. I missed the divisional quirks.

[Guest]

@"suncoastvike" said:
This is just conference position not seeds. Unless they changed format. Did they? Carolina is a wildcard now they would be behind Chicago and Washington. Wouldn't change our position. 

Good point.  Not sure how a tie breaker between Bears and Skins would play out but Vikes would play one of them in the first round under what I believe the correct format is.  Chargers would also be a 5th seed.

[Guest]

One thing this tells me is that, even if you cede the top NFC positions to the Rams and Saints (and I'm not convinced the Rams won't slide) - the #3 seed is ripe for taking.

[Guest]

@"BlackMagic7" said:
my bad. i took the teams in from an info graphic, and then I colored in (pun intended?) the rankings using the NFL standings sorted by record. I missed the divisional quirks.

No problem. I seen it the same way when I looked earlier today. Think it was ESPN. They had it the same said playoff standings. I noticed it was just conference standing. Playoffs standing would be seeding. 

[Guest]

I think it goes by conference record between division titlists. The Bears are currently 3-1 in NFC games (.750) and Washington is 5-2 (.714).