Sizing up the NFC

Redskins vs. Cowboys in the NFC Championship game. How awesome would that be?

:dallas:

I hate to look past Dallas at this point, because if we don't win, we're probably not in, and then all this discussion will be for naught. But if we do get in, check out our chances in this NFC field:

Tampa Bay is 5-0 against the NFC South this year. They're 4-6 against everybody else. Kind of obvious that the biggest reason they're headed to the playoffs is their weak division. Plus, we totally had them on their field this year.

Seattle is 5-1 against the NFC West this year, but only 5-4 against everyone else. Again, only a solid team playing in a weak division.

The New York Giants are not the same team now that went on the six-game winning streak to jump out to a 6-2 start. We showed that by pounding them 22-10 in their house. Coughlin's career is starting to look like a poor-man's Marty Schottenheimer career. Strong regular season, wilts down the stretch and in the playoffs.

The Green Bay Packers are definitely a formidable team, and we'd have to play them in Lambeau where they hold a huge homefield advantage. But we almost beat them this season, in Green Bay. And we're built to be a cold-weather team. We can run, and we can stop the run now.

The Dallas Cowboys are the most complete team in the NFC, it seems to me. If Owens is healthy, our secondary would have its hands full. Last time we played them, Owens torched us for multiple big plays. Except now GW will have a chance to use his adjusted scheme, with Landry playing free safety. Against Dallas the first go-round, GW had not yet adjusted his secondary scheme and TO went off. I doubt he lets Owens do that again. And with these Dallas/Washington games, the teams both get up for the fight. Though a healthy Cowboys squad probably has us outmatched, we would give them a game, and I'd take our coaching staff in a battle of wits over the Dallas staff.

So we're not in the playoffs yet, but can't you see a scenario here in which we could be playing in the Super Bowl, with the way we're playing right now? One tough stat for us is the fact that since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978, only one team has won the Super Bowl with a 10-6 record during the regular season (1988 49ers, and they had someone named Montana). And we're not even 10-6, we're a 9-7 team if we beat Dallas on Sunday. Only one team has even made the Super Bowl with a 9-7 record (1979 LA Rams). They lost to the Steelers. So based on history, the odds of making it at 9-7 are long indeed.

But it has happened. Let's get in, and then dare to dream!


Does that stuff come in 6 packs?:doh:

Does that stuff come in 6 packs?:doh:

Who's got a better shot, the Giants or the Skins?

I rest my case.

That's a pretty glowing review of TB, in my opinion. In their last three games, they lost to the mediocre Texans 28-14, blew out the hapless Falcons - who had totally given up with Petrino quitting - 37-3, and lost to the lowly 49ers 21-19 just last week. They're not peaking right now.

They have played pretty well at home this season, 6-1 at home, 3-5 on the road. And we'd have to go to Tampa if we faced them in the playoffs.

But I don't like the way they're playing heading into the playoff tournament. Their opponents' winning percentage this year has been 0.446, so they're hardly battle-tested. In fact, their 9 wins have come against teams whose combined winning percentage is an absolutely dismal 0.392 (that translates into a 6-10 record). They've only beaten two teams who are now above .500 (us and the Titans). I don't think very much of them.

I think they're the type of team that tend to play to the level of their opponents. Not a dominant club but one that has the leadership at important positions to keep games close. They have played fairly consistent throughout the season with sjust a few hiccups.

You're right, they seem to have lost some steam heading into the final week. The Giants could beat them but I think the Bucs will take them. All the better, because I'd like to see us playing against them again down in Florida.

Redskins vs. Cowboys in the NFC Championship game. How awesome would that be?It's also not possible.

If we beat Seattle in a potential first round game, we then play the Cowboys.

We don't really deserve to be thinking about this stuff until we're in. Get one more game and then I'm all over this type of speculation. Until then, I'll just sing "Hail to the Redskins" drunk in the streets of Adams Morgan at 3am with my friends.

Read the article on London Fletcher's response to the Minnesota gameplan if you didnt catch all of that.

Do you have link for this?

I hate to look past Dallas at this point, because if we don't win, we're probably not in, and then all this discussion will be for naught. But if we do get in, check out our chances in this NFC field:

Tampa Bay is 5-0 against the NFC South this year. They're 4-6 against everybody else. Kind of obvious that the biggest reason they're headed to the playoffs is their weak division. Plus, we totally had them on their field this year.

Seattle is 5-1 against the NFC West this year, but only 5-4 against everyone else. Again, only a solid team playing in a weak division.

The New York Giants are not the same team now that went on the six-game winning streak to jump out to a 6-2 start. We showed that by pounding them 22-10 in their house. Coughlin's career is starting to look like a poor-man's Marty Schottenheimer career. Strong regular season, wilts down the stretch and in the playoffs.

The Green Bay Packers are definitely a formidable team, and we'd have to play them in Lambeau where they hold a huge homefield advantage. But we almost beat them this season, in Green Bay. And we're built to be a cold-weather team. We can run, and we can stop the run now.

The Dallas Cowboys are the most complete team in the NFC, it seems to me. If Owens is healthy, our secondary would have its hands full. Last time we played them, Owens torched us for multiple big plays. Except now GW will have a chance to use his adjusted scheme, with Landry playing free safety. Against Dallas the first go-round, GW had not yet adjusted his secondary scheme and TO went off. I doubt he lets Owens do that again. And with these Dallas/Washington games, the teams both get up for the fight. Though a healthy Cowboys squad probably has us outmatched, we would give them a game, and I'd take our coaching staff in a battle of wits over the Dallas staff.

So we're not in the playoffs yet, but can't you see a scenario here in which we could be playing in the Super Bowl, with the way we're playing right now? One tough stat for us is the fact that since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978, only one team has won the Super Bowl with a 10-6 record during the regular season (1988 49ers, and they had someone named Montana). And we're not even 10-6, we're a 9-7 team if we beat Dallas on Sunday. Only one team has even made the Super Bowl with a 9-7 record (1979 LA Rams). They lost to the Steelers. So based on history, the odds of making it at 9-7 are long indeed.

But it has happened. Let's get in, and then dare to dream!

In order for us to get to the SB we would have to win 3 straight road games in the playoffs. The odds are just too stacked against us. I honestly don't see us going to Seattle and beating them at home. I'm not sold on Seattle cause they lost to Carolina so that game is winable. But it's going to be tough cause they are real real tough to beat at home.

Green Bay is not who we want to play in the playoffs, especially in Lambeau, we aren't a cold weather team, we proved that by the way our skill players played up there in the regular season. However, I would like our chances more so in Dallas, where the rivalry aspect of the game would give us a shot. So I'd say Green Bay with HOF Brett Favre is the last team we want to play.

In order for us to get to the SB we would have to win 3 straight road games in the playoffs. The odds are just too stacked against us. I honestly don't see us going to Seattle and beating them at home. I'm not sold on Seattle cause they lost to Carolina so that game is winable. But it's going to be tough cause they are real real tough to beat at home.

You didn't see us beating Chicago, NY, and Minnesota either.

Hey, anything can happen once you're in the playoffs.

It's not impossible, the Steelers did it just recently.