[sportscurmudgeon]

Other than Philly, no team in the NFC has looked really good all of this year. For the moment, concede the NFC East to the Eagles and look at what the Skins will have to do to make the playoffs as a wild card.


The Cowboys have 2 wins - one over the Skins - but they are faltering . Dallas will be lucky to go 7-9; they will probably go 6-10.

The Giants have 4 wins with four easy games left on their schedule (Chicago, Cincy, Ariz and Dallas) The Skins MUST win the re-match with the Giants or the Giants will win 9 or 10 games and claim one wild-card slot.


If Atlanta wins the South Division what's the prognosis for the rest of the division?

Saints defense is awful and there is supposedly "internal team strife". Saints have 3 wins now maybe they can win 7 games.

Panthers have 1 win now and won't win 6 games.

Bucs have2 wins now and QB problems. Give them a max of 7 wins.

Bottom Line here: Wild card team not coming from the NFC South.



If Minny wins the NFC North what's the prognosis for the rest of the division?

Packers have 3 wins now and play well one week and terribly the next. After the Skins on Sunday, I see only 3 easy games for the Pack. I doubt they will do any better than 8-8. Skins MUST win Sunday - see below.

Lions have 4 wins now and some soft spots in their upcoming schedule, The Lions could win 9 games this year - if the beat the Skins in 2 weeks. Call the Lions 8-8 or 9-7. Skins must win next Sunday - see below.

Bears just stink. Forget them.

Bottom Line here: Two NFC North teams are playoff contenders in the 9-7 or 8-8 range.


In the NFC West you have two teams that are absolutely irrelevant in terms of the playoffs. Arizona and SF won't be there. So the question is who will win the division and what will be the record of the other team.

Seattle has 3 wins and a cupcake schedule. Their next 6 games are Carolina, at SF, at St. Louis, Miami, Buffalo, Dallas. That should give them at least 7 wins and probably 8 wins with four left to play. And in that final four games, they get Arizona. Seattle will win 9 games at least.

St. Louis has 4 wins and a cupcake schedule. they have Buffalo, SF, Carolina and Arizona left. They will win at least 9 games.


THEREFORE, the Redskins need 9 wins and some good fortune in tiebreakers to make the playoffs. If they get 10 wins, they are pretty much a mortal lock to be there. So they will need to go at least 7-3 for the rest of the season to have a shot at the playoffs and 8-2 to lock up a spot.

Their four toughest games should be Philly (twice), Pittsburgh and Minnesota. They have to win against everyone else and win two of these four tough games to sail into the playoffs. If they lose even one more game against the "lesser competition" such as the Packers or Lions, they will have to sweep the four tough games to be sure of getting in.


The Skins still have a shot, but there isn't a lot of room left for error...