One of the tightest races will be for the final wild-card spot in the NFC,

[michael89156]

Seattle Seahawks, New Orleans Saints vie for NFC playoff bid

 NFL.com
Published:  Nov. 19, 2012 at 06:14 p.m.



With 11 weeks nearly in the books, the playoff picture is beginning to take shape. It appears that one of the tightest races will be for the final wild-card spot in the NFC, with the Seattle Seahawks (6-4), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-4), New Orleans Saints (5-5) and Dallas Cowboys (5-5) all jockeying for position. Which team do you like to nab the final NFC playoff spot?


Ian Rapoport NFL.com
 
Buccaneers should edge Saints and Seahawks
It's clear that in the NFC, there's going to be more than a few good teams left out of the playoff picture.

I'm OK with assuming that the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers are already in. But I'm not ready to go there with the 6-4 New York Giants, who are currently reeling and have a tough schedule down the stretch. There's a good chance the Giants and Dallas Cowboys will be tied after next week, though that might not affect the last wild-card spot, just the NFC East race. In my mind, the division title and that final wild-card spot are both up for grabs.

In my view, it's the New Orleans Saints vs. the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. the Seattle Seahawks for the last spot (with the Minnesota Vikings coming back to Earth). New Orleans is rolling, but it seems unlikely they'll get wins over the 49ers, Atlanta Falcons AND Giants. They also have to face the Bucs, whom they still trail in the NFC South, one more time. Tampa Bay has a tough and balanced attack, and will win the same number of games as the Saints, which keeps the Bucs ahead. The Seahawks, meanwhile, have to play three more road games, and should falter.


Gregg Rosenthal NFL.com
 
Seattle will make the playoffs -- one way or another
I picked the Seattle Seahawks to win the NFC West before the season started, and I have not given up on that possibility. Seattle (6-4) remains undefeated at home, where it will get one more shot at the division-leading San Francisco 49ers (6-2-1). San Francisco, meanwhile, has games against the Saints, Chicago Bears and New England Patriots.

Seattle has the toughest defense to prepare for in football and a rapidly improving rookie quarterback. In short, I like the Seahawks to stay ahead of all of the wild-card contenders. But don't be surprised if the Niners, and not the Seahawks, wind up taking that last wild-card spot.


Charley Casserly NFL.com
 
As I see it, the 'Hawks have it
I am going with the Seattle Seahawks. They are not the best of the four teams listed, but they have the most favorable schedule. In their last four games of the season, they'll face the Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams at home and visit the Buffalo Bills. The Seahawks are 4-4 in the NFC, same as the Dallas Cowboys.

The Seahawks' defense is very good, which is essential for winning on the road, and they run the ball well with Marshawn Lynch. Russell Wilson has made enough plays -- and has shown enough poise -- to give Seahawks fans hope that he'll be consistent enough down the stretch to win close games.
 
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, meanwhile, have a very tough final stretch that includes road games against the Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints, as well as another matchup against Atlanta at home. The Cowboys must visit the Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Redskins and host the Saints; their week-to-week inconsistency scares me with that slate. New Orleans might be playing the best of all these teams right now, but their schedule (which features the Falcons, Cowboys, Giants and 49ers) is tough.


Jason Smith NFL.com
 
It'll all come together for the Cowboys
This is going to come down to the final week of the regular season, because all of these teams are inconsistent.

Their records will all be similar, but that doesn't mean we can't weed teams out. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers struggle against too many of the teams they should be able to easily put away, and they'll stumble at some point. The Seattle Seahawks' next two games are on the road (where they're 1-4) against the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears, and 6-4 could easily turn into 6-6. The Seahawks will be facing a must-win scenario in Week 17 in order to stay alive in the playoff chase, but it might not be enough.
 
The big domino is going to fall in Week 16, when the New Orleans Saints face the Dallas Cowboys. The winner should put itself in a position where a Week 17 victory will send it to the postseason. Do I trust the Saints to take a must-win game on the road in December? I do not. Not with the Cowboys' secondary playing extremely well and receiver Dez Bryant turning into a monster. So yeah, I think what I thought at the beginning of the season: Dallas is going to the playoffs.


Adam Rank NFL.com
 
Resurgent Saints should hold strong through season's end
The New Orleans Saints' season appeared to be over after a home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. (Yes, that's right. When you see the "1" in the Kansas City Chiefs' 1-9 record, that win is over the Saints.)

But if I was an NFC team, the Saints are the one squad I wouldn't want to be playing right now. After a loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 8, New Orleans has pulled itself back to .500 by winning three straight.

Every team in the fight for the final playoff spot has its own faults. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a tough schedule. The Seattle Seahawks are much different at home than they are on the road. And the Dallas Cowboys have Tony Romo (cheap shot, I know).

The Saints' defense had been their Achilles' heel this year, but the unit has become respectable in recent weeks. And when you have Drew Brees at quarterback, a respectable defense is all you need.

The big test for the Saints will come this week against the San Francisco 49ers, who, of course, play on Monday night and will be without Alex Smith. If the Saints win in Week 12, I don't see how they miss the playoffs.


Dave Dameshek NFL.com
 
It all adds up to a trip to the playoffs for the Seahawks
As my elementary school teachers would tell you, I was never much for math. ... But let's see if we can use some here to figure out this NFC wild-card situation:
 
Cowboys (5-5): WAS + PHI + @CIN + PIT + NO + @WAS = 9-7
 Saints (5-5): SF + @ATL + @NYG + TB + @DAL + CAR = 9-7
Buccaneers (6-4): ATL + @DEN + PHI + @NO + STL + @ATL = 9-7
 Seahawks (6-4): @MIA + @CHI + AZ + @BUF + SF + STL = 10-6
 
Congratulations, Seahawks, and congratulations to whoever gets to host Pete Carroll's only-scary-in-CenturyLink team in the first round of the playoffs.
 
However, allow me to play Devil's Dameshek for a moment. We might be assuming too much by declaring that the current division leaders will hold on to their spots. After they face the San Francisco 49ers on Monday, the Chicago Bears have to play the Green Bay Packers (in all likelihood for the NFC North title). The Atlanta Falcons haven't played great lately, and must deal with the New York Giants and a trip to the Detroit Lions, along with the aforementioned divisional games. Speaking of the Giants, they've got a brutal road ahead, including the Packers, Cowboys, Falcons, Baltimore Ravens and a regular-season finale against the Philadelphia Eagles, who'd love to send Andy Reid off into the sunset on a happy note.
 
In other words, let's not put anything in pen, at least until after the leftover turkey is gone.

[BerubesBucs]

Post this up in the locker room.

[chace1986]

I think it's funny that the media has already locked in 5 teams to go to the playoffs. Both Wild Card spots are very much in play, not just one.

[Bucs N Beers]

I think it's funny that the media has already locked in 5 teams to go to the playoffs. Both Wild Card spots are very much in play, not just one.

That's exactly what I was going to say. People assume the Bears and Packers are both guaranteed, but I really think only one makes it. The Packers and bears are both 7-3. The Bears play the Packers and the Seahwaks. Someone has to win those games, and someone has to lose.

We may end up on the outside looking in, but its quite amazing that we can even be discussing playoffs after last year's debacle.

[BucNY]

What team did we struggle with that we should have beaten handily? The only bad teams we've played was Oakland and the Chiefs. We kicked the crap out of the chiefs and we traveled through a time zone to beat the Raiders. Sorry not buying that ridiculous explanation from Smith. My point is further made by him saying the Cowboys are getting it together. They haven't had it together in years, why exactly do you think they are now? Oh because they won last week.

[chace1986]

Lol. Nice Sig BnB.

[Bucs N Beers]

Thanks Chace. The Brian Van Gorder picture is one of my all time faves. I couldn't find a clearer pic of Benson.

[chace1986]

Thanks Chace. The Brian Van Gorder picture is one of my all time faves. I couldn't find a clearer pic of Benson.

I remember the sig that floated around of that EPIC meltdown. "YOU F*CKING IDIOTS!!" or whatever the hell he said. lol.

[3rd String Kicker]

Lol, Van Gorder said OMFG.

[chace1986]

Love. It.

Would love to win in similar fashion this week.

[BucNY]

To be honest, I don't think we have the talent in the secondary.

We have two games against the Falcons and one against the Saints. Both teams have very good pass offenses and thus make it very difficult for us to keep them off the board. Same with the Broncos. I don't see us winning two of those 4 games to put us into the playoffs. Not this year anyways.

[Bucko40]

Sorry but the Bears aren't a lock for anything right now. IMO both wildcard spots are up for grabs at this point. If the Bucs win on Sunday then the NFC SouthTitle comes into play also. Gotta love the NFL. The last 6 weeks are going to be fun. If only the Replacement Refs hadn't mucked up the Giants and Cowboys games.

[chace1986]

Sorry but the Bears aren't a lock for anything right now. IMO both wildcard spots are up for grabs at this point. If the Bucs win on Sunday then the NFC SouthTitle comes into play also. Gotta love the NFL. The last 6 weeks are going to be fun. If only the Replacement Refs hadn't mucked up the Giants and Cowboys games.

I agreed with you up until the bold. The Bucs lost those games, not the replacement refs.

[meekerbeastman]

if the bucs can beat teh falcons x2 and the saints they are in imo, denver will be a tough game, and we shoudl beat the eagles and rams.

[Bucko40]

Sorry but the Bears aren't a lock for anything right now. IMO both wildcard spots are up for grabs at this point. If the Bucs win on Sunday then the NFC SouthTitle comes into play also. Gotta love the NFL. The last 6 weeks are going to be fun. If only the Replacement Refs hadn't mucked up the Giants and Cowboys games.

I agreed with you up until the bold. The Bucs lost those games, not the replacement refs.

In the Giants game the Replacement Refs didn't call 2 flagrant penalties against to Giants. Doug martin missed a 1st down on a Facemask non call in which the Giant defender almost rips his head off. The other was the Defenseless WR non call when Kenny Phillips hits Vincent Jackson over the middle. (Phillips fined by the league 30k later for the hit). If the Bucs get either of those calls the Giants never have enough time on the clock to come back.