NFC

First Round Bye
1) Packers (1) (Winning % 1.000 > 49'ers .900)
2) 49'ers (2) (Winning % .900 > Saints .700)

Division Winners
3) Saints (3) (Winning % .700 > Cowboys .600)
4) Cowboys (7) (Div winning % .667 > Giants .333)

Wild Cards
5) Lions (5) (Divisional winning % .667 > Bears .500)
6) Bears (6) (Winning % .700 > Falcons .600)

The Rest in Order:
7) Falcons (8) (Conf winning % .500 > Giants .429)
8) Giants (4) (Winning % .600 > Seahawks .400)
9) Seahawks (10) (Conf winning % .500 > Eagles .444)
10) Eagles (12) (Conf winning % .444 > Buccaneers .375)
11) Buccaneers (9) (Winning % .400 > Redskins .300)
12) Redskins (13) (Head to head win over Cardinals)
13) Cardinals (11) (Winning % .300 > vikings .200)
14) vikings (14) (Conference Winning % .286 > Rams .125)
15) Rams (15) (Strength of Victory .550 > Panthers .300)
16) Panthers (16)


I will update with the AFC after MNF.

The Packers are still holding onto their slight lead for No. 1 position. Even if they lose on Thanksgiving they still can maintain #1 for 2 more weeks with a better conference record than the 49'ers.

The Lions can still win the NFC North. Thursday they can either be 4 games back with 5 to go or they can be 2 games back with 5 to go.

The conference is now divided into 8 teams with 6 wins or more competing for the 6 playoff spots; and the losers with 4 wins or less. Now on only the top 8 matter.

Big games this week:

Packers v. Lions (Go Pack Go!!)
49'ers v. Ravens (C'mon Ravens)
Giants v. Saints (Go Giants)

Minor games
(add to the Packers Strength of Victory and Strength of Schedule)
Panthers to beat the Colts
Buccaneers to beat the Titans
Chargers to beat the Broncos

Redskins to beat the Seahawks (lower the 49'ers SOV and SOS)

AFC

First Round Bye
1) Patriots (3) (Strength of Victory .471 > Texans .371)
2) Ravens (5) (Head to Head win over Texans)


Division Winners
3) Texans (1) (Winning % .700 > Raiders .600)
4) Raiders (4) (Winning % .600 > Broncos .500)

Wild Cards
5) Steelers (2) (Winning % .700 > Bengals .600)
6) Bengals (6) (Winning % .600 > Jets .500)

The rest in order:
7) Broncos (11) (Conf winning % .625 > Titans .500)
8) Titans (9) (Conf winning % .500 > Jets .444)
9) Jets (7) (Head to head win over Bills)
10) Bills (8) (Winning % .500 > Chargers .400)
11) Chargers (10) (Strength of Victory .350 > Browns .250)
12) Browns (14) (Conf winning % .429 > Chiefs .375)
13) Chiefs (12) (Winning % .400 > Jaguars .300)
14) Jaguars (13) (Conference winning % .375 > Dolphins .250)
15) Dolphins (15) (Winning % .300 > Colts .000)
16) Colts (16)

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1. It is amazing that an undefeated team can have so little leeway in the playoff hunt. You would think they would have a couple of game advantage. In 2007 NE finished 3 games in front of Indy. Granted Indy threw their last game of the season by resting the first team when they knew they couldn't catch NE.
2. Cal you was up early today working on this thread.

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In 2007, the Patriots had also clinched the division by Week 10. This year, the Packers can't clinch until at least Week 13 and probably not even then.

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I'm going to root hard for the Ravens to beat the 9ers.

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Good Stiff Cal Cheeze,

I kinda like the fact that The 49r's have kept the pressure on The Pack to keep winning.

Looking at their remaining schedule(49r's), it would be a plus if The Ravens would beat them this Sunday.

After this week they play ari,sea,stl(twice), which are all very winnable for them, they do have to host Pittsburgh in week 15. Real probable they could go 13-3 or 14-2,

Packers need to keep winning every week, but especially when they are playing within their div. and conf. to keep the tie-breaker in their favor.

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If at the end of the season, both the 49'ers and Packers have one conference loss, the tiebreaker is strength of victory. As the Packers schedule gets more difficult the 49'ers is getting easier so the difference is getting smaller.

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So if the season ended today, the Packers, Lions, and Bears will all be in the Playoffs. The Vikings? Well, they're not even .500. [neener]

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Packers can clinch a playoff spot this weekend.  

A Packers win against the Lions and either:

a) The Dolphins beat the Cowboys

or

b) The Saints beat the Giants

If one of those (a or b) occurs this week the Packers clinch the final wild card spot and are guaranteed to be in the playoffs.

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Awesome. Amazing that it took all the way to Week 12 for an undefeated team to have a chance to clinch the wildcard!

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