NFC Playoff Table Week 12: Back in the Race!

Good news everybody! Not only are the Vikings back in the playoff race--the Packers are out of it again! With their loss to Seattle, they fell to 4-7 for the year, and 3-5 in the NFC, meaning that there is no way in hell that they're going to make the playoffs. Whoo hoo!

Now, getting back to the Vikings and their playoff hopes: With their win over Arizona and the combination of the Giants, Panthers, Eagles, Falcons and 49ers losing, they are only one game out of the sixth wild card spot, and are currently ahead of every other 5-6 team in the NFC due to the tiebreakers, which ESPN.com has kindly laid out for us. And, as I've been saying all year, the Vikings have a schedule that sets up perfectly for the stretch run, if they are able to take advantage of it.

Unlike their competitors from the NFC East and the NFC South, the Vikings still have a game left against an AFC team, meaning that even if they finish 8-8, they will be guaranteed a winning record in the NFC, something only the Giants would have if they finished 8-8. They hold the tiebreaker over the Panthers, and get a chance at the Rams at home to end the season (possibly Childress' first chance to erase the trend of the Tice era--losing playoff clinching games).

Really, the only team the Vikings have to worry about, provided they take care of business, is the 49ers. The Niners hold the tiebreaker over the Vikings and have the exact same record. Their schedule is pretty brutal to end the season though, as they have to go to New Orleans and Seattle, and host Denver.

As you can see, if the Vikings go 9-7, they will make the playoffs. If they go 8-8, they'll need some help, but will still have a decent shot. Of course, losing to da Bears is probably not the best start to a 4-1 finish. Then again, Grossman has been turning the ball over a lot lately...

[As always, the playoff table is down aways]









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And here it is!

Team	Record			NFC Record	Tiebreakers		Tiebreaker Games Left	Division Games Left		Opponents Left
MIN	5-6			5-3	SEA, CAR		STL	@GB, @DET, @CHI		NYJ
NYG	6-5			5-2	ATL		@CAR, NO	DAL, PHI, WAS
PHI	5-6			4-3	GB, SF		CAR, ATL	@WAS, @NYG, @DAL
DAL	7-4			4-3	CAR		NO, @ATL	@NYG, PHI,		TB,
NO	7-4			5-1	PHI, NO, ATL		@DAL, @NYG	CAR		SF, WAS
ATL	5-6			3-4	NONE		DAL, @PHI	CAR, @TB		@WAS,
CAR	6-5			4-4	STL		@PHI, NYG	@ATL, @NO		PIT
SEA	7-4			6-3	NYG, STL			@AZ, SF		@DEN, SD, @TB
STL	5-6			4-4			@MIN	AZ		CHI, @OAK, WAS
SF		5-6	4-4			MIN	@NO, GB		@SEA, AZ	DEN