NFC Playoff Table Week 15--They Can and Will Make It

Aside from a Vikings’ loss, the games from last week pretty much went the Vikings’ way, leaving the Vikings’ path to the playoffs crystal clear. Thankfully, that loss came to an AFC team, keeping the Vikings’ in the hunt. In order to make it to the second season, the Purple must win out. A loss to Green Bay or St. Louis would eliminate them, since it would guarantee that the Packers or Rams would finish with at least the same record and hold the tiebreaker. Two Vikings wins, however, will not be enough. Both the Falcons and Giants must also lose at least one more game. If they do, and the Vikings win out, the Vikings would have the tiebreaker over both of them, due to a superior conference record. That’s not all, however. For the Vikings to sneak in to the playoffs at 8-8, one of two things must happen in the NFC West. Either San Francisco loses one of their last two games, OR they win out and Seattle drops their last two games, giving the 49ers the division title.

So is it going to happen? Well, it helps that the Tarvaris Revolution has begun (more on that in a special bonus post later this afternoon). The Falcons and Giants both have very losable games left (Atlanta going to Philly and hosting Carolina and the Giants hosting New Orleans and Washington), and they only each need to drop one. San Francisco also has to host Denver and the (hopefully) always pesky Cardinals. It can happen. The Vikings can make the playoffs if they win out. Now all they need to do is take care of business.

Team	Record			NFC Record	Tiebreakers		Tiebreaker Games Left		Other Opponents Left
MIN	6-8			6-4	SEA, CAR		STL		@GB
NYG	7-7			6-4	ATL, CAR		NO		WAS
PHI	8-6			7-3	GB, SF, CAR		ATL, @DAL		NONE
DAL	9-5			6-4	CAR, ATL		PHI,		DET
NO	9-5			8-2	PHI, SF, ATL, DAL		@NYG		CAR
ATL	7-7			5-5	NONE		@PHI		CAR,
CAR	6-8			4-6	STL		@ATL, @NO
SEA	8-6			6-5	NYG, STL		NONE		SD, @TB
STL	6-8			4-6	NONE		@MIN		WAS
SF		6-8	5-6			MIN, SEA	AZ	DEN

[To make up for my absence, I'll be posting again this afternoon--make sure you stop back to for a post on the beginning of the Tarvaris Revolution, the rise of Artrose Pinner, Pat Williams Pro Bowl snub and more, followed by a game preview on Thursday morning]