(EDIT TO ADD Monday morning: Couple of edits in the name of the 12th Man. Seattle is still in the picture.)
Let's get the easy one out of the way first:
NFC DUD OF THE WEEK:
OH MY GOD, MINNESOTA, WHAT THE FUCKING HELL????
I was suspicious of this game when I saw Green Bay as field-goal favorites at home. There was ZERO reason, especially given Philadelphia loses, meaning that Minnesota had a chance to secure the #1 seed in the NFC. Win twice, Philly loses, and the road to the Super Bowl goes through Minnesota.
The game isn't even done yet as I type this part, but I don't think the Cardiac Vikes are coming back from FORTY-ONE TO THREE down with eight minutes left. (GB won 41-17 with two garbage-time touchdowns.)
If you want an "expose the business" situation, think this over:
- Green Bay winning eliminates Dan Snyder and the Commanders from the playoffs.
- It sets up a near-absolute Win or Go Home, Green Bay-Detroit at Lambeau Field next week. Not even Cincinnati-Baltimore NOR Jacksonville-Tennessee is absolute. (Jacksonville can still make the wild card at 8-9 if they lose and the cards fall right.) A lot of fans are pissed in thinking GB/DET will get the Sunday night nod.
- A SF loss and a GB win means a rematch with MIN in the Super Wild Card round.
So if you want to take kayfabe, ask Minnesota why they didn't show up.
If you want to take rigged/scripted/booked, look at all the factors lining up.
Kayfabe:
East: Philadelphia 13-3, Dallas 12-4, Giants 9-6-1, all three in the playoffs. Washington violates The First Rule with Green Bay's win today because GB/DET has to get to 9 wins and 8-8-1 won't be enough.
North: Minnesota 12-4 and NFC North Champions. Green Bay and Detroit 8-8, winner take all next week at Lambeau Field.
South: Tom Brady is the NFC Suck Champion, the other three teams are in violation of The First Rule.
West: San Francisco is the NFC West Champion and are now 12-4, Green Bay's win eliminates Seattle and means all three NFC West losers are now in violation of The First Rule: DON'T GET ELIMINATED!!!
DAL-SF tiebreaker: Conference record: SF 9-2, DAL 8-3
MIN-SF tiebreaker: Conference record: MIN 7-4
PHI is #1 seed with a win or a SF loss and a DAL loss.
SF is #1 seed with a win and a PHI loss.
DAL is #1 seed with a win and losses by PHI and SF
MIN has lost the chance at the #1 seed.
- PHI (13-3, NFC East -- IN PLAYOFFS)
- SF (12-4, NFC West Champions -- IN PLAYOFFS, Conference record tiebreaker over MIN)
- MIN (12-4, NFC North Champions -- IN PLAYOFFS, loses Conference record tiebreaker to SF)
- TB (8-8, NFC Suck "Champions" -- IN PLAYOFFS)
- DAL (12-4, IN PLAYOFFS)
- NYG (9-6-1, IN PLAYOFFS)
- SEA (8-8, HTH tiebreaker win over Detroit (who has the HTH tiebreaker over Green Bay to eliminate them for the moment))
SEA actually has two paths into the playoffs. (I had it wrong earlier.)
First: They must win, and Detroit must either win (HTH tiebreaker over DET (which has the HTH tiebreaker over GB), which is why SEA is the #7 now), or
Second: They can get in with a win or tie, if the DET/GB game ends in a tie as well.
GB is in with a win, because a tiebreaker between them and SEA wins it for the Packers on conference record.
DET now needs a win and to ensure SEA does not!!!
Forgot the Politicals!!!
1) Dallas
Kind of a tough call. You could make a case for...
2) San Francisco
But Dallas has the ratings and the fanbase, and Dallas-Philly has kind of a ring to it, does it not? But if San Francisco gets the Packers in the first game -- then explain why...
3) Minnesota
... has gotten as far as it did. And I still think, even with the change in seed, that TPTB want GB-MIN in the Super Wild Card round, meaning SF loses next week... somehow....
Cannot put a number on til I know who the QB is in the playoffs) Philadelphia
I think they'd still LIKE Dallas-Philly for the title, but there is a definite problem there.
And don't look now) Tampa Bay
Has a home game in the playoffs and then God only knows...
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