Al Michaels on the 'Skins-Giants tie-breaker

Strength of victory doesn't bode well for the skins.

I posted this in another thread, but you're right, common opponents is the #3 tiebreaker (if there are at least 4 common opponents it actually comes in ahead of conference record) and here is how it breaks down:

In that scenario we would hold the tiebreakers over New York and Minnesota. We would lose in the tiebreaker to New Orleans (conference record). Saints would go in as they #5 and the Skins would go in as the #6.

The third tiebreaker is common games (after head-to-head and division record), which only comes into play when there are 4 or more common opponents, the Redskins and Giants share 12 common games (not including head-to-head).

Giants: lost to Dallas twice (0-2), lost to Green Bay (0-3), beat Philly twice (2-3), beat the Jets (3-3), beat Miami (4-3), beat Detroit (5-3), lost to Minnesota (5-4), beat Chicago (6-4), and in your scenario would lose to Buffalo and New England (6-6).

Redskins: Beat Miami (1-0), split with Philly (2-1), beat Detroit (3-1), lost to Green Bay (3-2), lost to New England (3-3), beat the Jets (4-3), lost to Buffalo (4-4), beat Chicago (5-4), and in your scenario they would beat Minnesota and split with Dallas (7-5).

A thorough explanation. Thank you.

Strength of victory doesn't bode well for the skins.

It won't get to strength of victory.

Can we get in 8-8? Anyone?

Can we get in 8-8? Anyone?

Yeah but a bunch of teams have to lose for that to happen. I think chances are less. You can see the thread which is stickied about playoff odds.

Lets Win 5 More In A Row Then We Win It All.heck Yea.all I Want For Xmas Is A Super Bowl Victory.how Bout It Guys And Dolls.are You With Me.hail To The Redskins.

Can we get in 8-8? Anyone?

Only if we beat Minnesota and ...

Minnesota loses an additional game v. Chicago or @ Denver (finish 8-8 lose head-to-head tiebreaker v. Skins)

and

the Saints lose v. Philly and @ Chicago (finish 7-9)

and

the Panthers lose either v. Dallas or @ Tampa Bay (finish 7-9 or worse)

and

the Eagles beat the Saints then lose to Buffalo (I think the Eagles could possibly get in with common opponents tiebreaker if they finished 8-8 because at 8-8, losing to the Cowboys, the Skins would be tied with the Eagles in pretty much every other tiebreaker. And, of course, they'd have to beat New Orleans in this scenario so you'd be relying on Buffalo).

No matter how you break it down, a loss to Minnesota would be the end of the game, unless the Vikings lose tonight and then to Denver in Week 17.

the eagles dont matter i dont think since their conference record would be 5-7 and ours would be 6-6 if we were both to finish 8-8, if the eagles beat saints and lost to bills

1. Head-to-Head
2. Conference Record
3. Common Games (minimum of four)
4. Strength of Victory
5. Strength of Schedule
6. Combined Ranking Among Conference Teams (points scored and points allowed)
7. Combined Ranking Among All Teams (points scored and points allowed)
8. Net Points (conference games)
9. Net Points (all games)
10. Net Touchdowns (all games)
11. Coin Toss

I like option 11

the eagles dont matter i dont think since their conference record would be 5-7 and ours would be 6-6 if we were both to finish 8-8, if the eagles beat saints and lost to bills

You're right. After Minnesota's win, though, next week has officially become an elimination game no matter what else happens.