Why not dream a little --- you never know --- playoffs

I was looking at the playoff picture .. and while we are still a long shot, if the cowboys
beat the seahawks tonight (which would be bitter sweet), Seattle and St. Louis will be tied in their division and one of them will hold the last wild card spot at 6-6. The three other teams we beat this year (Bears, Lions, and Tampa Bay) are all 5-7 and one game out of that spot. If we just had one of those heartbreaking losses turned around (Packers game?), we would be considered in the mix at 5-7. so at 4-8, if we win out and seattle loses tonight, which is no easy task at the least, i would say we have a legit chance at playoffs (not sure about tie breaking procedure), but Seattle or St. louis goes 2-2 and they are 8-8, we would have to beat them in the tie breaker. and hope all the 5-7 teams, if any of them go 8-8 (Carolina the most likely), we beat them in the tie break as well, 3 of the teams we do beat in the tie breaker (Chicago, Tampa Bay, and Detroit) and if dallas and ny were both 5-7. i do not see either of them going 8-8. ...... just a thought,

i dont expect this, but look at how a win brings optimism everywhere!!

er, do we gotta root for the cowgirls tonight?? not sure i can do that..

I can wait until next season, I'm certainly not about to cheer on the Cow-Whores.

If we beat the Eagles, then I'll start to dream. Until we beat them, I still think were on the outside looking and just trying to finish it up strong!

If we beat the Eagles, then I'll start to dream. Until we beat them, I still think were on the outside looking and just trying to finish it up strong!

My thoughts exactly. And, after what they did to GBay, Phil is going to be high as a kite for a sunday night game. Not saying we can't win it, but it will be a tough tough game.

IF we win it, THEN the "P" word can be discussed ad nauseum.

It's an intriguing thought, and I certainly considered the possibilities as I watched the Skins mop up the Gimps, but I'm of the "one game at a time" mindset, and the Skins have a very long shot at beating the Eagles, even if they're playing at home, the defense is smothering McNabb and Owens, and the offense plays the way it did Sunday.

Frankly, I'll be somewhat comforted after all that's transpired this season if the Skins continue to improve and finish up at 6-10. Given how poorly the remaining teams on the schedule, other than the Eagles, are playing now, I don't think 7-9 is out of the question, but I think that's the absolute best they can do at this point, and that still leaves them at home during the playoffs-- albeit with a lot more optimism about next season than they could have imagined earlier this season.

Still, 7-9 is a heck of a lot better than the 3-13 record that was quickly creeping into the realm of possibility.

I agree joe. After the Pittsburgh/Eagles games, I was sorta happy at how well we plaeyd and thought that 7-9 would be a very resectable, possible finish that would carry us over into next season. I'm still on that thinking level unless we beat the Eagles. I think we can beat (well we BETTER) beat SF, Dallas is alwasy tough I dont care how bad they are, but I think we should win that too. Minnestoa in Janurary at FedEx..... Defintley doable.

Let's not fool ourselves, the playoffs are a long shot.

I'll be happy with the team looking strong down the stretch, wins aren't the only thing that matter right now.

It does show how weak the NFC is this year, though given our schedule (read: PHILLY), we are a very long shot. And I'm not sure if the math actually works out.

Let's just keep playing better, and close out strong.

So okay...I did some schedulizing and making the playoffs is not impossible. It is probably pretty close though. We have to have everything fall the right way.
Below is what a rather optimistic prediction would be for the NFC final standings
Philadelphia 14-2
Washington 8-8
N.Y. Giants 6-10
Dallas 6-10

Green Bay 11-5
Minnesota 8-8
Chicago 7-9
Detroit 5-11

Atlanta 11-5
Carolina 9-7
Tampa Bay 7-9
New Orleans 4-12

Seattle 9-7
St. Louis 7-9
Arizona 5-11
San Francisco 1-15

I essentially went through week by week for the final 4 weeks and predicted who would win. I attempted to be unbiased when predicting and we actually make the playoffs without any crazy things happening(accept that we win out which is obviously not likely but must happen for any chance at the playoffs.)

A couple things struke me about the above scenario and what has to happen.

a) there are a lot of divisional games throughout the NFC that we need to go as they should. Upsets are bad for us. Upsets are deadly for us.
b) we need green bay to win out and NO, Det and SF to lose out. For NO and SF that could definitly happen but Det is better than that. The losing out I predicted was on a week by week basis and they play some decent teams. Possible but not probable
c) gosh doesn't the west just suck?
d)SL,TB and Chi need to only win one game the rest of the year again I went ona week by week basis. This is possible but again not probable.
e) in the above scenario they actually make the playoffs straight up by virtue of being 8-8 and having beat Minn. Carolina also makes the Playoffs after a horrific start.
d) we absolutly have to win out. no other way is possible.

So basically it is possible but not probable.