Quote:
Originally Posted by Schneed10
I hate to look past Dallas at this point, because if we don't win, we're probably not in, and then all this discussion will be for naught. But if we do get in, check out our chances in this NFC field:
Tampa Bay is 5-0 against the NFC South this year. They're 4-6 against everybody else. Kind of obvious that the biggest reason they're headed to the playoffs is their weak division. Plus, we totally had them on their field this year.
Seattle is 5-1 against the NFC West this year, but only 5-4 against everyone else. Again, only a solid team playing in a weak division.
The New York Giants are not the same team now that went on the six-game winning streak to jump out to a 6-2 start. We showed that by pounding them 22-10 in their house. Coughlin's career is starting to look like a poor-man's Marty Schottenheimer career. Strong regular season, wilts down the stretch and in the playoffs.
The Green Bay Packers are definitely a formidable team, and we'd have to play them in Lambeau where they hold a huge homefield advantage. But we almost beat them this season, in Green Bay. And we're built to be a cold-weather team. We can run, and we can stop the run now.
The Dallas Cowboys are the most complete team in the NFC, it seems to me. If Owens is healthy, our secondary would have its hands full. Last time we played them, Owens torched us for multiple big plays. Except now GW will have a chance to use his adjusted scheme, with Landry playing free safety. Against Dallas the first go-round, GW had not yet adjusted his secondary scheme and TO went off. I doubt he lets Owens do that again. And with these Dallas/Washington games, the teams both get up for the fight. Though a healthy Cowboys squad probably has us outmatched, we would give them a game, and I'd take our coaching staff in a battle of wits over the Dallas staff.
So we're not in the playoffs yet, but can't you see a scenario here in which we could be playing in the Super Bowl, with the way we're playing right now? One tough stat for us is the fact that since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978, only one team has won the Super Bowl with a 10-6 record during the regular season (1988 49ers, and they had someone named Montana). And we're not even 10-6, we're a 9-7 team if we beat Dallas on Sunday. Only one team has even made the Super Bowl with a 9-7 record (1979 LA Rams). They lost to the Steelers. So based on history, the odds of making it at 9-7 are long indeed.
But it has happened. Let's get in, and then dare to dream!
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It's not like Tampa got six wins in their own division by 3 points or less or something. They blew their division out of the water, winning each game by at least 20 points. I wouldn't say we "had" them either. Turnovers aside, we played them pretty darn close, but it's not like we blew them out...or even won the game.
Seattle is totally unproven (FO has them ranked as the team who played the weakest schedule), but I think teams like Seattle and Tampa could totally flip the NFC on its side.
Lets say that we get in by beating Dallas, and then we go on and beat Seattle. That means Tampa goes to Green Bay and we go to Dallas. What if Garcia goes up there, picks his spots smartly on Al Harris, getting a few deep plays over the top to Galloway and Tampa takes care of their business. Then if we somehow manage to beat the Cowboys in the divisional round (I think we are going to need Campbell to have a chance), that we could be going to Tampa to play the NFC Championship.
I think that Tampa and Dallas are the two best NFC teams. However, Green Bay has the easiest road provided that we don't win our first round game. Right now, Green Bay is my pick as long as their road goes through Seattle first.