Playoff Rooting Card: Week 16

And then there were five.

As the dust settles on this weekend’s contest the NFC playoff picture has come into focus. Sharp focus for the Washington Redskins. With the Minnesota win last night, Philadelphia, Arizona, & Detroit, all sheik pre-season playoff picks, have been eliminated from playoff contention. The five teams that remain alive are the NY Giants (9-5), Minnesota Vikings (8-6), New Orleans Saints (7-7), Washington Redskins (7-7), & Carolina Panthers (6-8).

By virtue of their win over the NY Giants the redskins have put themselves in decent position to make a playoff run. However these last two wins have not come without a heavy price in blood. Jason Campbell was lost for most likely the rest of the year in our win against Chicago and Rocky McIntosh was lost for this season, and perhaps next. Add this to Season ending injuries to starters Jon Jansen, Randy Thomas, Carlos Rogers and the untimely tragedy of Sean Taylor and that makes 6 starters down for the season. Currently the Redskins have more players on IR then wins, and that is never good. Add in the nagging injuries to other players and it is a miracle this team is currently at .500.

No one would blame this team if they had quit playing after Taylor’s death and subsequent heartbreaking loss to Buffalo the following Sunday. However this team continues to play hard each week. That is a credit to Coach Gibbs. I know a lot of us can get on him for some of the stupidest game management in modern sports history, but as a leader, Joe Gibbs is beyond compare. His players really want to win, not just for himself, but for him. And only coach Gibbs could keep this team together after the tragedy and injuries this team has suffered.

So remarkably the Redskins are still in the hunt for the last playoff spot; however they do not control their own destiny. Let’s take a look at the standings:

NFC East: Dallas Cowboys (12-2)
NFC North: Green Bay Packers (12-2)
NFC West: Seattle Seahawks (9-5)
NFC South: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-5)
Wildcard #1: NY Giants (9-5, 7-5)
Wildcard #2: Minnesota Vikings (8-6, 6-5)

The Pack
New Orleans Saints (7-7, 6-4)
Washington Redskins (7-7, 5-5)
Carolina Panthers (6-8, 6-4)

Though the Redskins do not control their own destiny, they aren’t total long shots either. Here are the scenarios that need to happen for the Redskins to make the playoffs.

If the Redskins win out and receive a 9-7:

New Orleans to lose one of their last two (PHI, @ CHI) OR NY Giants to lose both of their last remaining games (@ BUF, NE)

If The Redskins Beat Minnesota but lose to Dallas and finish 8-8:

New Orleans must lose both its last games (PHI, @CHI) AND
Minnesota must lose its last game of the season (DEN) AND
Carolina must lose one of its last two games (DAL, @TB)

If the Redskins lose to Minnesota, they will be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.

Not the worst odds in the world, but not the best. If this was poker The NY Giants and Vikings would both have three of a kind, the Saints would be drawing to a flush draw, the Redskins to an open ended straight, and Panthers need one card to get a straight flush. The flop has been dealt and the turn and river are about to come. We have two chances to get what we need, but there are cards in the deck that would kill us there and then. It’s anybody’s hand, but some have better shots then others.

So with that in Mind, here is your rooting Card for this week:

Dallas Cowboys (12-2) at Carolina Panthers (6-8). Those pesky panthers have been hanging around, and their NFC record would be our undoing. I rather not have them face a Tampa team with nothing to win for in the last week of the season so as much as I hate it, I got to root for the Cowboys. Go Cowboys!!

Philadelphia Eagles (6-8) at New Orleans Saints (7-7). Probably the best hope we have for a Saints loss is this game. I hate to root for the Eagles, but if that means we get in, so be it. Go Eagles!!

NY Giants (9-5) at Buffalo Bills (7-7). I also hate to root for the mullet head, muscle shirted, flannel wearing, stubble faced, and toothless fans of Buffalo. And the male fans are worse. But I honestly think the Giants losing two straight is more of a probability then the Saints losing one. Go Bills!!

Washington Redskins (7-7) at Minnesota Vikings (8-6). After spending two days rooting for the three teams I hate the most, if the Redskins lose this game I may just have to go purge my body of all memories by banging my head into a rock. Go Redskins!!

That is it. 4 games this week. The time for excuses ends. We either win or start planning our winter plans and look forward to draft positioning. However I will leave you with this hopeful thought. It is quite possible that if things fall the right way (Redskins, Buffalo, Dallas, all win this week) that we could be playing the Dallas Cowboys next week, in Fed Ex, with a ton on the line. With one win we could eliminate the Giants and take away home-field advantage from the Cowboys. I can’t think of a better way to ring in the New Year.

But first things first, let’s hope the Redskins give us an early Christmas present and win against the Vikings.

As always. HTTR!!!!

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