Your guide to the current playoff picture plus key games next week

[Sam Mills Fan]

I think it's important to look at this every week from here on out as long as the Panthers continue to have a couple of wins for every loss. I think we'll be in the mix until at least December.

Here are the current eleven teams in the NFC that are at least within one of a playoff spot:

1. New Orleans (9-0)

2. Minnesota (8-1)

3. Dallas (6-3) (over Arizona due to NFC winning percentage)

4. Arizona (6-3)

5. Philadelphia (5-4) (over NY Giants due to head-to-head, over Atlanta and Green Bay due to NFC winning percentage)

6. Atlanta (5-4) (over NY Giants due to NFC winning percentage, over Green Bay due to strength of victory)

----------------

7. Green Bay (5-4)

8. NY Giants (5-4)

9. San Francisco (4-5)

10. Carolina (4-5)

11. Chicago (4-5)

As you can see, it's pretty hilarious right now with all of the average teams fighting for those two wild card spots currently occupied by Philadelphia and Atlanta. There are SEVEN teams right there in the thick of things for those two spots.

For next week, we obviously need to take care of business against a dangerous Miami team at home on Thursday. You don't want to fall behind that huge pack of teams. There are simply too many teams fighting for those spots to fall behind them, especially when you consider that we're already in sixth place out of seven because of tiebreakers.

So if we beat Miami, there are three very key games next week that, if they go our way, could put us in prime position to break free momentarily from the pack if we follow a Miami W up with wins against the Jets and Bucs (both very winnable) before we go up against murderers' row for our final four games. Games to watch very closely next week:

San Francisco at Green Bay

Atlanta at NY Giants

Philadelphia at Chicago

If you look carefully, you'll notice that the other six teams in our pack actually play each other next week. Fun coincidence. To help us out the most, we need to root for the 49ers to beat the Packers, the Giants to beat the Falcons, and the Bears to beat the Eagles. If that happens, six of the seven teams in the pack will be 5-5 with the Giants leading the way at 6-4. I'd rather have the Giants lead the pack than the Falcons because they're a divisional opponent. Of course, it would do slight damage to the strength of victory tiebreaker because of our win over the Falcons today, but a divisional opponent racking up another loss will help us more in the long-term.

So there's your overly long look to next week and beyond, but hey, it feels great to finally worry about the playoffs since the Arizona game last season.

[Sam Mills Fan]

By the way, we have the best record over our past six games of any of the seven teams at 4-2.

[Kevin Greene]

http://www.carolinahuddle.com/forum/carolina-panthers/24776-race-with-atl-to-the-playoffs.html

http://www.carolinahuddle.com/forum/carolina-panthers/24775-wild-card-race.html

[Sam Mills Fan]

Mine's a little more in-depth and has everything in one place. I figured it needed its own thread.

[PntherPryd]

yeah but this OP went into more detail. good thread.

who used to do those "Who to Root For/Against" threads every week?

[George Shinnsplints]

Any post that goes to this level with detail and analysis can stand on its own as a separate thread, well done SMF. I did several Panthers Fan rooting guides last week from Week 10 or so on last year, rating the games by importance, I probably don't have the time to bang them out this year but they were fun to put together.

[ItsNotGonnaBeAlright]

You mean I need to be rooting for that piece of trash Jay Cutler?

Don't mind rooting for the Niners or the Giants, or the rest of the Bears team.....but Cutler?

[Phillips86]

Another reason to cheer for the Giants over the Panthers is of course that we still have to play them. So with reguards to the Giants at least. We control our own destiny. Well for now at least.. Thursday will be here quick. I hope we are prepared..

[beastson]

You mean I need to be rooting for that piece of trash Jay Cutler?

Don't mind rooting for the Niners or the Giants, or the rest of the Bears team.....but Cutler?

Dont root for them to win, just root against the Eagles

[bigdog10]

yeah but this OP went into more detail. good thread.

who used to do those "Who to Root For/Against" threads every week?

That'd be me pryd.

Wish I still had the time. I just don't get a chance to post that often anymore

[PntherPryd]

That'd be me pryd.

Wish I still had the time. I just don't get a chance to post that often anymore

aha! owe you rep if/when.

thanks for the past work, maybe SMF can take up the torch, good stuff and it makes my brain hurt to try to figure it out on my own.

[MVP23]

ehhh, all we have to do is win 6 of our last 7 and we're fine...and with the NFC, 9-7 would probably get us in if the tiebreakers are on our side..