Our Path To The SB Is Clear To Me

Whereas the AFC is very up in the air, the NFC playoff picture looks fairly set in stone. Assuming nothing crazy happens the last few weeks of the season, it looks like the Hawks will likely secure the first wild card spot. I hate to look ahead like this, but it is only natural for me.

Assuming we secure the top WC, we will play the winner of the NFC East. Your guess is as good as mine as to who that would be. Whether it is the Eagles, Redskins or Giants, bring it on.

It's almost a given that the Panthers will be the #1 seed and the Cardinals will be the #2 seed. If we win our first round matchup, we will most likely face the Cardinals in Arizona.

And before people ask, I am assuming we go at least 3-1. I don't see us losing to Baltimore, Cleveland or STL. The Cards could very well rest players against us in Week 17. The Vikings have a brutal last 4 games. Having to play at Arizona on a short week this Thursday, then back-to-back home games against the Bears and Giants, and then they finish up the season against Aaron Rodgers in Lambeau. Is it wrong for me to assume we go 3-1 and the Vikings likely finish 2-2.

PS this thread is only for "look-aheaders." I know plenty will say, "lets just focus on our next game." If you don't like to look ahead, there should be plenty of threads about our upcoming game with Baltimore.

Hawk-Lock":2ucu8p30 said:

It's almost a given that the Panthers will be the #1 seed and the Cardinals will be the #2 seed. If we win our first round matchup, we will most likely face the Cardinals in Arizona.

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It all depends on who the 6 seed is really. If GB eventually prevails and wins the division.. I don't see a Tampa, Atlanta or Minnesota beating them in Lambeau. That would then send us to Charlotte if we defeated the NFC East champ.

Hawk-Lock":1w1pjf6e said:

Whereas the AFC is very up in the air, the NFC playoff picture looks fairly set in stone. Assuming nothing crazy happens the last few weeks of the season, it looks like the Hawks will likely secure the first wild card spot. I hate to look ahead like this, but it is only natural for me.

Assuming we secure the top WC, we will play the winner of the NFC East. Your guess is as good as mine as to who that would be. Whether it is the Eagles, Redskins or Giants, bring it on.

It's almost a given that the Panthers will be the #1 seed and the Cardinals will be the #2 seed. If we win our first round matchup, we will most likely face the Cardinals in Arizona.

Click to expand...

Assuming it all shakes out that way, we'd face Carolina in the divisional round unless the 6-seed upsets GB at Lambeau, which I find unlikely.

Hasselbeck":2o2xabki said:

Hawk-Lock":2o2xabki said:

It's almost a given that the Panthers will be the #1 seed and the Cardinals will be the #2 seed. If we win our first round matchup, we will most likely face the Cardinals in Arizona.

Click to expand...

It all depends on who the 6 seed is really. If GB eventually prevails and wins the division.. I don't see a Tampa, Atlanta or Minnesota beating them in Lambeau. That would then send us to Charlotte if we defeated the NFC East champ.

Click to expand...

Aghhh thank you. I forgot everything re-seeds in the second round. It's not bracket style like in certain sports.

Stupid me. Ok will this entire thread was a big fail.

Hawk-Lock":1jnk53eb said:

Hasselbeck":1jnk53eb said:

Hawk-Lock":1jnk53eb said:

It's almost a given that the Panthers will be the #1 seed and the Cardinals will be the #2 seed. If we win our first round matchup, we will most likely face the Cardinals in Arizona.

Click to expand...

It all depends on who the 6 seed is really. If GB eventually prevails and wins the division.. I don't see a Tampa, Atlanta or Minnesota beating them in Lambeau. That would then send us to Charlotte if we defeated the NFC East champ.

Click to expand...

Aghhh thank you. I forgot everything re-seeds in the second round. It's not bracket style like in certain sports.

Stupid me. Ok will this entire thread was a big fail.

Click to expand...

Why looking ahead is hopeful but rarely goes as planned. Just ask the Saints

The way it looks like it is going to go is. @NFCE champ --> @ Carolina --> @ AZ for NFC Championship Game.

I fear the attrition, and travel, more than the opponents. I hope Pete has re-learned the lesson of the 2012 season. Seattle had much better urgency in the 2013 season because of it, and went on to win the Superbowl.

Starting slow costs you home playoff games. (they got away with it in 2014.)

I had to laugh listening to Packers radio commentators today talking about not wanting GB to be the NFCN champs, if it meant having to host Seattle at Lambeau in the WC round.

I can't blame them. While GB's game vs the Lions on TNF was a fun win, it didn't inspire a lot of confidence, especially compared to how Seattle is (finally) getting it together. As one guy said, "We know how a game-ending Hail Mary against Seattle goes...."

It is very clear.....It goes thru us.....we may have to travel..but it still goes thru us. Way to think in a broad spectrum.

Playing with simulators there are several scenarios that can happen and it looks like the Seahawks, Vikings, Falcons, Tampa and Green Bay are intertwined. In a few simulations the Seahawks finish 3-1, and they still don't make the playoffs.

I see the Vikings going 2-2, losing to Arizona and Green bay.
Falcons need to play the Panthers twice, and I think they lose both.
Green bay plays the Cowboys, Raiders, Arizona and Vikings. I see them being 3-1, but don't seem to effect us much.
Tampa has a pretty soft schedule, and I think they are our primary contenders for a spot. I will feel safer when they drop one.

It's still pretty clear to me.

We get the first WC spot. We whip whoever wins the NFC East. GB should beat whoever the WC is, most likely Minnesota. Then it looks like we have another date in Carolina. An all too familiar place.

Unless Minnesota has a historic meltdown, I don't see Tampa, Atlanta, or anyone else getting into the playoff picture. If I could, I would bet money on the playoff seeding being in this order: CAR, AZ, GB, NFC EAST, SEA, MIN.

Hawk-Lock":1mz18fyw said:

Assuming we secure the top WC, we will play the winner of the NFC East. Your guess is as good as mine as to who that would be. Whether it is the Eagles, Redskins or Giants, bring it on.

Click to expand...

Can I ask why you're assuming we're locking up the #5 seed?

The Packers would have to lose two games (own head to head tiebreaker), the Vikings one but have a pretty soft schedule............and we'd have to win out. If the Cards are going for HFA that last game, then that's not a lock win.

So as well as we're playing, I have a hard time seeing the #5 seed as sure thing.

Hawk-Lock":2fk5iolu said:

...Assuming nothing crazy happens the last few weeks of the season, ...

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Thats a tough assumption to make in this league.

The path is clear. Win on the road to get to the Superbowl, which to me is exactly what this team needs.

Sgt. Largent":1ngz51t5 said:

Hawk-Lock":1ngz51t5 said:

Assuming we secure the top WC, we will play the winner of the NFC East. Your guess is as good as mine as to who that would be. Whether it is the Eagles, Redskins or Giants, bring it on.

Click to expand...

Can I ask why you're assuming we're locking up the #5 seed?

The Packers would have to lose two games (own head to head tiebreaker), the Vikings one but have a pretty soft schedule............and we'd have to win out. If the Cards are going for HFA that last game, then that's not a lock win.

So as well as we're playing, I have a hard time seeing the #5 seed as sure thing.

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Are we on the same page? I'm saying we secure the top wild card spot.

We go 3-1, that puts us at 10-6.

Minnesota loses at least 2, most likely losing in Arizona and in GB. Putting them at 10-6, losing the tie-breaker with us.

Hasselbeck":1gn61z0o said:

Hawk-Lock":1gn61z0o said:

It's almost a given that the Panthers will be the #1 seed and the Cardinals will be the #2 seed. If we win our first round matchup, we will most likely face the Cardinals in Arizona.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

It all depends on who the 6 seed is really. If GB eventually prevails and wins the division.. I don't see a Tampa, Atlanta or Minnesota beating them in Lambeau. That would then send us to Charlotte if we defeated the NFC East champ.[/quotee

I am hoping this is how it goes down. I want to play the Panthers again and knock them off their perch. I see us going in and beating them on their own turf now that the team seems to be peaking at the right moment.

One interesting scenario if we can lock up the #5 seed...

The #3 vs. #6 game will likely be Packers vs. Vikings in this case, with the division winner being at home. If the Packers' collapse continues and they come in as the wild card team, I still think they beat Minnesota in the wild card round in Minnesota.

This would put the #5 Seahawks up against the #2 Cardinals and the #6 Packers against the #1 Panthers.

As unlikely as this is...if both the Seahawks and Packers win their respective games in this round, the Seahawks would host the Packers in the NFC Championship.

I only post this because this is my "ideal" path to the super bowl.

1. Keep momentum against a crappy team (and squash Redskins/Eagles fans' dreams)
2. Reclaim the NFC West throne by beating Arizona IN Arizona
3. Get to play at home for a spot in the Super Bowl (it's undeniably more special when it happens at home)

I get that some people have beef with Carolina and want revenge in the playoffs, I don't feel as strongly about this, I'd prefer to have the championship game in Seattle

Hawk-Lock":3uwi60ky said:

Hasselbeck":3uwi60ky said:

Hawk-Lock":3uwi60ky said:

It's almost a given that the Panthers will be the #1 seed and the Cardinals will be the #2 seed. If we win our first round matchup, we will most likely face the Cardinals in Arizona.

Click to expand...

It all depends on who the 6 seed is really. If GB eventually prevails and wins the division.. I don't see a Tampa, Atlanta or Minnesota beating them in Lambeau. That would then send us to Charlotte if we defeated the NFC East champ.

Click to expand...

Aghhh thank you. I forgot everything re-seeds in the second round. It's not bracket style like in certain sports.

Stupid me. Ok will this entire thread was a big fail.

Click to expand...

Nah, not a big fail. Most of your assumptions are very solid and I see it mostly the same way.

As for the 5th seed, the assumption is that GB wins that division. Minn has to play AZ and GB, @GB. Those look like two likely losses, especially since GB already beat Minn once, in Minn.

What's interesting to me is we've been to the Superbowl 3 times -- all as the #1 seed.

The idea that we could get there as the #5 seed and do it on the road is very intriguing to me.....

it hasn't been a great year but we've played some of the top teams in the league

Bengals, Panthers, Packers, Cardinals

Lost all those games - but that was in a stretch of not playing our best football, playing to players at key positions who are gone now in that center and cary williams. our offensive line has improved since then, and Rawls and Lockett have become regular contributors. Wilson is showing just what he can do when he has time to throw from the pocket.

We only have to beat a couple of those teams to ge through them in the playoffs, and I'm going to assume that our guys aren't going to let the chance for revenge slip away. There is a mental and emotional component to our team that I don't know if others can match, nor does any team have the recent playoff experience we do. Wislon has the highest playoff win % of any active QB.

The NFC playoff picture is about as clear as you'll ever get with 4 games still remaining. If sportsbooks took bets on the order of the NFC, I'd put money on it being in this order: Carolina, Arizona, GB, NFC East, Seattle, Minnesota. Now if you want to know which NFC East team it is, I have no idea. Whichever team doesn't suck the most.