RiverDog wrote:ESPN has a pretty neat playoff machine that I've been messing around with:
http://www.espn.com/nfl/playoffs/machine
We have to be one of the few, if not the only, team in the league that with two weeks left to go in the season, could end up with either the #1 seed or the #7 seed. To secure the #1 seed, Packers would have to lose out vs. the Titans and Bears and the Saints would have to lose one of their last two vs. the Vikings and Panthers while we win our final two games with the Rams and Niners. That seems pretty unlikely.
If we beat the Rams Sunday, the division is ours no matter what the outcome of the Week 17 games are. We would get no lower than the #3 seed. Our opponent in the first round would be either the Bucs, Rams, or Cards in our house.
If we lose to the Rams, the division title is still possible depending on the outcome of next week's games. The Cards would have to beat the Rams and we'd have to win our game with the Niners.
If we lose to the Rams in Week 16 and in the following week lose to the Niners and/or the Rams win vs. the Cards, we would be awarded a seed that could vary from #5 to #7. Our opponent in the first round would be either the Rams, WFT, the Packers, or the Saints. We would open the playoffs on the road.
So, the question arises. If we win on Sunday and lock up the #3 seed and we assume that the Packers win their Week 16 contest, we will have either the #2 seed or the #3 seed with no chance of a first round bye. Would it be worth it for us to pull all the stops out in our finale with the 49'ers and try for the #2 seed, which we might not get anyway, or do we rest our starters for what could be a very long road in January?
Edit: I couldn't come up with a scenario that had a team other than the Rams, Seahawks, Cards or Bucs getting the 7th seed, but the Rams have yet to clinch a playoff spot. Perhaps that means a tie somewhere? Does anyone know under what scenario the Rams would miss the playoffs? It would have to involve the Bears.
mykc14 wrote:I think, obviously, the best first round position (other than the #1 seed) is the #5 seed, especially this year with no fans in the stands. I felt that way last year too, and it was, but it wasn’t the best place to be to make a deep run. We want the highest seed we can get. The #2 seed, although not as important this year, gives you a great chance at 2 hole games and an outside chance at 3. The #3 seed is a tough one, even though it is where we sit now. You have a tough matchup this year and then you are basically locked into traveling to the #2 seed. The good need is that #2 seed isn’t coming off a bye so you actually have a better chance as a #3 this year than in years past. There’s give and take with all of the seeds except #1. At the end of the day we need to get on a run and finish the regular season strong and head into the post season healthy and feeling good about our offense and defense. If we play well and avoid injuries this next two weeks we can feel pretty good about our chances!
RiverDog wrote:I finally figured out how the Rams, or for that matter, the Cards, can be displaced from the playoffs by the Bears:
In Week 16, the Rams must lose to the Seahawks and/or the Cards to the Niners while the Bears beat the Jags. If that happens, the loser of the Cards-Rams game in Week 17 could be displaced by the Bears if they beat the Packers....unless the Rams-Cards game results in a tie.
Clear as mud?
Aseahawkfan wrote:NFC is pretty wide open. No dominant team. Just whoever does the best on a given day. Anyone can beat anyone in the NFC as has been proven over the course of the season.
AFC is the same way except for the Kansas City Chiefs. Chiefs are the only dominant team out there with their amazing QB. I don't see anyone stopping them in the playoffs.
Hawktawk wrote:Seattle is as balanced as any team in the NFC at the perfect time. Its just our all world QB isn't quite himself. Oh well the 9ers rode a mediocre QB and a great D and a good run game to a near super bowl victory last year. Other than the 1 seed there's really no advantage to going all out in week 17
I kind of agree with the take on KC in the AFC but then again Baltimore is back on the horse, Titans are a sold well coached team with an underrated QB and the most physical back in the league. And Mahomes threw 3 picks last week. Not even mentioning the 11-3 Stealers, its like Big Ben broke down right in front of our eyes. Browns? I dunno, They go as Mayfield goes and he's just too erratic at times. Colts withy Rivers? Its likely gonna take at least 10 wins to get in on the AFC side.
The AFC team Im not sleeping on is the Bills. The last couple of months they are playing as well as anyone, their QB is just a big mobile stud with a laser arm who has gotten over the boneheaded plays trying to do too much and improved his accuracy greatly. Any given sunday they say. But I wouldnt be shocked to see them win out.
trents wrote:Don't look now but the Bucs are putting things together here at the end of the regular season. I would have written them off early in the season but the Brady bunch is coming on strong.
obiken wrote:True River, but our OLine has to get by Aaron Donald, and I dont see that happening. I hope I am wrong.
NorthHawk wrote:We will have to go to the playoffs without Snacks Harrison as he's asked to be released because he was put on the inactive list.
I don't know what they are doing with him as he's played pretty well for the most part and just rounding into game shape.
Nine tackles and a forced fumble in 6 games, but he's clogged up the middle like he's supposed to.
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2 ... lease-him/
NorthHawk wrote:We will have to go to the playoffs without Snacks Harrison as he's asked to be released because he was put on the inactive list.
I don't know what they are doing with him as he's played pretty well for the most part and just rounding into game shape.
Nine tackles and a forced fumble in 6 games, but he's clogged up the middle like he's supposed to.
https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2 ... lease-him/
The defensive line we just faced was every bit as tough as the one we're about to.
Aseahawkfan wrote:Defense giving up these 3rd downs are killing us. They are playing a great game today, but get off the fricking field.
We should have this game. It would take some egregious mistakes for the Rams to pull this out.
I die a little inside when we keep giving up 3rd down conversions. It seems to be the same every game and frustrating as hell.
obiken wrote:This is why I would prefer not to play the Rams, even if Geoff is out, they just dont need may points to win.
Not me. The way our offense has been performing, I'd much rather take our chances in a low scoring game against someone like the Rams and a turnover prone Jared Goff vs. trying to stop Rodgers or Brees. Goff has a league high 39 turnovers over the past two seasons. Plus he's extremely uncomfortable outside the pocket. He's the worst quarterback in the league when he's under pressure.
On that note, Aaron Rodgers has a TD/INT ratio of 44/5. He's having an incredible season and the odds on favorite for MVP.
Hawktawk wrote:The Rams cant be worse with the other kid than Goff is currently playing. That scheme is a throw by the numbers guaranteed open receiver every play offense. When Goff was on it was unstoppable. The team may well be better with the head case JGoff riding the pine.
RiverDog wrote:
I agree. Goff deserved to be benched long ago, and I suspect that the reason why McVay didn't pull the plug is because they were in the playoff hunt and he didn't have a viable backup. I'm not sure why the Rams didn't sign a decent, experienced backup as there were a lot of them out there and Goff had played poorly in 2019. Now they have a real problem on their hands as they've signed Goff to a huge contract.
We can see what a benching can do to a quarterback that's playing poorly by looking at the effect it had on Mitch Turbisky.
Hawktawk wrote:I'm quite intrigued by what Flores is doing with Fitz and Tua. He pulled Fitz with a winning record and has now benched Tua twice including in the 4th quarter of the incredible win over the faders.Can I get a witness? that facemask completion by Fitz is one of the craziest plays I've ever witnessed![]()
Everyone seems cool and they have an outside shot at the postseason with a win although the Bills look formidable.
I wasn't real impressed with Tua, although I have to admit that the Raiders game was the first time I'd seen him play at the NFL level. Fitz looks like the far more superior QB, not j/b of his results, but just the way he manages the pocket and gets the ball downfield. Tua reminds me too much of Matt Leinart.
There's gonna be lots of questions around the league regarding QBs. Goff. Garoppolo, Darnold.What about Matt Ryan's humongous deal? Wendz? Trashbiski may have saved his career in Chicago. Or he may have fooled the GM into thinking he can play. Time will tell as he is Seattle's only hope of the #1 seed right now.
With the revenue situation league wide my guess is some pretty well known people will be looking for work if they haven't been producing.
Rambo2014 wrote:Rams own the NFC West
One glitch last week can happen to any team
But Rams will give a thorough beating to the Seahawks this weekend and wine the west the following week
You guys team dont want to play on the frozen tundra and GB anyhows
Rams 42
Sea 6
RiverDog wrote:
The Lions were a mess. Not only has their head coach and GM been fired, their interim HC, Darrell Bevell, and 4 other assistants were not allowed to participate today due to the COVID protocol. In addition, starting QB Matt Stafford left the game with an injury on the first drive and never returned. They've been eliminated from the playoffs and their locker room has been a revolving door. Today was their 7th loss in their last 9 games, including the last 3 in a row.
The Lions were a runaway train heading for a washed out bridge and an easy mark for a team that is in the middle of a playoff drive. Brady didn't even play in the 2nd half. I wouldn't read too much into the Bucs beating them like they did.
RiverDog wrote:I thought that this would be worth remembering:
Rams own the NFC West
One glitch last week can happen to any team
But Rams will give a thorough beating to the Seahawks this weekend and wine the west the following week
You guys team dont want to play on the frozen tundra and GB anyhows
Rams 42
Sea 6
Happy New Year, Ramblo!
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