NFC North: playoffs

NFC North seedings set

January, 3, 2010
1/03/10
7:12
PM ET
MINNEAPOLIS -- It’s official. Minnesota is the NFC’s No. 2 seed and will have a first-round bye in the playoffs. Green Bay is the No. 5 seed and will take on Arizona next weekend.

Much more on both teams in a bit.
ESPN.com has put together a nice page of playoff scenarios, and it tells us that Green Bay would play at Arizona in the NFC wild-card round if the season ended now.

But the Packers have five games remaining in their season, including Monday night’s matchup against Baltimore, and much is left to be decided. Here’s what we can tell you at this point: Green Bay is in a three-team race for two wild-card spots.

With Atlanta (6-6) fading, the Packers are competing most intensely with two NFC East teams. That tightening division race makes it difficult to know whether Dallas (8-4), Philadelphia (8-4) or the New York Giants (7-5) will win the title. But the remaining two teams are currently the Packers’ chief competitors.

Green Bay can maintain a one-game lead over the Giants with a victory Monday night. The Giants-Eagles matchup next Sunday night virtually ensures that one of those teams will take a loss in Week 14.

Below is how the teams rank as of Monday morning. The Eagles technically have the No. 5 spot because their conference record is 7-2, one game better than Green Bay at 6-3.

NFC wild-card race
1. Philadelphia Eagles (8-4)
2. Green Bay Packers (7-4)
3. New York Giants (7-5)
4. Atlanta Falcons (6-6)

Updating playoff scenarios

December, 1, 2009
12/01/09
10:00
AM ET
Here’s one postseason possibility to add to the list we started Monday: Minnesota can clinch a playoff berth with a victory Sunday night at Arizona.

As we previously discussed, the Vikings can win the NFC North outright with a victory over the Cardinals and a Green Bay loss Monday night against Baltimore. Regardless of what the Packers do, the Vikings can win the division title with two more victories.
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