The miserable NFC South race has led to a lot of talk.
1. Just how bad is this division? (Answer: Not, um, good at all.)
2. Who is going to win it? (Answer: HA! You think we know that?)
3. Could the division winner finish with a 6-10 record?
This might be the most important question of all, because it could lead to change in the playoff system going forward. If you have, let's say, a 6-10 Atlanta Falcons team hosting a 11-5 Dallas Cowboys team, as we have projected here, how do you justify that if you're the NFL?
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Maybe it's chalked up to a fluke thing, but this is the second time in five seasons where it looks like a team with a losing record will host a playoff game. And though the NFL wants to protect the integrity of the divisional rivalries, which we understand, it undermines the whole deal that a team four games under .500 is potentially getting a home crowd (not to mention extra revenue) just because they were the best of a bad lot?
We suggest this: You still get into the playoffs if you win your division, but hand out the top four seeds to the playoff teams with the four best overall records in each conference. Why not? That would make the Falcons a 6-seed who (rightfully) would have to go on the road and open up the possibility of the top two seeds — and the first-week playoff byes — to two teams in the same division.
That feel most fair.
Now, onto the would-be playoff matchups based on how we see things finishing as we look at things through 12 weeks of the NFL season:
Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles: We had this same matchup a week ago, and we brought up all the potential Pac-10/12 matchup possibilities that might occur. But we forgot one: What happens if Nick Foles heals quickly and is ready to return, either by the playoff game or before it? Do the Eagles make a switch? It depends, of course, on how well Mark Sanchez plays, starting with Thursday's crucial matchup at Dallas. But don't rule out the possibility of Foles playing in another home playoff game this season, and having to do so against a tough Seahawks defense.
Dallas Cowboys at Atlanta Falcons: Yes, sigh ... I mean, the Cowboys might be touchdown faves in this one, although the last time the Cowboys won a road playoff game was January of 1993. This would be an excellent opportunity for Tony Romo to add a feather in his cap, doing so against a defense that offers little resistance. The Falcons could pull a 2010 Seahawks and find a way to win it, but they have not beaten a team outside the division since last season and have non-division games left against the Arizona Cardinals, Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers. Good luck with that. And good luck with beating the Cowboys here.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts: This postseason matchup (including the Baltimore days) has happened five times — can you believe that? Including a few memorable ones: The Ben Roethlisberger tackle game and the Jim Harbaugh near-miracle Hail Mary game. In both those contests, the Steelers ended up in the Super Bowl those respective years. Is either the Colts or the Steelers a Super Bowl-caliber team? No, but we did see the Steelers play a near-perfect game on offense against these Colts in Pittsburgh when Roethlisberger became only the 16th's 500-yard passer in NFL history. The Steelers also harrassed Andre Luck into a pick-six and a safety that day. It would be a very interesting battle for the rematch.
Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals: Boy, this feels like the Saturday afternoon game, doesn't it? There's just not a lot of sex appeal in this matchup, what with Andy Dalton hosting Alex Smith in the just-good-enough-to-cash-in Hard Luck QB Club. Defensively, the Chiefs are better than the Bengals, but how much will home field matter here? The Bengals have lost five straight playoff games, including three in the past four years, last winning a postseason game when Dalton was three years old in the 1990 season. THe Chiefs — get this — have been worse. Their losing streak in the playoffs runs at seven games, last winning at the Houston Oilers (a team that doesn't exist anymore!) in January 1994, with Joe Montana beating Warren Moon in a battle of Hall Of Famers that day. This QB battle just doesn't quite match up, eh?
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm
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