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Shutdown Corner - NFL

Shutdown Corner

Wed Oct 28, 2009 10:29 am EDT

The absurdly premature playoff picture: Week 7

By MJD

See last week's absurdly premature playoff picture here.

AFC First-Round Byes:
Indianapolis Colts
Denver Broncos

Other AFC Divisional Champions:
Pittsburgh Steelers
New England Patriots

AFC Wild Cards:
Cincinnati Bengals
Houston Texans

NFC First-Round Byes:
New Orleans Saints
Minnesota Vikings

Other NFC Divisional Champions:
New York Giants
Arizona Cardinals

NFC Wild Cards:
Green Bay Packers
Dallas Cowboys

• The big theme this week is stability. The entire AFC is the same, and all four first-round byes are the same, even though one of them, the Vikings, went down. I'm not going to kill anyone for a could've-gone-either-way road loss to Pittsburgh though, and it's not like anyone else is making a bold charge at the spot right now.

• Dallas joins the Absurdly Premature Playoff Picture for the first time in '09. To be honest with you, I was close to throwing caution (and perhaps reason) to the wind and making them the NFC East champ, because I'm so down on the Giants and Eagles right now. Giants @ Eagles this Sunday is so interesting and so important for both teams. Do yourself a favor, Andy Reid, and let Donovan McNabb(notes) take a handful of snaps consecutively.

• Arizona edged out San Francisco for the NFC West spot. Sorry, 49ers. It's not about you, really, I'm just liking what the Cardinals are doing, particularly up front defensively. Four of their next five are against the Panthers, Seahawks, Rams and Titans, too. If they do what they're supposed to do, they could build a healthy divisional lead.

• I'm feeling pretty good about moving the Texans into the picture last week. I don't know if I'm getting suckered in just because they're so much fun to watch, or because the Battle Red uniforms make me think they have the strength and determination of firemen, but I'm feeling really good about their Wild Card chances.

• Every week I do this, I stop and look up the next Steelers vs. Bengals game. It's the week after this one. (Wildly giggling to myself.) I'm excited for that one.

Related: Donovan McNabb, Arizona Cardinals, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Steelers, Playoff Picture

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236 Comments

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  1. YezZiR15
    1. Posted by YezZiR15 Wed Oct 28, 2009 10:52 am EDT

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    eh i like this picture
  2. vertskate900
    2. Posted by vertskate900 Wed Oct 28, 2009 10:56 am EDT

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    If you've got nothing against the Niners MJDweeb, then what the heck is Green Bay doing in that wild card spot???
  3. vertskate900
    3. Posted by vertskate900 Wed Oct 28, 2009 10:58 am EDT

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    Oh and the Broncos with a first round bye LOL. Last years Jim Zorn is this years McDaniels. Orton, the master of dink and dunk, will be exposed!
  4. acarlton91
    4. Posted by acarlton91 Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:01 am EDT

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    even thought its premature its most likely how its gonna end up
  5. Fitzy
    5. Posted by Fitzy Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:04 am EDT

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    Off the Niners bandwagon just as they're starting to look freshly invigorated? Crabtree signed (and looking worth every penny!), Alex Smith at the helm (finally!), and VD looking like the superstar TE he was predicted to be YEARS ago, all the pieces are coming together in a hurry for SF. Their defense clamped the fvck down on a very explosive Houston offense in the second half, too.
    I think you're making a mistake here. Although looking at their remaining schedule compared to the Cards, I can see where you're coming from.
  6. Fitzy
    6. Posted by Fitzy Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:07 am EDT

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    Yeah, what vertskate said! I also think I'd sub in the Falcons for the Cowboys, given the propensity Dallas has to blow things very badly whenever start snow starts appearing on the ground in the Midwest.
  7. H P
    7. Posted by H P Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:22 am EDT

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    playoffs what do ya mean playoffs
  8. rushlimbaughsdrugdealer19
    8. Posted by rushlimbaughsdrugdealer19 Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:24 am EDT

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    I think the texans are a WC team this year. Ravens pass defense has been pretty suspect and the texans have been playing well lately. Jets are still in the picture, and would have the head to head tie breaker but I think the texans are gonna finish ahead of them.
  9. Jicky
    9. Posted by Jicky Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:25 am EDT

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    Before there's a bombardment of Packer and Viking comments from their fans with their upcoming matchup, let's just take a moment to rejoice in what we both can agree on - the Bears really suck! :-)
  10. Barney the Purple Dinosaur
    10. Posted by Barney the Purple Dinosaur Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:28 am EDT

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    I agree with everything and everyone...always.
  11. Shenanigans
    11. Posted by Shenanigans Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:32 am EDT

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    If the Packers beat (We'll never forget you Brent and the) Vikings, does MJD swap the Vi-Queens and Packers?
  12. Marcus B
    12. Posted by Marcus B Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:38 am EDT

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    I don't know about Green Bay...I'd more likely choose Philly or Atlanta for that spot.
  13. Incredibly_Disrespected
    13. Posted by Incredibly_Disrespected Wed Oct 28, 2009 11:43 am EDT

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    `
    "....If you've got nothing against the Niners MJD, then what the heck is Green Bay doing in that wild card spot?...."
    LOL!!
    Niner fan thinks his team is better than the Packers ............
    That's funny....
    No?
    ...
  14. buff_daddy4life99
    14. Posted by buff_daddy4life99 Wed Oct 28, 2009 12:02 pm EDT

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    Packer fans who call Favre, Brent or call the Vikings, Vi-Queens look like idiots. If you worried about your team as much as you worry about the Vikings, you might actually be halfway good.
  15. Mo Giggity
    15. Posted by Mo Giggity Wed Oct 28, 2009 12:08 pm EDT

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    Who cares about the Niners. They ain't gonna win the West, and the Wild Card probably won't come out of the West. The Cardinals play two -- count it, TWO -- teams with above-.500 records the rest of the season. Plus, you know that they're gonna stomp the Niners in 'Frisco after that Week 1 choke by the Redbirds.
    And yes, the Packers are playing better than the Niners right now. On the AFC side, it'll be interesting to see if the Texans can actually hold it together and make the playoffs. Also, the Patriots look way better than most of those AFC teams, except for Pitt and Indy.
  16. chad85bengal
    16. Posted by chad85bengal Wed Oct 28, 2009 12:09 pm EDT

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    just an fyi - if the playoffs were starting this week the bengals, not pittsburgh, would be the afc north's champion by virtue of a head to head win and superior divisional record.
  17. chad85bengal
    17. Posted by chad85bengal Wed Oct 28, 2009 12:09 pm EDT

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    just an fyi - if the playoffs were starting this week the bengals, not pittsburgh, would be the afc north's champion by virtue of a head to head win and superior divisional record.
  18. freddym
    18. Posted by freddym Wed Oct 28, 2009 12:11 pm EDT

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    re: Orton, the master of dink and dunk, will be exposed!
    Yeah - the NFL ripped the mask right off of the last master of the dink and dunk... what was that last name again.. Montana?
  19. Dan R
    19. Posted by Dan R Wed Oct 28, 2009 12:15 pm EDT

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    Oh no no Bears? What happened Chicago fans I remember all you gloating about Cutler and how the Bears were headed to the Super Bowl!!!!
    Stay in hiding until next year
  20. Anton
    20. Posted by Anton Wed Oct 28, 2009 12:15 pm EDT

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    #15 - these weekly playoff pictures are based on win-lost record alone. Not who beat who. It does not matter whether Green Bay had a soft schedule or not. The picture changes based on RECORD.
    And Denver Broncos are still undefeated, aren't they?, So yes, they belong in that spot regardless of what kinda history they have or how much you might hate them.
  21. peter
    21. Posted by peter Wed Oct 28, 2009 12:24 pm EDT

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    At what point do you drop "Absurdly" from "The absurdly premature playoff picture" and make it: "The premature playoff picture" I would say anytime after week 8.
    It also may be time to add teams to the category "on the outside looking in"
  22. trabba98
    22. Posted by trabba98 Wed Oct 28, 2009 12:24 pm EDT

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    Bengals will win the North. I am still not sold on Pitt getting in but no one else in the AFC seems to be stepping up right now either.
  23. jay t
    23. Posted by jay t Wed Oct 28, 2009 12:27 pm EDT

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    #16 I'm surprised you implied the Patriots are better than the Broncos given that they lost to them.
  24. AndrewH
    24. Posted by AndrewH Wed Oct 28, 2009 12:29 pm EDT

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    Side note: the bengals-steelers game is in 3 weeks. Nov. 15. the week after this one is Bengals-Ravens.
  25. BH
    25. Posted by BH Wed Oct 28, 2009 12:31 pm EDT

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    @Anton,
    Actually, record has a lot to do with it, but the broncos had to go 4-0 before even sneaking into the picture, while the whole time the Bolts were sucking it up with (at one point) a 1-2 record. There's a lot of author preference, but I do have to laugh at #15's assertion that McD and Orton will somehow be magically figured out to the point that they can't win a game or keep their bid for a first-round bye alive.

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