2013 NFC North/NFL Thread

[hairy worthen]

Even if the Packers and Lions both lost, wouldn't the Bears still have to win to clinch?

Not if the Bears beat the eagles.  the pack would have 7 losses and the tie after next week.  If the bears lost to the Packers they would have 7 losses no tie and finish ahead. If the lions lose they are done, they would have 8 losses

[MerrittsMustache]

Even if the Packers and Lions both lost, wouldn't the Bears still have to win to clinch?

Yes, but if Dallas loses at Washington, the Eagles clinch the East.

[Dish]

If Lions lose, and Packers win, Bears have nothing to play for.

If Cowboys win, Eagles have nothing to play for.

Only scenarios where this game matters is if Cowboys lose and Lions and Packers both lose, then it's a hell of a game. If the Cowboys win, if I'm Chip Kelly, why bother playing anyone worth anything in the second half?

[MerrittsMustache]

If Lions lose, and Packers win, Bears have nothing to play for.

If Cowboys win, Eagles have nothing to play for.

Only scenarios where this game matters is if Cowboys lose and Lions and Packers both lose, then it's a hell of a game. If the Cowboys win, if I'm Chip Kelly, why bother playing anyone worth anything in the second half?

That's not right. The game matters to the Bears regardless of the early games. The game only doesn't matter to Philly if Dallas loses.

If the Lions lose, they're 7-8 and own the tie-breaker against the Bears who could still finish 8-8. If Det loses and GB wins, the Lions are out.

If GB wins, they'd be 8-6-1 and potentially facing the 8-7 or 7-8 Bears with Week 17 being for the division (8-7-1 > 8-8). If Det also wins, they can still win the division.

If GB loses and either the Bears or Lions win, GB is out.

Clarified...I think  

[Dish]

That's not right. If the Lions lose, they're 7-8 and own the tie-breaker against the Bears who could still finish 8-8. If GB wins, they'd be 8-6-1 and facing either the 8-7 or 7-8 Bears with Week 17 being for the division (8-7-1 > 8-8).

You're incorrect. If the Lions lose and the Packers win on Sundaay, the winner of Bears/Packers wins the division, does not matter what the Lions do in Week 17.

Ironically, if Bears/Eagles was at noon or 3:25, the significance of that game would be completely different. Both the Bears and Eagles gain huge advantages knowing the outcomes of the earlier games.

[MerrittsMustache]

You're incorrect. If the Lions lose and the Packers win on Sundaay, the winner of Bears/Packers wins the division, does not matter what the Lions do in Week 17.

I shouldn't have lumped those together. I'll clarify above.

[hairy worthen]

That's not right. The game matters to the Bears regardless of the early games. The game only doesn't matter to Philly if Dallas loses.

If the Lions lose, they're 7-8 and own the tie-breaker against the Bears who could still finish 8-8. If Det loses and GB wins, the Lions are out.

If GB wins, they'd be 8-6-1 and facing either the 8-7 or 7-8 Bears with Week 17 being for the division (8-7-1 > 8-8). If Det also wins, they can still win the division.

If GB loses and either the Bears or Lions win, GB is out.

Clarified...I think  

No that's wrong. Bears can not be 7-8. Green Bay could still get in they lose to Pittsburg if Bears lose to Philly and Detroit loses week 17.  (I think)

[NavinRJohnson]

If GB loses and either the Bears or Lions win, GB is out.

True in the Bears' case, but not the Lions. Lions would still have only 8 wins, meaning a Packer win over the Bears in week 17 (assuming they lost to the Eagles), coupled with a lion lose to the Vikings, would out the Packers at 8-7-1, and the Lions at 8-8.

To the original point, there is a very good chance the SNF game will have very little meaning to the Bears.

[ChicosBailBonds]

If Lions lose, and Packers win, Bears have nothing to play for.

If Cowboys win, Eagles have nothing to play for.

Only scenarios where this game matters is if Cowboys lose and Lions and Packers both lose, then it's a hell of a game. If the Cowboys win, if I'm Chip Kelly, why bother playing anyone worth anything in the second half?

???

If Dallas wins, then the Eagles have everything to play for.  It's only if Dallas loses that Philly benefits. 

[MerrittsMustache]

No that's wrong. Bears can not be 7-8. Green Bay could still get in they lose to Pittsburg if Bears lose to Philly and Detroit loses week 17.  (I think)

Yep, you're right. I fixed that.

To the original point, there is a very good chance the SNF game will have very little meaning to the Bears.

The game will mean something to the Bears regardless. Even if GB and Detroit both lose, the Bears still need to win to clinch the division.

[Lennys Tap]

Addition and subtraction of single digit numbers shouldn't be this difficult.

[ChicosBailBonds]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/machine

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/playoffscenario

[Dish]

???

If Dallas wins, then the Eagles have everything to play for.  It's only if Dallas loses that Philly benefits. 

You're 100% wrong. If the Cowboys win, the division is decided in Week 17 no matter what the Eagles do.

Just read Chip Kelly quoted as saying he'll play his starters the entire game, even if it's meaningless to the Eagles.

[ChicosBailBonds]

You're 100% wrong. If the Cowboys win, the division is decided in Week 17 no matter what the Eagles do.

Just read Chip Kelly quoted as saying he'll play his starters the entire game, even if it's meaningless to the Eagles.

I'm sorry, I guess I misunderstood. I thought you were implying that the Eagles had it clinched at that point and the last game didn't mean anything.  Now I get what you are saying.

[Dish]

If Detroit loses and Green Bay wins, the Bears game has no meaning, other than potential playoff seeding with the Eagles (3 seed vs 4 seed).

If Green Bay wins (Detroit loses), Week 17 at Chicago decides the division by virute of the Bears owning the tiebreaker over Green Bay.

[brandx]

Ironically, if Bears/Eagles was at noon or 3:25, the significance of that game would be completely different. Both the Bears and Eagles gain huge advantages knowing the outcomes of the earlier games.

Makes no difference. It's week 16 and they both need to win. If either team wins their last 2 games, they are in.

Very simple - both teams control their own destiny regardless of what anyone does in the early games

[Dish]

The main point of this is this game should not be flexed to later in the day. It's not fair to the Cowboys, Packers, Lions.

If things fell a certain way, both the Bears and Eagles could essentially get a bye week and rest everyone if they wanted to, and go all in Week 17. From an integrity of the league standpoint, Pats/Ravens or Saints/Panthers should be the Sunday night game.

[Dish]

Makes no difference. It's week 16 and they both need to win. If either team wins their last 2 games, they are in.

Very simple - both teams control their own destiny regardless of what anyone does in the early games

This is entirely false. It absolutely matters what time these games are played.

[MerrittsMustache]

If Detroit loses and Green Bay wins, the Bears game has no meaning, other than potential playoff seeding with the Eagles (3 seed vs 4 seed).

If Green Bay wins (Detroit loses), Week 17 at Chicago decides the division by virute of the Bears owning the tiebreaker over Green Bay.

Too many ins and outs. I'll just do what I always do - Root for the Bears, root against GB and laugh at the bumbling Lions.

[hairy worthen]

Too many ins and outs. I'll just do what I always do - Root for the packers, root against Bears and Vikings and laugh at the bumbling Lions.

FIFY

[ChicosBailBonds]

Stats are fun.

Cowboys are 4th in the league  in yards pert attempt rushing.

Yet they are 31st in rushing attempts per game.

You really can't make this stuff up.

You are welcome Packers, Chiefs, Lions and other teams we have totally collapsed against this year.

[brandx]

Stats are fun.

Cowboys are 4th in the league  in yards pert attempt rushing.

Yet they are 31st in rushing attempts per game.

You really can't make this stuff up.

You are welcome Packers, Chiefs, Lions and other teams we have totally collapsed against this year.

And still both Garrett and Jones defend not running in the 2nd half? Garrett said he was worried they might get too many 'bad' runs!! So when did a 'bad' run happen in the 1st half?

[SaintPaulWarrior]

The Bears (8-6) would clinch the NFC North title with a win Sunday night over the Eagles in Philadelphia coupled with losses by both the Packers (7-6-1) to the Steelers in Green Bay and the Lions (7-7) to the Giants in Detroit earlier in the day.



Matt Forte and the Bears are in quest of their first NFC North title since 2010.

If the Lions lose and the Packers win, Sunday night's game would be meaningless to the Bears in terms of the division race because the NFC North title would go to the winner of next weekend's season finale between the Bears and Packers at Soldier Field regardless of what transpires in Philadelphia.

If the Lions win and the Packers lose, the Bears would need to beat the Eagles to maintain control of their own destiny over Detroit while also eliminating Green Bay from playoff contention. The Bears would then need a win over the Packers or a loss by the Lions to the Vikings in Minnesota next weekend to claim the division crown.

If the Lions win and the Bears lose Sunday, the Bears would only win the division with a victory over the Packers coupled with a Detroit loss to the Vikings.

If the Bears, Packers and Lions all win or all lose Sunday, Detroit would be eliminated and the winner of next weekend's Chicago-Green Bay game would capture the NFC North title.

Regardless of Sunday's results, the Bears cannot be eliminated from playoff contention this weekend.

The Eagles (8-6) are in a similar situation to the Bears in the NFC East. If the Cowboys (7-7) beat the Redskins in Washington Sunday, Sunday night's game against the Bears would be meaningless to Philadelphia in terms of the division race because the NFC East title would go to the winner of the Week 17 battle between the Eagles and Cowboys in Dallas.

If the Bears win the NFC North, they would enter the playoffs as the third or fourth seed in the NFC and host a wildcard team in the first round Jan. 4 or 5 at Soldier Field.

[brandx]

The main point of this is this game should not be flexed to later in the day. It's not fair to the Cowboys, Packers, Lions.

If things fell a certain way, both the Bears and Eagles could essentially get a bye week and rest everyone if they wanted to, and go all in Week 17. From an integrity of the league standpoint, Pats/Ravens or Saints/Panthers should be the Sunday night game.

So the Bears should rest everyone if GB and Detroit lose? So you would want to rest players for a game to clinch a playoff spot. Sounds like you should start being a Lions or Cowboys fan - the coaching there is more your style.

So tell me under what conditions should the Bears give away the game this week? Or For that matter, why would Philly try not to win to clinch a playoff spot if Dallas loses earlier in the day to the Redskins?

[Dish]

So the Bears should rest everyone if GB and Detroit lose? So you would want to rest players for a game to clinch a playoff spot. Sounds like you should start being a Lions or Cowboys fan - the coaching there is more your style.

So tell me under what conditions should the Bears give away the game this week? Or For that matter, why would Philly try not to win to clinch a playoff spot if Dallas loses earlier in the day to the Redskins?

What the hell are you talking about? Did you not comprehend anything said above?

IF...again...IF...Detroit loses and Green Bay WINS, for the Bears, the outcome of Eagles/Bears means absolutely nothing. If GB and Detroit both lose, then the Bears have everything to play for. Not once did I say otherwise. Same with Philly. If Dallas loses, they have everything to play for. If you read the above AGAIN, I said "If Dallas wins, Philly has nothing to play for", which is 100% true.

Come on man.