Our enemies now are the Falcons, Packers, and even the Lions

[Sam Mills Fan]

We're still in a pretty good position to make the playoffs thanks to the Falcons' loss yesterday. The two analytics sites I've read today give us a 62%-68% chance of making the playoffs. 

*As long as we beat Tampa Bay*, there aren't many scenarios in which the final game of the season vs. Atlanta won't be at least a play-in game for us. You can have us lose to Minnesota and Green Bay and have everyone else win out and that will still be true. 

The scenarios that could happen that would keep us out if we win vs. both Tampa Bay and Atlanta involve Green Bay or Detroit winning out and needing a ton of luck elsewhere with common opponents also winning or losing that are too complicated to lay out with 4 games still left. I'm removing Seattle and the Rams from these scenarios completely too and assuming they win out vs. everyone but themselves.

So while you should be angry and pissed off today and be even angrier next week if we lose to the Vikings, there is no scenario where we're not still in the 6th playoff spot for another 2 weeks. We still have multiple advantages going forward over the other teams.

[ickmule]

This team won't make the playoffs and if they do they will get pummeled. 

[TheRumGone]

The only good thing about losing yesterday and not winning the division that I can think of is that a Rivera led team is HORRIBLE after a bye. 2015 was an anamoly with our first round bye, we were a juggernaut.

[Sam Mills Fan]

1 minute ago, ickmule said:

This team won't make the playoffs and if they do they will get pummeled. 

I didn't say we wouldn't get pummeled. I'm sure we'll lose that wild card game by a ton. This is just a thread about how we can get that "honor".

[ickmule]

Just now, Sam Mills Fan said:

I didn't say we wouldn't get pummeled. I'm sure we'll lose that wild card game by a ton. This is just a thread about how we can get that "honor".

I'd rather them not make it than go in and look like a bunch of buffoons...........This team has embarrassed the fan base enough over the years. 

[TheRumGone]

^fug that I wanna be in the playoffs. Crazy poo happens all the time.

[*FreeFua*]

What do you mean by “now”? This team was never going into the dome and winning.

A wildcard spot is what we have always been playing for

[TheCasillas]

10 minutes ago, ickmule said:

I'd rather them not make it than go in and look like a bunch of buffoons...........This team has embarrassed the fan base enough over the years. 

I feel like you don’t watch other football teams.... I highly doubt there is a single non-panther fan out there that’s says “what an embarrassing franchise” when they get to choose from the likes of:

jets

browns

jaguars

giants

raiders

Chiefs

bears

redskins

cowboys

bucs

Colts

 

all of these teams have really sucked in either the on field talent, management process, player character, or owner being a blatant idiot.

We are very fortunate to not be one of these broken franchises.

[Saca312]

If it makes any sense, I’m actually optimistic about our future in the playoffs this year after yesterday’s performance.

Just boneheaded mistakes on ST (failed punt; fumbled punt) poor officiating (missed false start on Ingram’s long run, missed NT infraction) and well piss poor situational playcalling and you got what we got.

This was a top tier NFC team we faced as well and nearly made a game of it without the mistakes. Cam was lights out.

Olsen comes back next week most likely and he’ll help a ton. Our defense won’t be as bad as that against the Vikes. We’ll be fine.

[AppHeel]

The Falcons and the Packers are the crucial games to win because it gives us automatic tiebreakers over both of them should everyone end up with 10 wins. Carolina also has the head to head tiebreaker with Detroit. 

The Vikings game next week feels like a game we need to win for our psyche and just to give us an extra week of breathing room, but the Packers and Falcons games really are the do or die games I think. Granted, if we take care of business at home the next three weeks, that Falcons game would probably be a moot point. 

[Wolfcop]

Call me crazy, but I am not giving up on the Div yet. If we beat Minn and NO  loses to ATL, which is very possible,  we are right back in the mix. I know we would likely have to win out, but stranger things have happened. At least we know that either NO or ATL will have another loss on Thursday, and then they play again in a few weeks. 

 

[uncfan888]

7 minutes ago, Saca312 said:

If it makes any sense, I’m actually optimistic about our future in the playoffs this year after yesterday’s performance.

Just boneheaded mistakes on ST (failed punt; fumbled punt) poor officiating (missed false start on Ingram’s long run, missed NT infraction) and well piss poor situational playcalling and you got what we got.

This was a top tier NFC team we faced as well and nearly made a game of it without the mistakes. Cam was lights out.

Olsen comes back next week most likely and he’ll help a ton. Our defense won’t be as bad as that against the Vikes. We’ll be fine.

i dont know.. seems like we've had a lot of games with boneheaded mistakes and we've managed to persevere cuz the teams we played were poo. I dont think that will cut it in the playoffs. I'd rather play anywhere than the Dome though

[Sam Mills Fan]

Just now, stbugs said:

Removing the Rams and Seattle is a gigantic assumption, way more of one than the 6-6 teams winning out. Obviously they play each other once, but at Dallas with Zeke, at Jacksonville, Philly and at Tennessee are some big assumptions. I could see all four being losses.

Assuming the Rams maintain their lead the only two teams we worry about are Atlanta and Seattle. Heck if Seattle loses to LA, then I would think 10-6 is probably where they finish.

If we're going to miss the playoffs, it will be way more likely that a team behind us catches us, not that we're collapsing right alongside the Seahawks and Rams, especially after the way both of them looked yesterday.

[TheCasillas]

I will say this.... there is A LOT of football left. Just like the team, I am not going to let yesterday shutdown this team. We can get hot on a dime.

If we win 3 out of 4 (very feasible) that puts us in without any question. Take down the vikings and that will give us YUGE momentum.