Not to Look Too Far Ahead... but since we essentially have a bye until New York

[richig07]

I was looking at some playoff scenarios for us. Mainly I was just looking at what the odds are of us being able to steal a 1st round bye are (assuming we hold onto the division and win out - I know that's faaaar from a lock). It just doesn't look too good... Even if we beat LA. Their schedule is cake and it's hard to imagine a loss outside of us (DET, PHI, ARI and SF). We needed them to lose to KC.

New Orleans has a tough schedule actually (at DAL, vs TB, at CAR, vs PIT and vs CAR) but will they lose twice? Seeing how they look right now - I would say unlikely. Better chance than LA losing to one of those teams, but unlikely.

Then, it sort of dawned on me. If we beat NYG, lose to LA and beat GB. There is an extremely real chance (with how the NFC East is stumbling around) that we're dead locked into the #3 seed heading into our final two vs SF and MIN. We'd be 10-4 with a 8-2 conference record. Even if (big if) an NFC East team was sitting at 8-6 - we would have locked down the #3 seed and would not be able to catch LA/NO. Assuming NO doesn't fold up.

That's a rare position for a #3 seed to be in. Not just one game which means nothing... but two. That's usually only for teams that lock up HFA.

I tend to hate that stuff. It just makes me nervous with injuries... and then you can't win. Because if you rest - then you worry about rust and guys losing their edge a bit. Either way, Nagy takes criticism.

I wonder how Nagy would play that. His personality tells me that he'd "stay aggressive" which has been a mantra of his. However, he's also very conservatively rested Mack and Trubisky (probably his two most important players) when they've been pushing hard to play. So, his actions tell me otherwise.

Interesting... thought it was worth throwing out there for a little conversation while we have time to chill a bit.

My take? I would play everyone that has no injury designation vs San Fran the entire game. All systems go. Then, play starters only the first half vs Minnesota. Maybe Trubisky, Mack and a couple others only the first quarter.

 

[Beengay fudgepackers]

I was looking at some playoff scenarios for us. Mainly I was just looking at what the odds are of us being able to steal a 1st round bye are (assuming we hold onto the division and win out - I know that's faaaar from a lock). It just doesn't look too good... Even if we beat LA. Their schedule is cake and it's hard to imagine a loss outside of us (DET, PHI, ARI and SF). We needed them to lose to KC.

New Orleans has a tough schedule actually (at DAL, vs TB, at CAR, vs PIT and vs CAR) but will they lose twice? Seeing how they look right now - I would say unlikely. Better chance than LA losing to one of those teams, but unlikely.

Then, it sort of dawned on me. If we beat NYG, lose to LA and beat GB. There is an extremely real chance (with how the NFC East is stumbling around) that we're dead locked into the #3 seed heading into our final two vs SF and MIN. We'd be 10-4 with a 8-2 conference record. Even if (big if) an NFC East team was sitting at 8-6 - we would have locked down the #3 seed and would not be able to catch LA/NO. Assuming NO doesn't fold up.

That's a rare position for a #3 seed to be in. Not just one game which means nothing... but two. That's usually only for teams that lock up HFA.

I tend to hate that stuff. It just makes me nervous with injuries... and then you can't win. Because if you rest - then you worry about rust and guys losing their edge a bit. Either way, Nagy takes criticism.

I wonder how Nagy would play that. His personality tells me that he'd "stay aggressive" which has been a mantra of his. However, he's also very conservatively rested Mack and Trubisky (probably his two most important players) when they've been pushing hard to play. So, his actions tell me otherwise.

Interesting... thought it was worth throwing out there for a little conversation while we have time to chill a bit.

I could see the saints faltering a bit. I think that’s our best case scenario. I think we can beat the saints at home and we have a much better chance of beating the rams on the road than the saints.

Having said that, we would have to win out to make it happen. I doubt that happens.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Good stuff. The reason I was rooting for the Chiefs to win that game against the Rams was - assuming we would be just one game behind them when they came to Chicago - this would be our chance to possibly gain the all important #2 seed in the conference. As it stands, even if we win out and that means beating the Rams in two weeks, the chances of snagging the #2 seed will still be extremely difficult. The Rams have a quite winnable remaining schedule, even if we throw in a loss to the Bears. I can see them easily at worst finishing 14-2.

But that's neither here nor there. We still have a playoff spot to clinch, a division to win. All we can do is look at who's next up, which is the Giants in their house. This team should NOT be taken the least bit lightly. Not when you have a Saquon Barkley and an Odell Beckham Jr out on the field. They are better than their 3-7 record might otherwise indicate and they've won their last two games. I'm going to be closely watching them against the Eagles on Sunday - my version of being a TV scout.

 

[richig07]

Good stuff. The reason I was rooting for the Chiefs to win that game against the Rams was - assuming we would be just one game behind them when they came to Chicago - this would be our chance to possibly gain the all important #2 seed in the conference. As it stands, even if we win out and that means beating the Rams in two weeks, the chances of snagging the #2 seed will still be extremely difficult. The Rams have a quite winnable remaining schedule, even if we throw in a loss to the Bears. I can see them easily at worst finishing 14-2.

But that's neither here nor there. We still have a playoff spot to clinch, a division to win. All we can do is look at who's next up, which is the Giants in their house. This team should NOT be taken the least bit lightly. Not when you have a Saquon Barkley and an Odell Beckham Jr out on the field. They are better than their 3-7 record might otherwise indicate and they've won their last two games. I'm going to be closely watching them against the Eagles on Sunday - my version of being a TV scout.

Yeah, the Giants are not good. However, they do have players who can get hot offensively.

This is another "let down" spot after the grind we just went through with 3 divisional wins in 11 days. Now, instead of the grind of a massively short week. We get the challenge of refocusing ourselves and getting up for an opponent that we should beat. Not to mention... having to avoid looking ahead to our showdown with LA.

I hope they realize that if they shit the bed vs NYG - the prospect of 2 straight losses and allowing GB/MIN back into the division race again is very, very real.

The bright side? Our pass rushers legs will be well rested and that line is bad in pass-pro. Eli has been thrown around like a rag doll for a few years now. His inability to move obviously impacts that too.

 

[Lake Shore Drive]

Yeah, the Giants are not good. However, they do have players who can get hot offensively.

This is another "let down" spot after the grind we just went through with 3 divisional wins in 11 days. Now, instead of the grind of a massively short week. We get the challenge of refocusing ourselves and getting up for an opponent that we should beat. Not to mention... having to avoid looking ahead to our showdown with LA.

I hope they realize that if they shit the bed vs NYG - the prospect of 2 straight losses and allowing GB/MIN back into the division race again is very, very real.

The bright side? Our pass rushers legs will be well rested and that line is bad in pass-pro. Eli has been thrown around like a rag doll for a few years now. His inability to move obviously impacts that too.

More good stuff from you, but I bolded the key statement in all of that. The last thing we want to do is give the Vikes and/or the Pack any reasons to get back into the middle of the fight for the division crown. The thing I love about Nagy is he seems relentless at keeping the Bears focused on the task at hand and nothing beyond. As you said, the Bears will be rested - a well earned rest at that. Now they have to go out and win the damn game.

 

[richig07]

I could see the saints faltering a bit. I think that’s our best case scenario. I think we can beat the saints at home and we have a much better chance of beating the rams on the road than the saints.

Having said that, we would have to win out to make it happen. I doubt that happens.

Agreed on all points.

We have to hope New Orleans peaked a tad early and comes back to Earth. Not impossible. Especially with that schedule. Their one loss was in conference too. So, if they lose to one NFC team and PIT. We get the #2 seed on "common games" tie breaker (I just checked the playoff machine). If they lose to two NFC teams - we get the #2 seed on conference record tiebreaker.

I do tend to agree that we drop at least one more somewhere.

 

[beardown07]

Giants have played alright the last few weeks.

 

[richig07]

Giants have played alright the last few weeks.

"Alright" is appropriate, I would say. Narrowly beating two of the leagues bottom 5 teams.

 

[beardown07]

"Alright" is appropriate, I would say. Narrowly beating two of the leagues bottom 5 teams.

They gonna beat Philly on Sunday. lulz

 

[richig07]

They gonna beat Philly on Sunday. lulz

I hope. That'd be great. Philly fans deserve this

I was actually pulling for their fan-base last year... but the way they have behaved with their success - fuck em. I suppose I shouldn't have expected differently.