NFC Review

Despite a loss to the Carolina Panthers, the (11-2) Atlanta Falcons still have a one and any fraction you choose, game lead in their bid to be the NFC one seed for the second time in three seasons. They almost certainly will host a divisional/”slots” game. Comment: Some time during the Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins Sunday night finale, Bob Costas will tell us the divisional round schedule and if the NFL keeps its usual policy of alternating which conference gets the first and last games of the “div” round, that the Falcons will host the early Sunday game. If that happens, it will mark the first time that the Falcons host the early Sunday game in the divisional round and just their second Sunday divisional round game.

The Green Bay Packers fought back from an early (14-0) deficit and beat the Detroit Lions at home for the 22nd straight time, (that includes a wild card round game in the 1994 season), easily the most consecutive wins for one team vs another at home in NFL history. The win coupled with the (7-6) Vikings’ win vs (8-5) Chicago (Bears) gives the Pack the lead in the NFC North. Green Bay can clinch a second straight divisional title with a win at Chicago next week. Failing that, the Pack still have the tiebreaker advantage for the time being anyway, and would still win the division, for example, by winning their last two games.

The San Francisco 49ers still lead the Seattle Seahawks by a game and a half with three games left after both teams won yesterday. SF has a half game lead over the Packers in the race for the “two seed” which means a bye in the wild card round and a home game during the divisional round. The Niners have their work cut out for them having games in New England and Seattle in the next two weeks. The Seahawks lead in the wild card race and have a shot at the division title if they beat SF on December 23rd.

The defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants have now routed the two teams to win the title before them. Rookie David Wilson amassed 327 total yards, including a kickoff return touchdown, as the 2011 champion Giants won (52-27) vs the 2009 champion, New Orleans Saints. Two weeks earlier, the Giants ripped the 2010 champion Green Bay Packers. Three weeks before that, the 2008 champion, Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Giants. All three were Giants’ home games. Both the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys kept pace with victories so the Giants, who likely will not have the tiebreaker vs either team, have essentially a half game lead over both teams.

David Wilson