Category: Playoff picture

Seahawks’ win over Rams gives Cardinals control over playoff destiny in Week 17

No matter what happens with the Bears in Week 17, if the Cardinals beat the Rams, they are a playoff team.

The Arizona Cardinals hurt their playoff chances on Saturday with a 20-12 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. For a day, they lost control of their own destiny.

The Seattle Seahawks gave them that control back.

They defeated the Los Angeles Rams 20-9 on Sunday afternoon, clinching the NFC West division title.

The win dropped the Rams to 9-6, setting up what is a regular-season playoff game in Week 17 for Arizona.

Now, if the Cardinals can beat the Rams in Los Angeles in Week 17, they are in the playoffs. They will have finished the season 9-7 and the Rams will have lost three in a row to make them 9-7.

The Cardinals would make the postseason by having a 3-3 division record with the Rams going 2-4 in the division. They would end up second place in the NFC West.

It is a win-and-you’re-in scenario, basically giving the Cardinals a playoff game. No matter what happens elsewhere, they would be in. If they lose, they can’t go on.

They can make the playoffs as either the No. 6 or the No. 7 seed.

If the Cardinals win and the Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears, they would be the No. 6 seed and the Rams would still make the playoffs as the No. 7 seed. If the Bears win, Chicago is the sixth seed and the Cardinals are seventh.

While Arizona did not show up on Saturday, Kliff Kingsbury, Kyler Murray and the rest have exactly what they should hope for — a chance to control their own destiny.

As a fan following a team that was the worst team just two seasons ago, this is exactly what you hope for.

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NFC playoff picture: Cardinals could use a Seahawks win in Week 16

If the Seahawks beat the Rams, the Cardinals and Rams will have a win-and-you’re-in game in Week 17.

Entering Week 16, the Arizona Cardinals had control of their playoff destiny, holding on to the No. 7 seed in the NFC. All they needed to do was keep winning. However, they lost to the San Francisco 49ers 20-12 and now need some help.

If the Chicago Bears defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, they would tie Arizona’s 8-7 record and take over the No. 7 seed by virtue of tiebreakers.

The Cardinals would need to win in Week 17 and have the Bears lose to the Green Bay Packers to overtake them for the final wild card berth.

However, there is one scenario in which the Cardinals do not need anything from the Bears.

Cardinals fans should be Seattle Seahawks fans on Sunday.

If the Seahawks defeat the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, they will clinch the division and set up a win-and-you’re-in game between the Rams and Cardinals in Week 17.

A loss to the Seahawks would drop the Rams to 9-6.

The Cardinals and Rams play in Week 17 if they win, they would improve to 9-7 and drop the Rams to the same record. However, the Cardinals would clinch second place in the division and, if the Bears win in Week 17, would create a three-team tie for the sixth and seventh seeds.

The Rams would be eliminated. They would have split the season series with the Cardinals but would have gone 2-4 in the division while the Cardinals go 3-3. The Bears would hold the sixth seed, the Cardinals would hold the seventh seed and the Rams would get bumped.

So if the Seahawks can beat Los Angeles on Sunday, the Cardinals do control their destiny. Win and they’re in. Lose and they go home.

So on Sunday, as painful as it might be for Cardinals fans, we should all be Seahawks fans for a day.

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NFC playoff picture: Who Cardinals fans should root for in Week 16

These five games will impact the Cardinals’ chances of making the postseason this weekend.

Happy holidays, everyone. As the NFL regular season draws to a close, the playoff picture has become more clear. Six teams have clinched playoff spots, and the NFC playoff picture in particular has become pretty straightforward. For the Arizona Cardinals, this means their path to the postseason is simple. They already own the seventh and final playoff spot in the NFC, so winning their final 2 games would guarantee a place in the tournament. They can also secure a spot this week by with either a win over the San Francisco 49ers and a loss or tie by the Chicago Bears, wh play the Jacksonville Jaguars. However, when it comes to cheering for other teams in order to get better seeding, things tend to get a little confusing for Cardinals fans.

So let’s take a look at each relevant game happening this week in the NFL and see how they impact the Cardinals’ playoff aspirations ahead of their showdown with the 49ers this Saturday.


Cardinals control No. 7 seed in NFC but could use help

If the Cardinals and Bears both finish 9-7, the Bears win the tiebreaker between the two teams on common opponents.

The Arizona Cardinals, at 8-6, control the seventh and final playoff seed in the NFC. They hold a one-game over the Chicago Bear, who are 7-7. They defeated the Minnesota Vikings 33-27 on Sunday.

If the Cardinals don’t lose, the Bears can’t catch them.

However, if the Cardinals lose one of their two final games, things get a little dicey.

They must finish one game ahead of the Bears or they will lose a tiebreaker.

Arizona will clinch a playoff berth if they win one game and the Bears lose or tie once in their final two games.

If the Cardinals only win one more game, finishing 9-7, and the Bears win their final two games, finishing 9-7, the Cardinals get bumped from the final seed.

Why?

If the Cardinals and Bears are both 9-7, they would both have finished 7-5 in the NFC. The Cardinals and Bears did not play, so they would not use a head-to-head tiebreaker. Second in the tiebreaking procedures is to take conference record. That would be a tie as well, who it would move to record against common opponents.

Their common opponents are the Panthers, Lions, Giants and Rams. The Cardinals are 1-3 against those teams and could go 2-3 if they beat the Rams in Week 17.

Chicago is 3-2 in those games. They win the tiebreaker.

The Cardinals will face the San Francisco 49ers and Rams in their final two games. Winning both games will be tough.

The Bears will be on the road against the 1-13 Jacksonville Jaguars and will end the season on the road against the Green Bay Packers. Winning out is not out of the question, as the Jaguars are bad and the Packers might have locked up their playoff seeding and could rest players.

Of course, no one thought the Rams would lose to the winless New York Jets, but that happened on Sunday, so anything can happen.

In a nutshell, it would certainly be helpful for the Cardinals if the Bears lose next week. If they do and the Cardinals win, then they will have clinched a postseason berth for the first time since 2015.

Cardinals fans should be Jaguars fans in Week 16.

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Cardinals still have shot at winning NFC West

If they win out and the Seahawks lose their final two games, the Cardinals will win the division despite three teams finishing 10-6.

The Arizona Cardinals are currently in third place in the NFC West, sitting at 8-6. However, they still could win the division. They just will need some help.

The Seattle Seahawks hold a one-game lead in the division over the Los Angeles Rams. Seattle is 10-4 and L.A. is 9-5.

The two games remaining on the schedule for everyone in the division are division games. The Cardinals and 49ers play in Week 16, while the Rams and Seahawks face one another. In the regular season finale, the 49ers and Seahawks play, while the Cardinals and Rams face off for the second time.

The Cardinals can win the NFC West by winning their final two games, finishing 10-6 and the Seahawks lose their final two games.

As things stand, everyone in the division is 2-2 in division games. If the Cardinals win out and the Seahawks lose out, it would mean Arizona, Seattle and L.A. would all finish 10-6.

The Seahawks would get bumped by the Rams, as the Rams would have swept the season series. Then, between the Cardinals and Rams, Arizona would own the tiebreaker. They would have split their season series but the Cardinals would be 4-2 in the division while the Rams would finish 3-3 against the NFC West.

If the Seahawks beat the Rams and the Cardinals beat them in Week 17, then Arizona would finish in second place in the West at 10-6 with the Rams finishing 9-7.

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NFC playoff picture: Cardinals maintain lead for final wild-card berth

The Packers remain the No. 1 seed in the NFC, while the Seahawks overtook the Rams for the NFC West lead.

There is one game left on the Week 15 schedule but all the NFC teams have played and the playoff picture is set for now. There is a new leader in the NFC West, but other than that, there was little movement in the playoff race.

Here is what the NFC playoff picture looks like.

  1. Green Bay Packers, 11-3 (clinched playoffs, clinched division)
  2. New Orleans Saints, 10-4 (clinched playoffs)
  3. Seattle Seahawks, 10-4 (clinched playoffs)
  4. Washington Football Team, 6-8
  5. Los Angeles Rams, 9-5
  6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 9-5
  7. Arizona Cardinals, 8-6
  8. Chicago Bears, 7-7
  9. Minnesota Vikings, 6-8

The only change in the standings was with the Rams and Seahawks. With the Rams’ loss, they lost the NFC West lead and dropped to the fifth seed, while the Seahawks are No. 3.

The Cardinals maintained their one-game lead over the Bears, who defeated the Vikings 33-27 in Week 15. Minnesota will be eliminated from the playoffs with one more loss or one Arizona win in the final two weeks.

If the season ended today, the Packers would have a bye, while the Saints would host the Cardinals, the Seahawks would host the Buccaneers and Washington would host the Rams in the first round of the playoffs.

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Week 15 matchups that matter for the Cardinals in the NFC playoff picture

The Cardinals need to win to keep the Bears or Viking from overtaking them in the playoff race.

The Arizona Cardinals enter Week 15 in the No. 7 seed in the NFC and would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. They control their destiny as they take on the Philadelphia Eagles.

They obviously need to win to stay in that spot.

However, other games around the league in Week 15 matter in the NFC playoff race and affect the Cardinals.


NFC playoff picture: Cardinals retake No. 7 seed with win

The Packers took over the No. 1 seed, Washington takes the lead in the NFC East and Arizona regains the No. 7 seed.

The Arizona Cardinals lost their hold on a wild card berth last week with their third straight loss and fourth in five games. At 6-6, they fell behind the 6-6 Minnesota Viking for the final playoffs seed in the NFC.

In Week 14, though, they regained possession of the No. 7. They defeated the New York Giants 26-7 and the Vikings fell 26-14 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

There was also a change in the NFC East. They Giants and Washington Football Team were tied with 5-7 records entering play on Sunday but New York, because of their season sweep over Washington, held the division lead. New York’s loss to Arizona and Washington’s win over the San Francisco 49ers gave the Football team a one-game lead in the East.

Here is how the NFC playoff picture now looks:

  1. Green Bay Packers, 10-3 (clinched NFC North)
  2. New Orleans Saints, 10-3
  3. Los Angeles Rams, 9-4
  4. Washington Football Team, 6-7
  5. Seattle Seahawks, 9-4
  6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8-5
  7. Arizona Cardinals, 7-6
  8. Minnesota Vikings, 6-7
  9. Chicago Bears, 6-7

The Cardinals now are once again in control of their own destiny. They must stay ahead of the Vikings because Minnesota holds a common games tiebreaker.

Green Bay clinched its division title and took over the No. 1 seed in the conference with a win over the Detroit Lions, while the Saints lost 24-21 to the Philadelphia Eagles. Both with the same record at 10-3, the Packers own a head-to-head tiebreaker.

The Rams and Seahawks both are 9-4. Los Angeles holds a head-to-head win over the Seahawks so they have the NFC West lead. The two teams will face one another in Week 16.

Week 15 matchups to watch

These games will play a role in the NFC playoff picture:

  • Panthers at Packers: Can Green Bay maintain the No. 1 seed?
  • Buccaneers at Falcons: If they lose, the Cardinals could pass them.
  • Bears at Vikings: Both are a game out of the final seed. Whoever loses is almost eliminated from contention.
  • Seahawks at Washington: The Football Team needs to win to stay on top of the NFC East. Seattle needs to win to keep pace with the Rams, who play the winless Jets.
  • Jets at Rams: L.A. will stay atop the NFC West with a win.
  • Chiefs at Saints: The Saints have a playoff berth clinched but a win keeps them in NFC South lead and in contention for the No. 1 seed.
  • Browns at Giants: New York must win and Washington must lose to take over the NFC East again.

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Cardinals fall to No. 8 seed in NFC playoff picture

The Vikings move up to the No. 7 seed, while the Cardinals drop to no. 8 with their third straight loss.

The Arizona Cardinals controlled their playoff destiny up until Sunday. They had been among the top seven teams in the NFC for weeks.

That has changed. With a 38-28 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, dropping them to 6-6, the Cardinals now find themselves on the outside looking in.

They are now the No. 8 seed. Here is what the current seeding looks like in the NFC.

  1. New Orleans Saints, 10-2
  2. Green Bay Packers, 9-3
  3. Los Angeles Rams 8-4
  4. New York Giants, 5-7
  5. Seattle Seahawks, 8-4
  6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7-5
  7. Minnesota Vikings, 6-6

  8. Arizona Cardinals, 6-6

  9. San Francisco 49ers, 5-6 (they play Monday night)

Minnesota holds a better record in common games. Both teams have played the Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys. Minnesota is 2-1 against those teams, while Arizona is 1-2.

The Cardinals have games remaining against the Giants, Philadelphia Eagles, 49ers and Rams. The Vikings play the Bucs, Saints, Lions and Chicago Bears.

Because the Cardinals will not play another common opponent with the Vikings, they will need to finish with a better record. Minnesota, even if they lose to the Lions in their second matchup, would hold the tiebreaker over Arizona.

The Cardinals, of course, still are alive to win the division, but will need to make up two games in the final four and will need some help.

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Cardinals still holding on to final wild-card berth in NFC playoff race

They didn’t lose ground in Week 12 but have a very important game this weekend against the L.A. Rams.

The Arizona Cardinals have lost two games in a row and three of four but still remain in the playoff race at 6-5. After 11 games, they are in the seventh and final spot in the NFC playoffs.

Here is what the standings look like after 12 weeks.

  1. New Orleans Saints, 9-2
  2. Seattle Seahawks, 8-3
  3. Green Bay Packers, 8-3
  4. New York Giants, 4-7
  5. Los Angeles Rams, 7-4
  6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 7-5
  7. Arizona Cardinals, 6-5

Three teams behind the Cardinals are 5-6 — the Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers.

Luckily for the Cardinals, they did not lose ground in the wild card race. While they lost to the Patriots, the Rams, Bucs and Bears all lost, too.

What is coming in Week 13 for these teams?

The Bears and Vikings both have a good chance to winning and evening their record at 6-6. The Bears host the 4-7 Detroit Lions who just fired MattPatricia as head coach. The Vikings play the 1-10 Jacksonville Jaguars at home.

The Saints travel to play the Atlanta Falcons. Without Drew Brees at quarterback, Atlanta might win that game.

The Seahawks are at home against the Giants. The Packers play the Philadelphia Eagles at home, while the Cardinals and Rams face each other at State Farm Stadium.

The 49ers will play the AFC East-leading Buffalo Bills. It is technically a home game, but it is being played at the Cardinals’ stadium because they are unable to play in their own because of restrictions put in place in Santa Clara.

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