Tag: 2021 playoffs

NFC Playoff Picture: Where Bears stand in conference standings in Week 8

Despite back-to-back losses, the Bears are still in the thick of the postseason hunt heading into Week 8.

The Chicago Bears stand at 3-4 through the first seven weeks of the season, where there’s still plenty of football left to be played. But, so far, the Bears are exactly where many expected them to be with some winnable games on the horizon.

While it’s still too early to make any playoff predictions, things are beginning to take shape and leaders starting to put some distance between themselves and the rest of their respective divisions.

So where do the Bears stand in the postseason hunt heading into Week 8? Here’s a look:

NFC Playoff Picture after Week 7:

  • Arizona Cardinals (7-0)
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-1)
  • Green Bay Packers (6-1)
  • Dallas Cowboys (5-1)
  • Los Angeles Rams (6-1)
  • New Orleans Saints (4-2)
  • Minnesota Vikings (3-3)

In the hunt:

  • Atlanta Falcons (3-3)
  • Chicago Bears (3-4)
  • Carolina Panthers (3-4)
  • San Francisco 49ers (2-4)
  • Washington Football Team (2-5)
  • Philadelphia Eagles (2-5)
  • New York Giants (2-5)

NFC playoff matchups if the season ended today:

  • No. 2 Buccaneers vs. No. 7 Vikings
  • No. 3 Packers vs. No. 6 Saints
  • No. 4 Cowboys vs. No. 5 Rams

If the regular season were to end today, the Bears would be the second team on the outside looking in at a playoff spot in the NFC.

While there’s still plenty of season left, the Bears are still in the thick of the postseason race, where the Vikings and Falcons are ahead of Chicago for the final wild-card spot.

With the Bears in the middle of the toughest part of their schedule, which includes upcoming games against the Steelers, Ravens and Cardinals, they’re going to need to win games they should and play strong complementary football if they hope to pull off any upsets.

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NFC Playoff Picture: Where Bears stand in conference standings in Week 7

While there’s still plenty of season left, the Bears are still in the thick of the postseason hunt heading into Week 7.

The Chicago Bears stand at 3-3 through the first six weeks of the season, where there’s still plenty of football left to be played. But, so far, the Bears are exactly where many expected them to be at .500.

While it’s still too early to make any playoff predictions, things are beginning to take shape and leaders starting to put some distance between themselves and the rest of their respective divisions.

So where do the Bears stand in the postseason hunt heading into Week 7? Here’s a look:

NFC Playoff Picture after Week 6:

  1. Arizona Cardinals (6-0)
  2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1)
  3. Green Bay Packers (5-1)
  4. Dallas Cowboys (5-1)
  5. Los Angeles Rams (5-1)
  6. New Orleans Saints (3-2)
  7. Minnesota Vikings (3-3)

In the hunt:

  • Chicago Bears (3-3)
  • Carolina Panthers (3-3)
  • San Francisco 49ers (2-3)
  • Atlanta Falcons (2-3)
  • Washington Football Team (2-4)
  • Philadelphia Eagles (2-4)
  • Seattle Seahawks (2-4)

NFC playoff matchups if the season ended today:

  • No. 2 Buccaneers vs. No. 7 Vikings
  • No. 3 Packers vs. No. 6 Saints
  • No. 4 Cowboys vs. No. 5 Rams

If the regular season were to end today, the Bears would be the first team on the outside looking in at a playoff spot in the NFC.

While there’s still plenty of season left, the Bears are still in the thick of the postseason race, where the Vikings currently own the tiebreaker over Chicago for the final wild-card spot.

With the Bears in the middle of the toughest part of their schedule, which includes upcoming games against the Buccaneers, Steelers and Ravens, they’re going to need to play strong complementary football if they hope to pull off any upsets.

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Sixers coach Doc Rivers reacts to the multiple fan incidents in playoffs

Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers reacts to the multiple fan incidents in the NBA Playoffs.

The 2021 NBA Playoffs have been marked by great performances while also providing a lot of great atmospheres due to the return of fans to arenas after a season of mostly empty arenas due to the pandemic. It has been a lot of fun to have the passion and electricity back in these arenas.

However, there have been a few bad apples that have ruined the experience for others.

There was an incident in Philadelphia when a 76ers fan dumped popcorn on Washington Wizards star Russell Westbrook and that was followed by a fan spitting on Atlanta Hawks star Trae Young. Then, there was an incident in Utah where fans threw racial slurs at Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant.

Things continued in Boston on Sunday when a fan threw a water bottle at Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving. The fan was arrested after the incident, but it is yet another incident that fans are just taking things way too far.

“It’s not anything that should happen,” said coach Doc Rivers. “I don’t have a lot to say about it. I think enough has been said. Fans are important for our game, but at the end of the day, there’s a respect, there’s a humanity.”

A lot of fans lose sight of the fact that yes, they pay a lot of money for tickets, but it does not give them the right to just treat the players as if they are not human. This has been a continued problem that needs to be fixed.

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“We gotta treat each other with respect,” Rivers added. “It’s alright to cheer, boo, and do all that but you start throwing bottles, spitting, throwing popcorn. Those things just can’t happen. We know that though. We already know that.”

The Sixers will look to move on to Round 2 of the playoffs if they can finish off the Wizards in Game 4 on Monday.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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MMQB explains why the Vikings will bounce back in 2021

Next time we will realistically see the Vikings in the playoffs again? The 2021 season, says MMQB.

The Vikings’ 7-9 record was kind of what they deserved for a year marred by inconsistency.

That said, this team definitely has the potential to improve. The offense, despite a run-heavy philosophy, was pretty high octane this year. The defense struggled, but the group has some key contributors returning from injury in 2021, barring anything unexpected.

Here’s what MMQB’s Conor Orr said about the Vikings’ postseason chances in the near future:

“With the expanded format, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the NFC North consistently send two teams to the playoffs every year. There is no reason to think that the Vikings will sit out of the playoffs again, especially with so many reinforcements on the way.”

Orr also wrote that the Vikings “have guys who either missed or sat out the 2020 season,” at the gaping holes on the roster. I’d argue that is not the case for left guard, but other than that, it’s true to some extent.

“If they could conjure some cap space, getting involved in the second-tier edge market might make some sense,” Orr wrote. “Solomon Thomas, Trent Murphy, Olivier Vernon and Haason Reddick are all players who could pop up in conversation, though some of them will be overpriced.”

I don’t know if this team is a Super Bowl contender in 2021. But I think with how close it came to the playoff conversation, some easy fixes could bring them back into the postseason. Sometimes, that’s all it takes.

NFL Playoffs: Cowboys odds, path to No. 4 seed, potential opponents, draft slot

Breaking down all of the

Cue the Dumb and Dumber memes, because I’m telling you there’s a chance! The Dallas Cowboys started the year 2-7, in disarray and flailing miserably every time they stepped on the field for an entire month. Following the loss of franchise QB Dak Prescott, the team lost four straight contests by a total score of 110-41 on their way into the bye. The team had two weeks of  insider trading preparation for the Minnesota Vikings, won, then floundered for two more embarrassing losses.

The schedule got easier and the Cowboys got their act together on defense against some bad opponents. Somehow, the team has forced 10 turnovers and the offense has blossomed with the extra opportunities, scoring at a clip similar to where they stood with Prescott early in the season. With three straight victories, Dallas is now 6-9 and tied for first place in the pitiful NFC East.