Written by Pablo Figueroa at Sporting Charts
When the current NFL season is over, we will certainly hear debates regarding a possible change to a seeded playoff system in lieu of the one we have today. And everyone who tries to make a case will probably dwell on the lousy division champion that is bound to emerge from the NFC East.
After Dallas’ road win over Washington on Monday Night Football, things were left a mess in the NFL’s most colorful division, with all four teams sporting a losing record and no clear favorite on sight. In fact, with 3 teams tied at 5-7, and the same Cowboys being just a game behind with a pitiful 4-8 mark, it will take a 4-0 mark to close the season only to avoid having a division champ that is .500 or worse.
However, such a streak seems unlikely and we will probably be seeing only the sixth playoff team that advanced to the postseason with a record of .500 or worse over a full 16-game schedule (1985 Browns, 2008 Chargers, 2010 Seahawks, 2011 Broncos, 2014 Panthers). With the other 5 NFC playoff spots all but secured –Carolina and Arizona will win their divisions, while Green Bay and Minnesota seem safe in the North, and Seattle is ready to launch – only the East appears in position to provide some drama in the final quarter of the season.
Despite the mediocrity of a future division winner hosting a playoff game as an underdog, it shall be interesting to see how the East is decided. Today we take a look at each team’s chances, and rank them from least to most likely to take the division and enter the playoffs as a bad 4-seed. Leaving aside all the crazy tie-breaking scenarios that could emerge by the end, or the possibility that we could see a 6-10 playoff team, here is how we see it playing out.
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