Playoff scenarios aplenty these days as the jockeying for position heats up these last couple weeks of regaluar season football. The Niners could fall anywhere from the #1 seed (unlikely) to not making the playoffs (again, unlikely). I tell ya, though, if Seattle loses (always possible for them on the road), and the Niners win, they will be feeling the heat a little more in the great white (trash) northwest. If the 2 teams somehow end up tied, the Niners would win the West based on a better NFC West record. Thankfully, point differential in their 2 games isn’t the deciding factor.
Strange thing is, though, the Niners could very well end up 12-4 and still remain the 6 seed. They could go 10-6 and remain the 6. Carol has the Jets, NO at home and Atl on the road. Doesn’t look like they’ll drop any of those, so the 5 is out. The Niners? This should be their last remaining tough game. Atl and AZ? we’d better handle that. AZ would have to pass us to take the 6 seed, and that seems unlikely as well. We have a better division record and have split as well. So, worst case scenario is 11-5. But that could make the last game of the year vs. AZ a possible play-in game IF Arizona catches fire and beats Seattle. Again, not likely. The Niners are in the drivers seat, and Chi still has Philly and GB. They only get in as the NFC North winner, not the WC. Dallass? Please. They are playing themselves right out of contention. Their defense rests . . . all game.
Surprising to me is the resurgence of the left-for-dead Eagles. They staggered their way to a 3-5 record behind the inconsistent and injured Mike Vick. Matt Barkley played a little as I guess Foles got hurt, but once Foles regained the job, he hasn’t looked back. Chip Kelley’s much maligned offense is now paying off in spades as Philly has gone from last to first, and the 3 seed as of now. 5 wins in a row, with the limp biscuit Vikings next up.
So, as of right now the #6 seeded 49ers would travel to the #3 Iggles, and the #4 Lions would host the Panthers. Will this change? Probably.
San Francisco 49ers Forever 
There are rumblings the NBA may ditch divisional splits in the near future and go with playoff pairings based on record. The horrible Eastern conference is driving that. I think the NFL should consider this. It makes no sense a 12-4 or 11-5 Niner team has to play an away game in snow and ice at a division winner with a worse record, maybe a much worse overall record. Rewarding incompetence is crap. If Philly ends up 10-6 and wins the bullshit East, they should not get rewarded by hosting a 12-4 wild card team that ends up the 6th seed; Philly should have to travel to the wild card’s location. You can keep the divisions for rivalry purposes, but seedings and home field must be based on overall record…
Yeah, the rumblings got loud when Seattle won the NFC West going 7-9 and hosting (and beating) the 11-5 Saints back in 2010. Witrh the divisions so small, the chance of the WC team having a better record is going to happen. I think part of the expanded playoffs (2 more WC teams) would address this.
I’m generally against expansion of playoffs, but if the exchange is that the better record teams get the home playoff games, I’d do it…
After the playoffs are set, I’d like to re-seed them based on overall record, and see how a playoffs using that system would work. The top two records, regardless of division, get first round byes, then the #3 record plays the #6 at the #3’s home; the #4 record plays the #5 at the #4’s home. And, so on the next round. The divisional winners hosting even if they have a crap record worse than the WC opponent, as you mentioned Chuck with Seattle the worst example, is just idiotic. It’s like giving $100 to the high school kid who did best in remedial math class, while the only kid who solved the unsolvable string theory question in AP physics gets some bubble gum…
Manningham is listed as questionable with a knee. Time for the General to make an appearance?
#11 has produced more like General Rent-A-Car, not George S.
We’d be better off with O.J. and Hertz. You can’t beat this shit…
SHit, they have to activate someone. Didn’t know Baldwin had a shoulder problem.
BLEEP!
WOOF!
Bah! Humbug!
So says Alastair Sim. He portrayed the best goddamn “Scrooge” of all time.
It’s not even close for second.
It’s 4:30 in the fucking morning. I got nothing to say. Wait. Yes, I do…
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
It’s now 5:30 in the morning: I found something else to say…
Jim Harbaugh (Jimbo), I, I, I would…
wish him a Merry Christmas just like the rest of you Mooks.
Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year! ……..Go Niners!
I lost the little plastic cap to my orange juice container. The screwdrivers are flowing like crazy this morning. At least I have a semi-legitimate excuse now.
I’ll join this Yuletide festive spirit!
Greg Roman I wish you a… a… a game in which running Frank on first down over and over again might make some sense!
Practice makes perfect.
Hear, hear! on Scrooge, Dennis.
There is no doubt Sims’ character is who Dickens had in mind a hundred years earlier.
The rest I’ve seen and they all suffer in comparison.
for your interest:
http://bit.ly/1dBaPxL
Phil to your question about the Gore 51 yard run.
Saw him on a Post game interview and his response was that he sold Seattle Safety Earl Thomas hard to the outside and, had him over-pursue.
At the time I saw the play develop I thought the call by Roman was outstanding.
Looked to me that Thomas was shading the play all the way to the hash.
The formation pulled him from the middle just enough to have him lose a few steps.
I just hope Roman has some similar ideas to keep Lavonte David, Revis and Goldson guessing just a little too much as well tomorrow. Revis isn’t 100% so I’d like to see him turned around a few times.
Might be a good spot for Crabtree or Boldin to play jump ball?
This game scares me.
A let down can be anticipated on the heals of the Seattle victory.
Yep Thomas bit on the run action to the outside- Frank sold it perfectly and what a cut inside. For all the yammer about Frank slowing down Earl Tomas wasnt going to catch him from what I saw. Minus Dickie S thats to the house. Frank took advantage of the great play design which gave him a couple lanes with one guy to beat. Great blocking!
Yeah maybe Captain control freak Harbaugh will allow a little misdirection in the play calling as we approach playoffs? I think Roman takes a lot of shit properly belonging to the HC or Wrs coaches- getting plays in on time, endless runs called, no slants, conservative play calling in general, etc..
7 point game is my guess which may not as close as that score looks if we can get early lead and avoid turnovers.
Found out the game is broadcast here locally at 2am and hopefully we can get it at our place. ‘Bout time I got to SEE a Niner game, huh?
F**K dem Bucs!
I’ll take any WIN we can get Phil.
Need to get this game at any cost.