The mess that is the NFC Wild Card race

The NFC essentially has five locks for the postseason: Dallas, Green Bay, Seattle, Tampa Bay, and the Giants. For the Cowboys and Packers, it's a matter of who gets homefield advantage, and for the final three, and barring a major collapse by one or more of the Seahawks, Buccaneers, or G-Men, those three 8-4 teams are in. That's where things start to get interesting, as there are then eight other teams in the conference with a realistic shot at making the playoffs. Three of those teams (the Cardinals, Lions, and Vikings) are 6-6 while the other five (the Panthers, Saints, Redskins, Bears, and Eagles) are 5-7. So, which of this multitude of squads will earn that sixth and final playoff spot? Here's a breakdown of each and every team and their chances:

• Arizona Cardinals (6-6)
  
• Schedule: @ SEA, @ NO, ATL, STL
• Predicted final record: 9-7
  
• Analysis: Technically, Arizona is not even out of the picture in the NFC West yet. If they take care of business this Sunday at Seattle, that will give them the tiebreaker over the Seahawks should the two teams end up with the same record, but given Seattle's light remaining schedule, I can't see it happening. Because of this, the Cards should simply focus on winning enough games to get that final wild card berth. Had they not lost a heartbreaker to San Francisco one week ago, Arizona would be 7-5 and would have the inside track to the playoffs, but that didn't happen. However, the Cardinals responded with a huge win over Cleveland yesterday thanks to another solid performance by Kurt Warner. Arizona has a fairly easy final four games to end the year, and I can easily see them going 3-1 in that span. However, I'm not sure if that will be enough with the hard-charging Vikings right on their tails.
• Minnesota Vikings (6-6)
  
• Schedule: @ SF, CHI, WAS, @ DEN
• Predicted final record: 10-6
• Analysis: Let me say this right off the bat: no one wants to see Minnesota in the playoffs. No one. They have the perfect formula for January football: a good running game and a good run defense. Adrian Peterson has carried this team all year long, and even in the two games he sat out, the Vikings took care of business thanks to Chester Taylor. When you have two halfbacks of that talent on your roster, you know you can go places. In their past two games, Minnesota has out-scored its opponents 83-27, scoring 42 yesterday against Detroit and 41 a week ago against the Giants. It also helps that Tarvaris Jackson has been playing much better as of late, completing 78% of his passes and throwing for 333 yards and three touchdowns in his past two contests. The Vikings have a very manageable schedule, and because of that and the way they have been playing recently, I can't see how this team won't make the playoffs. Take away the 34-0 drubbing Green Bay gave them four weeks ago, and the Vikings have been rolling, blowing out San Diego, New York, and the Lions and coming out with a good win over the Raiders.
• Detroit Lions (6-6)
• Schedule: DAL, @ SD, @ KC, @ GB
• Predicted final record: 6-10
• Analysis: Things were looking very promising for the Lions back in week nine when they were 6-2, but everything has just gone downhill from there. Detroit has lost four straight, and their schedule doesn't suggest they're going to start winning anytime soon, with three of their last four games coming on the road in three of the toughest places to play in the NFL. Especially now with Roy Williams out for the season, I don't see any way the Lions can somehow make a comeback and make the postseason. All of the momentum is against them, and the running game has been non-existent the past several weeks. Detroit is done.
• Carolina Panthers (5-7)
• Schedule: @ JAC, SEA, DAL, TB
• Predicted final record: 6-10
• Analysis: Carolina waited too-little-too-late to try and make their run. The Panthers find themselves with an extremely tough schedule to finish out the year, and having three home games in that span doesn't mean much as they got their first home win in their last eight games in Charlotte yesterday. Had Jake Delhomme been healthy this season, Carolina might very well have been in control of the NFC South or at least ended up a wild card spot. It doesn't do them any good that Steve Smith has been playing hurt for a good part of the year, too. The 2007-08 campaign has been a lost cause for the Panthers.
• New Orleans Saints (5-7)
• Schedule: @ ATL, ARI, PHI, @ CHI
• Predicted final record: 8-8
• Analysis: The Saints have been the biggest enigma of the season. They start out 0-4, then win four straight to climb back to .500, and then proceed to get embarrassed by the then winless Rams and have only won a single game since. They are not done, but considering that two of the three 6-6 teams in front of them have much easier schedules, it's going to take a miracle for New Orleans to get into the playoffs. Reggie Bush has done nothing to shake off his bust status this year, averaging only 3.7 yards per carry, and Drew Brees does not even resemble the Drew Brees of last season. I will say this though: Marques Colston is an elite receiver. Still, that comment is not going to earn them a postseason berth.
• Washington Redskins (5-7)
• Schedule: CHI, @ NYG, @ MIN, DAL
• Predicted final record: 7-9
• Analysis: Bottom line: they had to beat Buffalo yesterday. That will probably end up being the easiest game remaining on their schedule unless the Cowboys sit everyone in week 17 (which they may very well end up doing). Now, the Redskins have to play at the Meadowlands and at red-hot Minnesota in two of their final four games and have a not-so-easy-to-beat Bears' team next week. Clinton Portis has been very average this season, rushing for 100 yards only twice and averaging only 3.9 yards per carry overall. That and the fact that Washington has gotten virtually no production from their wide receivers leads me to believe that this team isn't playoff material.
• Chicago Bears (5-7)
• Schedule: @ WAS, @ MIN, GB, NO
• Predicted final record: 5-11
• Analysis: Much like the Redskins needed to win yesterday, Chicago had to beat the Giants. They were up 16-7 in the fourth quarter and blew it. Had they won, they would have put themselves in great position to make a run at the sixth seed, but the demoralizing loss has to have deflated their confidence, and now their upcoming schedule looks more ominous than it would have had the Bears been sitting at 6-6 at 8 PM yesterday instead of 5-7. I honestly can't see them winning another game for the rest of the year, especially with Rex Grossman at quarterback. Despite his solid numbers against New York, Grossman completed only 10 of his last 29 passes and looked terrible on Chicago's final few drives.
• Philadelphia Eagles (5-7)
• Schedule: NYG, @ DAL, @ NO, BUF
• Predicted final record: 5-11
• Analysis: I really don't want to repeat myself for a third time, but I will anyway: Philly had to win yesterday. A.J. Feeley was awful, throwing four picks, three of them to Seattle's Lofa Tatupu, in a 28-24 loss. Brian Westbrook is really Philadelphia's entire offense right now, and the defense has been below average all year. With two tough division rivals coming up over the next couple of weeks followed by games looming against two teams fighting for their playoff lives, the Eagles are in very bad shape in the playoff picture whether Donovan McNabb comes back or not. They are done.