With only one week of NFL action left before the post-season begins, it is officially crunch time for all of the teams trying to clinch playoff berths. While a number of playoff seeds hang in the balance, no two division races will be more closely monitored than the NFC North and NFC East titles. Whenever a divisional champion is decided in a one game head-to-head showdown, the excitement level reaches a fever pitch.
It is for this reason that NFL fans are in for an enormous treat this weekend when the Chicago Bears face-off with the Green Bay Packers and the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys meet in a Sunday night showdown with all of the divisional marbles on the line.
The NFC North seems to be the division that nobody wants to win. Sitting at 8-7, the Chicago Bears are currently lead the North in spite of long-term injuries to Jay Cutler and Lance Briggs, and inconsistent play. Their unspectacular 2-3 divisional record not withstanding, the Bears have had a hard time sustaining positive (or negative) momentum for much of the season. After a 3-0 start, the Windy City Warriors haven’t won or lost more than two games in a row at any point during the season. The Bears appeared to get rolling after the successful return of Jay Cutler, but were promptly shellacked by the Eagles on Sunday night. The Bears are a confusing team to be certain, but they are likely to be at their best for next week’s monumentally big home game.
One the opposite side of the field, it is almost staggering to think that the 7-7-1 Packers have this chance. After Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone early in a Week Nine match-up with the Bears, the season appeared to be over. The Bears and the Detroit Lions were both rolling, and there was seemingly no way the Pack could get it done without their franchise player. In a way, that way of thinking has been proven to be correct. The Packers are 2-4-1 in games without A-Rod and in any other division, would be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
With that said, thanks to the inconsistent Bears and the late-season implosion in Detroit, a divisional title is there for the boys in Title Town to take. There is no concrete evidence that Rodgers is on track to play this week, and the Packers have sent mixed messages about his availability for weeks now. It’s clear that Rodgers won’t see the field until he’s been fully cleared to play and that the team will take no unnecessary risks with his recovery. Of equal importance is the fact that Clay Matthews and Eddie Lacy sustained injuries in the Pack’s Week 16 defeat at the hand of the Pittsburgh Steelers and their availability for Sunday is up in the air as well. If this team enters the most important game of the season without these three key players, it’s hard to fathom a Packer victory.
Speaking of injuries to key players, the Eagles-Cowboys Sunday night game for the NFC East title took an unexpected turn when it was announced the Tony Romo will be forced to miss the remainder of the season with a back injury. Their has been some disagreement about the nature and timeline of Romo’s injury, but it appears clear that he will in fact miss the all-important match-up.
The Cowboys completed an exciting comeback victory in Washington last week and forced yet another seemingly annual Cowboys win-and-your-in finale. With Kyle Orton under center, it’s safe to expect the ‘Boys to feed DeMarco Murray early and often. Murray is in the midst of the best season of his career and his 5.4 yards per carry ranks second in the NFL among qualifiers. While this is hardly the ideal scenario for the Cowboys and their fans, an NFC East title is still there for the taking even without their star quarterback in the lineup.
While we’re on the subject of star quarterbacks, Nick Foles’ brilliant season needs to be mentioned. The Eagles’ signal caller has played some of the best quarterback in the league this year. His 118.8 QB rating this year is tops in the NFL and his 25 touchdowns versus two interceptions (a ratio of 12.5 to 1 for those keeping score at home) accurately reflect how sensational his play has been. With Chip Kelly’s offense firing on all cylinders and an absolute stud of a running back in LeSean McCoy in the backfield, Foles should find more success against a struggling Cowboys defense. While anything can happy in the NFL, at this particular moment the Eagles appear to be the prohibitive favorite to win the East.
Playoff football is some of the most exciting television of the year, and we’re fortunate to be treated to two legitimate playoff games this weekend. The victors take home divisional championships and an opportunity to compete for a Lombardi trophy and those who suffer defeat are finished for the season. These are can’t-miss games, plain and simple. This is what it’s all about.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Enjoy this week’s slate of games!
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