Playoff projections (cont.)

NFC

NFC PLAYOFF PICTURE Scenario No. 1 seed No. 2 No. 3 No. 4 No. 5 No. 6 If Playoffs Started Today Giants Panthers Cards Packers Bucs Skins SI.com Projections Giants Cards Packers Saints Skins Cowboys

New York Giants (9-1)

If The Playoffs Started Today: No. 1 seed
Remaining Schedule (Projected Results): at Arizona (W), at Washington (L), vs. Philadelphia (W), at Dallas (L), vs. Carolina (W), at Minnesota (L)
Final Projected Record: 12-4; No. 1 seed
Extra Point: The defending champs could be fairly beat up going into the playoffs -- they do not face a team with a losing record the rest of the way.

Carolina Panthers (8-2)

If The Playoffs Started Today: No. 2 seed
Remaining Schedule (Projected Results): at Atlanta (L), at Green Bay (L), vs. Tampa Bay (W), vs. Denver (W), at NY Giants (L), at New Orleans (L)
Final Projected Record: 10-6; Out (lose tiebreaker with New Orleans on division record)
Extra Point: The Panthers' recent play doesn't inspire much confidence, and simply winning their final two home games likely won't be enough.

Arizona Cardinals (7-3)

If The Playoffs Started Today: No. 3 seed
Remaining Schedule (Projected Results): vs. NY Giants (L), at Philadelphia (W), vs. St. Louis (W), vs. Minnesota (W), at New England (L), vs. Seattle (W)
Final Projected Record: 11-5; No. 2 seed
Extra Point: Arizona can clinch the NFC West title Sunday if these three things all happen: 1) Cardinals win; 2) Niners lose; 3) Seahawks lose or tie.

Green Bay Packers (5-5)

If The Playoffs Started Today: No. 4 seed
Remaining Schedule (Projected Results): at New Orleans (W), vs. Carolina (W), vs. Houston (W), at Jacksonville (W), at Chicago (L), vs. Detroit (W)
Final Projected Record: 10-6; No. 3 seed (win tiebreaker with New Orleans on head-to-head)
Extra Point: A very favorable schedule, facing only one team with a winning record the rest of the way, combined with the mediocrity of the NFC North should equal a return trip to the playoffs.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-3)

If The Playoffs Started Today: No. 5 seed
Remaining Schedule (Projected Results): at Detroit (W), vs. New Orleans (L), at Carolina (L), at Atlanta (L), vs. San Diego (L), vs. Oakland (W)
Final Projected Record: 9-7; out
Extra Point: Home games against potent offenses in New Orleans and San Diego will be tough tests for the Bucs D. The loss of Earnest Graham (ankle) for the season will be too difficult to overcome.

Washington Redskins (6-4)

If The Playoffs Started Today: No. 6 seed
Remaining Schedule (Projected Results): at Seattle (W), vs. NY Giants (W), at Baltimore (L), at Cincinnati (W), vs. Philadelphia (W), at San Francisco (W)
Final Projected Record: 11-5; No. 5 seed (win tiebreaker with Dallas on division record)
Extra Point: Four road games in the final six appears to be a tall task, but not when three are against losing teams.

Dallas Cowboys (6-4)

Anquan Boldin has 10 touchdowns this season, including five in the past four games after returning from his face injury. Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

If The Playoffs Started Today: Out
Remaining Schedule (Projected Results): vs. San Francisco (W), vs. Seattle (W), at Pittsburgh (W), vs. NY Giants (W), vs. Baltimore (W), at Philadelphia (L)
Final Projected Record: 11-5; No. 6 seed (lose tiebreaker with Washington on division record)
Extra Point: Two-straight home games against NFC West patsies means the Cowboys should be 8-4 and have momentum and confidence heading into a brutal four-game stretch to end the season.

Atlanta Falcons (6-4)

If The Playoffs Started Today: Out
Remaining Schedule (Projected Results): vs. Carolina (W), at San Diego (L), at New Orleans (L), vs. Tampa Bay (W), at Minnesota (L), vs. St. Louis (W)
Final Projected Record: 9-7; Out
Extra Point: Atlanta has been great at home, but it will need to pull off a road upset to have a shot at the wild card.

Philadelphia Eagles (5-4-1)

If The Playoffs Started Today: Out
Remaining Schedule (Projected Results): at Baltimore (W), vs. Arizona (L), at NY Giants (L), vs. Cleveland (L), at Washington (L), vs. Cowboys (W)
Final Projected Record: 7-8-1; Out
Extra Point: A tough team to figure out and in a deep division like the NFC East, Philadelphia's inconsistency is too much to overcome.

Chicago Bears (5-5)

If The Playoffs Started Today: Out
Remaining Schedule (Projected Results): at St. Louis (W), at Minnesota (L), vs. Jacksonville (W), vs. New Orleans (L), vs. Green Bay (W), at Houston (W)
Final Projected Record: 9-7; Out
Extra Point: The NFC North title could come down to a Week 16 game against Green Bay, but Chicago will have to take care of business beforehand to make it matter.

Minnesota Vikings (5-5)

If The Playoffs Started Today: Out
Remaining Schedule (Projected Results): at Jacksonville (L), vs. Chicago (W), at Detroit (W), at Arizona (L), vs. Atlanta (W), vs. NY Giants (W)
Final Projected Record: 9-7; Out
Extra Point: The Vikings could benefit from a Week 17 game against the Giants, who may be in rest-and-recuperate mode.

New Orleans Saints (5-5)

If The Playoffs Started Today: Out
Remaining Schedule (Projected Results): vs. Green Bay (L), at Tampa Bay (W), vs. Atlanta (W), at Chicago (W), at Detroit (W), vs. Carolina (W)
Final Projected Record: 10-6; No. 4 seed (win tiebreaker with Carolina on division record)
Extra Point: We like the Saints getting on a roll at the end of the season, but that could change if they end up losing players to suspension for using the weight-loss diuretic.