The NFL Thread 2012: Baltimore Ravens win Super Bowl XLVII

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RolStoppable said:

It's time for an elaborate NFC North discussion. All teams still have a chance to win the division and go to the playoffs, whether that is as winner of the NFC North or with a wildcard spot. The current standings are: Bears (7-1), Packers (6-3), Vikings (5-4), Lions (4-4). It's undeniably looking good for the Bears, but let's take a deeper look at the remaining schedules of all four teams. Games that the teams are expected to win are bolded.

Chicago Bears	Green Bay Packers	Minnesota Vikings	Detroit Lions
Houston	Bye	Detroit	@Minnesota
@San Francisco	@Detroit	Bye	Green Bay
Minnesota	@New York Giants	@Chicago	Houston
Seattle	Minnesota	@Green Bay	Indianapolis
@Minnesota	Detroit	Chicago	@Green Bay
Green Bay	@Chicago	@St. Louis	@Arizona
@Arizona	Tennessee	@Houston	Atlanta
@Detroit	@Minnesota	Green Bay	Chicago

This means that the Packers will win the NFC North with a 10-6 record, the Lions finish in second with 9-7 ahead of the Bears who will also have a record of 9-7 (both teams will also be 2-4 in the division, but the Lions won more games in the NFC), the Vikings will finish last with a record of 8-8.

Unfortunately for the Lions and Bears fans, this means that the Packers will be the only NFC North team to make the playoffs this year, because the two NFC wildcard spots will go to Seattle and New Orleans who will both have a 10-6 record.

If your predictions are anything like this in the upcoming weeks then I feel extremely confident that I will pass you by.  You could make a more realistic argument saying that the Packers will go 12-4 and the Bears 11-5, but the truth is that's not going to happen either.   Also, no way the Lions are going 9-7.