The NFC East division leader continues to juggle around with the Cowboys currently owning that crown.  The Falcons have moved up to the number one Wild Card slot.  Here is the break down.

Falcons (5-3) – The Falcons have moved up in the wild card chase with another win over the Redskins.  They play the Panthers in Carolina.

Eagles (5-3) - Eagles lost a heart breaker to Dallas.  They lost their first spot in the NFC East and now have to travel to San Diego to play the Chargers.

Giants (5-4) – The Giants lost by a point to the San Diego Chargers.  They have a bye week next week.

Packers (4-4) - After an embarrassing loss to a winless Buccaneers team, the Packers host the damn Cowboys.  The Packers are only 1 game back from the Falcons.

Bears (4-4) – The Bears suffered another embarrassing loss this week.  They have a short week and play the 49ers on Thursday.

49ers (3-5) - The 49ers lost to the Titans and now play the Bears.  They really need to win to stay in the Wild Card race.

Panthers (3-5) – Carolina lost to the Saints in a close game.  They play the Falcons next week.

I still hate the damn Buccaneers, as should any Packer fan over the age of 25. The Buccaneers were the doormat of the NFC Central until the mid nineties, when they were bought by Malcolm Glazer in 1996. Glazer hired Tony Dungy, changed their colors, uniforms and logo, and pumped money into the team. By 1997, they had a playoff berth and established themselves as a competitive division rival for the Packers. This was a rough, bruising rivalry while the NFC Central lasted. In 2002, the NFL restructured and the NFC Central came to an end, but the rivalry was not quite over.  In November of 2002, my perspective on the Buccaneers changed from a competitive rival, to a dirty cheap team that I love to see suffer.

On November 24, 2002, the Packers and Bucs played in Tampa Bay in would become an infamous game. Favre throw an interception and during the return, Warren Sapp took a cheap shot on a defenseless Chad Clifton in the open field.

Sapp's blindside hit on clifton

Sapp leveled Clifton with a blindside block on Clifton, who was barely jogging and not paying attention because he was completely out of the play. Clifton sustained a serious hip injury, which ended his season and luckily, not his career, especially with the Packers current abysmal line.  This cheap hit instantly erupted debate in the football world.  It was perfectly legal under the current NFL rules but violated the unwritten rule of live and let live in the NFL.

After the Game, Mike Sherman sprinted over to the Tampa Bay sideline.  Once he was there he found Warren Sapp and confronted him.  Sherman yelled at Sapp, “That was a chicken shit hit and you know it!” Sapp, who was obviously upset and surprised at being called out, responded with “Fuck you!”

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The Vikings have won the division.  Even with an assumed Packers Victory against the hapless Buccaneers next week, and the Vikings bye, the Packers are effectively 3 games back because the Vikings have the tiebreaker.

Personally, I do not believe that the Vikings are catchable in the divisional race.   It is also  extremely unlikely that the Falcons will catch up to the Saints, leaving the Saints out of the Wild Card picture.  In the NFC East, either the Eagles, Cowboys or Giants will win the division and in the the NFC West, either the 49ers or the Cardinals will win.  If the season ended today, the Eagles, Vikings, Saints and Cardinals would win their respective divisions ,and the Cowboys and the Giants would win the Wild Cards.  Here is a breakdown of the Wild Card contenders from first to last as of week 8.

Cowboys (5-2) - The Cowboys will lose the tie breaker so far against the Giants for head-to-head play.  They are currently the leader by a 1/2 game.  They face the Eagles and the Packers in two tough road games followed by the Redskins and Raiders at home, for what should be easy wins.

Giants (5-3) – The Giants are a 1/2 game leader over the next group of 4-3 teams.  The Giants play the Chargers at home, followed with their bye week.  They then play the Falcons at home and then travel to Denver.

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