Thread: Vikings versus Bears: a comparison through week 13

"The Ravens have been sucking wind, the Vikes need that game badly"

I heard on ESPN last night Ray Lewis tore his hamstring and will most likely miss the rest of the season.

"Del Rio" wrote:

"The Ravens have been sucking wind, the Vikes need that game badly"

I heard on ESPN last night Ray Lewis tore his hamstring and will most likely miss the rest of the season.

I was not really worried about him. He is good, but not the LB he once was.

I wasn't worried about his on the field ability. I think he was the heart and soul of their D. He was the guy getting people in place....I think this is the crushing blow to the Ravens.

Their team will suffer from his loss, and that makes me smile.

You don't look like you are smiling:

"ultravikingfan" wrote:

You don't look like you are smiling:

:lol: I think in the left side of the left eyeball there is a hint of a smile.

The Packers will beat the Bears at home.

For the first time in a while I have my confidence back that we can take away the division. My question in, who would have ever thought that they would be the ones we're fighting with? I thought if anyone was going to be giving us competition this year it would be the Lions

My prediction is the bears will lose to the steelers the pack and us...

I think the Bears will win another close one this weekend, but will lose the game at GB. We need to win every game between now and then to have a chance at the division. We may end up getting in as a WC though.

That was a good breakdown, Prophet. I'm now going to break it down in order of tie-breakers.

TO BREAK A TIE WITHIN A DIVISION
If, at the end of the regular season, two or more clubs in the same division finish with identical won-lost-tied percentages, the following steps will be taken until a champion is determined.

Two Clubs
1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games between the clubs).

The best that can happen is that this ends in a tie. We have to beat the Bears in week 17.

2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.

If the head to head is tied, we only need to look at the games against Detroit and Green Bay. We swept both teams. The Bears have one game remaining against Green Bay. If they lose that game, we win this tie-breaker. Otherwise, it's still a tie.

3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.

This would now bring in to account the games against the Saints, Bengals, Browns, Panthers, Bucs, Ravens, Steelers, and Falcons.

The Vikings are 2-4 in these games, with 2 left to play (Ravens and Steelers). The best they can do is 4-4.

The Bears are 4-2, with 2 left to play (Falcons and Steelers). The worst they could do is 4-4.

4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.

This now accounts for the Vikings games against the Giants and the Rams, and the Bears games against the 49ers and the Redskins.

The Vikings are 1-0, with one left to play, leaving a possibility of 2-0.

The Bears are 1-1 with none left to play.

However, (and this is where this really starts to get confusing) if the two teams make it to this tie breaker, the Bears must have lost to the Vikings, Steelers, and Falcons, and beaten the Packers, while the Vikings must have beaten the Steelers, Ravens, and Bears. Therefore, for the records to still be tied, we have to assume that the Vikings lost to the Rams, making both teams 1-1, and we move on.

5. Strength of victory.

"A part of the NFL's tiebreaking proceedure, strength of victory is figured by calculating the combined winning percentage of the opponents a team has beaten."

The Vikings (to get this far) will have victories against the Saints, Packers (2x), Lions (2x), Giants, Browns, Steelers, Ravens, and Bears. The Bears would have victories against the Lions (2x), Vikings, Ravens, Saints, 49ers, Panthers, Buccaneers, and Packers (2x).

Using the current standings, that's a combined record of 47-73 for the Viknigs, and 45-75 for the Bears. That gives a slight edge to the Vikings, but that could change down the stretch, depending on what other teams do.

6. Strength of schedule.

Right now, that stands at 94-98 for the Vikings, and 85-107 for the Bears. Again, a slight advantage for the Vikes, but it could change down the stretch.

7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
9. Best net points in common games.
10. Best net points in all games.
11. Best net touchdowns in all games.

I'm going to stop there. Right now, Minnesota has scored 18 more points than the Bears, but given up 146 more. I don't think we'd win either of the next tie breakers.

The conclusions:
-It's best if we just win out, and hope to avoid this mess.

-We need to root hard for the Packers to pull out a win against the Bears on Christmas. That gives us our cleanest win in the tie-breakers, if it comes to that.

-I really want to hear John Madden try to explain all that. Two words: Comedy. Gold.

-If the Bears beat the Packers, and win one of their next two games, they win.