The Cards are as of right now the number 7 seed

When I look at the other teams that are completely out of the picture, to see the Cards as the number 7 seed right now, I gotta scratch my head.

The Niners are the number 6 seed, and are seriously in a position where they could get passed up by the Cards. The Panthers have already passed them up and are currently the number 5 seed.

Wouldn't it be funny if the Cards make it to the payoffs, and the Niners don't?!

I mentioned this a week or two ago. If they take care of JAX and SF loses in NO, which seems pretty dang possible, suddenly they are essentially a half-game behind the Niners because SF holds the tiebreak, but with a rematch in Arizona looming.

Even their schedule, while challenging, isn't daunting. Their toughest game is us on the road. They get the (mediocre) Colts at home and they get the Rams at home. It is:

@JAX, IND, @PHI, STL, @TEN, @SEA, SF

If they can split IND/@PHI and take care of business the rest of the way at home, 5-2 is definitely doable. I would love for their home game against SF in Week 17 to be for the sixth spot in the playoffs.

As of last week, Arizona had the #1 defense by DVOA. They've got a shot.