Columnist Sal DeFilippo: Will the real NFC contenders please stand up?

Sal DeFilippo

Thursday, Dec. 23, 2004 | 9:20 a.m.

Sal DeFilippo's pro football picks column appears Friday. Reach him at sal@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4076.

I can handle the fact that once you look past Philadelphia, the NFC isn't a very strong conference this season.

I can even handle that we are now guaranteed that a team with an 8-8 record -- or worse -- will make the playoffs.

But here's what makes the NFC playoff pill tough to swallow: Not only is it filled with a bunch of mediocre teams, but it seems like none even wants a postseason berth.

The weekend was marked by NFC teams failing to take advantage of opportunities. In the North, the Packers held a one-game lead over the Vikings entering Sunday's game against Jacksonville at Lambeau Field.

In his career, Brett Favre was 34-0 in regular-season starts where the temperature was 34 degrees or below. But Jacksonville gave Green Bay the cold shoulder, winning 28-25.

The Vikings moved into a tie with the Packers entering Friday's showdown after a gift-wrapped win against the Lions, but even that required a big break. Minnesota led 21-13 in the fourth quarter, only to watch the Lions score a touchdown and convert the two-point play to tie the game. The Vikings regained the lead 28-21 with less than two minutes remaining, but Minnesota, which struggles with prosperity (remember last year's collapse?), again allowed the Lions to drive the length of the field for the apparent tying score.

One problem. The Lions botched the extra point. And somehow in all that mess, despite losing, Green Bay clinched a playoff spot.

The West is a similar mess. The Seahawks had a chance to secure a postseason berth, but laid an egg against the Jets on Sunday, losing 37-14.

This gave St. Louis a chance to move into a tie for the division lead, but the Rams were demolished by Arizona, 31-7.

Carolina's rally against Atlanta fell short, though with their six wins, they're actually still in the driver's seat for the conference's final playoff berth.

That's largely because the myriad 5-8 teams did nothing to aid their cause, with only the Saints winning (against fellow 5-8'er Tampa Bay).

Dallas and the Giants blew fourth-quarter leads and the Bears were dominated by Houston. We've already discussed Detroit's unraveling.

That leaves seven teams at 5-9, all still with scenarios that would get them into the postseason.

That is, assuming any of them wants to go.

This week's picks: I'm doing everything possible to finish exactly .500. Last week's 1-2 mark puts me in perfect position for the ultimate in mediocrity, leveling the season mark at 22-22-1 with two weeks to go. This week, I'll take the Giants plus-6 against the Bengals, the Panthers plus-3 against the Buccaneers and the Eagles plus-3 against the Rams.