So bottom line is if the Vikings win out, they are in the playoffs.

The Vikings will play the Bears and Redskins at home in the national spot light and finish the regular season in Denver.

The other teams vying for the final playoff spot in the NFC are the Cardinals, Saints, Lions and Redskins all with 6-7 records.

The long-shot playoff hopefuls are the Eagles, Bears and Panthers all with 5-8 records.

The playoff picture will become much clearer after this week when the Vikings, who are 4-1 in the last five games, play the Bears. The Saints and Cardinals play each other and the Redskins play the Giants.

The loser of the Saints and Cardinals game all but fall out of the picture. The Redskins, who are 1-4 in the last five games, need a win against the Giants to keep pace giving them a chance to catch the Vikings when they come to the Dome in two weeks.  The Lions, who have lost the last five games, play the Chargers.

In my opinion, the Redskins have the toughest road to the playoffs if the Cowboys lose in the next two weeks and have something to play for. The Redskins remaining schedule pits them against playoff contenders such as the Giants and Vikings.

If the Cardinals can win this week against the Saints, they have an easy path playing the Falcons and Rams in the final two weeks, but with the loss against the Seahawks they need the Vikings to lose one of the final three games.

The Saints have to run the table on the road and get some help with losses by other playoff contenders. The Saints will play the Cardinals, Eagles and Bears. This is a tough task for a team that has gone 3-2 in the last five games.

The Lions have lost five in a row, but because of a strong start still have a chance. The Lions have to play the Chargers, Chiefs and Packers.

The Eagles play the Cowboys, Saints and Bills. Even if the Eagles win out, they need other teams to lose.

The Bears play the Vikings, Packers and Saints.

The Panthers play three division leaders the Bucs, Cowboys and Seahawks.