I was just taking a look at all the matchups this weekend and it was pretty clear that there will be a lot, up to 9 teams, sitting at 5-8 after this weekend. Here's a look at the games...

Lions (5-7) at Packers (7-5) - while I know we all want the Lions to crush the Pack, truth is the Lions have lost 12 in a row in Green Bay.

Bears (5-7) @ Jaguars (6-6) - last week was somewhat of a fluke for Chicago and it won't happen again.

Giants (5-7) @ Baltimore (7-5) - the Ravens are still ticked off after the loss to the Bengals. Ravens tee off on rookie QB.

Bucs (5-7) @ Chargers (9-3) - the Bucs have come on as of late but San Diego has played solid all year.

49er's (1-11) @ Cardinals (4-8 ) - WOW, Arizona will actually be the favorite for once against pitiful San Fran.

Saints (4-8 ) @ Cowboys (5-7) - this is the one of 2 games in which a 5-7 team will be favored to win. But you never know what your gonna get with the Saints and they certainly could pull an upset...

Rams (6-6) @ Panthers (5-7) - Carolina has been playing the best of the 5-7 teams, while the Rams are much like New Orleans - ya never now what your gonna get.

So, the wildcard situation could look like:

Lions 5-8
Bears 5-8
Giants 5-8
Bucs 5-8
Cards 5-8
Saints 5-8
Cowboys 5-8
Panthers 5-8

Two other games of note:

Eagles (11-1) @ Redskins (4-8 ) - this one's a real longshot, but the Redskins also could join the 5-8 club. That would mean 9 teams.

Seahawks (6-6) @ Vikings (7-5) - this game has major playoff implications as they are the top 2 wildcard teams right now. The Vikes are tough at home and the Hawks aren't very good on the road and could fall to 6-7, well within reach of any 5-8 team with 3 games to play.

So for Lions fans, obviously we want the Lions to win. Then cheer for the teams playing all the 5-7 teams, the 49ers, Eagles and, dare I say it, Vikings. What a crazy NFC.

GO LIONS!

The Bucs have looked really tough lately and seem to be returning a bit to form. Griese I always felt was a pretty damn good qb. His biggest issue in Denver was his damn shoulder and aging receivers. I think he was a damn good deal for them and they will finish out the year strong IMHO.

the panthers have been playing very well lately, the bucs are playing good also. the cowboys seem to have the easiest schedule. those are the 3 teams with the best chances.

I think this weekend will see teams start to pull away. I don't think that any team, even in the NFC, can get in the playoffs at 8-8. In an unfortunate opinion, if the Lions don't win this weekend, they'll be playing for pride for the rest of the season.

Let's just hope they have a couple more losing-streak-breaking games in them this season and they can pull one out this weekend.

Disagree with you on the Rams vs. Panthers game. Carolina will take that one.

People should realize that all the 5-8 teams listed won't be in the playoffs at that point in time. Seattle and Minnesota would hold the 2 wildcard spots, and the Division leaders are GB, STL, ATL, and PHI. Atlanta and Philly have locked up their divisions, and IMO the biggest game is St. Louis vs. Carolina, as that could dictate a wildcard position.

Brian, I'm not saying the Panthers will lose or anyone else for that matter but most of the other teams won't be favored. I'm just showing what could happen this weekend and all the teams that could fall to 5-8. Actually I think the Panthers will win, especially with Chandler starting at QB for the Rams. I also think the Cowboys will beat the Saints and their 32nd ranked pass defense, 32nd ranked run defense and a team that gives up the most points in the NFC.

Even though I favor both the Panthers and the Cowboys, they are playing two of the most tough to predict teams (Rams and Saints) in the league.

Point was, if the Lions lose to Green Bay as most would believe - there could be a lot of teams joining them at 5-8. We will see how the weekend plays out and of course hope the Lions can beat the Pack.

True, but if that scenario works, 5-8 won't get us a wildcard.

The mood around Detroit and in the news is one of "we have to get this done". Everyone is talking about ending that 12 game streak, Mooch is talking about how this game is the most important, and doing things such as practicing in the cold, preparing extra film, etc.

I'm not saying we are going to get it done, but I REALLY wouldn't be surprised if we won in Lambeau. The Bears did it, the Titans did it, and the Giants did it. We beat the Bears and Giants, at their places. Hopefully Harrington will actually do something this week.