NFC: Philadelphia Eagles In The Superbowl There's No Place Like Dome (Teams)

How do you explain what is going on with the Vikings and Saints?

With the season winding down all the playoff teams have been determined with only the final seeding to be decided. The Saints and the Vikings appear to be doing their best to get the lowest seed possible.

Unfortunately for the Saints they started their slide a little too late and backed into the No. 1 seed. The Vikings still have a slim chance to secure the second seed, but it won't be easy. They must win and the Eagles lose in order to get a first round bye.

The Vikings have another non playoff team to face in the Giants. This looks a lot like the previous two games against Carolina and Chicago, where the Vikings should be favored. Bet on the Giants.

Perhaps Brad Childress and Sean Payton know something we don't.

A quick scan of the playoff history since the six team format was established in 1990 shows that the No. 1 seed went on to win the Super Bowl 42 percent of the time (eight of 19). However since the AFC has dominated the Superbowl with nine of the past 12 championships, the second seed has won the Superbowl more often than the top seed (4 to 3).

Could they have been trying to secure the second seed? In his attempt to drop down to the second seed did Brad Childress fail to account for the Eagles and now has to rely on the Cowboys for the second seed?

Or, are both teams just trying to let their fans down easy, lowering the expectations so when the inevitable happens no one will be devastated.

In 1998 the Vikings went on to secure the No. 1 seed with a 15-1 record. To that point only two other teams had won 15 games in the regular season. The '84 49ers and the '85 Bears. Both went on to win the Superbowl. Adding to the Vikings post-season futility they were favored in the Championship game against the Falcons and self destructed losing 30-27 in overtime.

Only one dome team has won the Superbowl, the 1999 St. Louis Rams, and that just happened to be played in a dome—the Georgia Dome. Since this year's Superbowl will be played outdoors on real grass, the odds are against either the Vikings or the Saints. Maybe Brad and Sean know that the odds are against either the Saints or the Vikings winning this year's Superbowl.   

Or perhaps the gorilla on the back of both of these franchises is just too big. For New Orleans' fans the closest they have ever gotten to the Superbowl has been when the city has hosted the game.

For the Vikings another Superbowl loss would break the tie in futility with Buffalo, each having played, and lost, four times. 

With a victory over the Cowboys the Eagles can guarantee the second seed and the first round bye in the playoffs. Right now the Eagles are the hottest team in the NFC winning six in a row.

Never mind that the defense is suspect, giving up more points than any other NFC playoff team except for the Saints. Since the low point of losing to the Raiders, their only losses have been to the Chargers and the Cowboys, both playoff teams. The Eagles and McNabb have more playoff experience than any of the current rostered teams in the NFC.

The Eagles have been in five of the last eight NFC Championship games winning in 2005 before falling to the Patriots 24-21. 

With their experience and momentum there's appears to be no stopping the Eagles.