# NFC East 2009 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 1, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522 "2009-09-01T19:05:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 17
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522/321 "2010-01-04T07:16:29Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Tie games count. They’re worth 0.5 wins for the purposes of calculating win percentage. I stole that from the Cowboys boards. If it’s wrong, it wouldn’t surprise me. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522/322 "2010-01-04T08:02:03Z")
I re-crunched the numbers and here’s what I got, including ties. Don’t yell if my math sucks. Regular Season Winning % as of Week 16 1. Miami Dolphins…387-280-4, 0.5797 2. Dallas Cowboys…433-314-6, 0.5790 3. Chicago Bears…685-498-43, 0.5763 Regular Season Winning % as of Week 17 1. Dallas Cowboys…434-314-6, 0.5796 2. Miami Dolphins…387-281-4, 0.5789 3. Chicago Bears…686-498-43, 0.5766 ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522/323 "2010-01-04T09:04:15Z")
Gotcha. So the message was correct, just the guy posted it to the Cowboys board didn’t know how to calculate winning percentage. I’m impressed the Bears are in that mix. You’d think the newer teams would have a stranglehold on it what with seemingly inexorable regression to the mean, but no, Bears hang tough. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522/324 "2010-01-04T12:34:09Z")
Apparently the Cowboys also set the single season attendance record with just over 718,000 this year. Nearly 90k per game. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2010, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522/325 "2010-01-04T14:25:33Z")
Damnit…it was easy to root for the Cowboys yesterday, as the alternative was the Eagles getting a 1st-round bye. But next week…man, that’s gonna be tough. Meteor? Please? ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522/326 "2010-01-05T00:19:51Z")
[See ya, Sheridan](http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news;_ylt=AtsvFsWfEkuw3HcR3XEzAfFDubYF?slug=ap-giants-sheridanfired&prov=ap&type=lgns). Sucked knowing you. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522/327 "2010-01-05T15:01:24Z")
The only surprising thing about Sheridan getting fired is that it took until after 5:00pm. Should have been announced 5 seconds after Zorn. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522/328 "2010-01-05T15:22:38Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Gotcha. So the message was correct, just the guy posted it to the Cowboys board didn’t know how to calculate winning percentage. He probably used the winning percentages from last year, which are published all over in August so the prognosticators can… prognosticate. If you don’t look carefully they can appear to be based on this year’s records. ---
**Author:** ![Jules\_Andre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jules_andre/32/9334_2.png) [@Jules\_Andre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jules_Andre)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522/329 "2010-01-05T16:51:04Z")
I am comforted that the Eagles started blitzing Romo more after the half and held the Cowboys to only 7 points from that point. I feel better knowing that the Eagles couldn’t possibly be worse on offense than they were last week. And that Andy Reid is way better at game planning than Wade Phillips. I’m trying to convince myself that this week will be different. Didn’t the Dope determine it _was_ historically difficult to beat a team three times in a season? Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![divemaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/divemaster/32/78_2.png) [@divemaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/divemaster)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522/330 "2010-01-05T16:59:42Z")
> [@Jules\_Andre](#): > > I’m trying to convince myself that this week will be different. Didn’t the Dope determine it _was_ historically difficult to beat a team three times in a season? Ugh. From today’s _Sporting News_: > [@](#): > > Just how difficult is it to beat the same team three times during an NFL season? Since the 1970 merger, the opportunity has arisen 19 times in the playoffs and 12 sweeps were completed. That should make Cowboys faithful feel better about their chances in their first-round matchup against Eagles, a team they beat 20-16 at Philadelphia in Week 9 and then 24-0 at home on Sunday. > > Last season, the Steelers pulled off a three-feat of Baltimore en route to winning Super Bowl 43. Dallas, however, has failed in its only two attempts—in 1998 against the Cardinals and 2007 against the Giants, both part of the franchise’s 13-year postseason drought. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522/331 "2010-01-05T17:09:26Z")
> [@Jules\_Andre](#): > > I’m trying to convince myself that this week will be different. Didn’t the Dope determine it _was_ historically difficult to beat a team three times in a season? Ugh. No. I said it must be, and then somebody actually went and looked at the games and basically said what **divemaster** quoted from _TSN_. The one really amazing thing I noticed when I went back and looked at the history myself was that Jacksonville lost three games in in the 99-00 season (2 in the regular season, 1 in the playoffs). _All three_ losses were to Tennessee. ---
**Author:** ![Jules\_Andre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jules_andre/32/9334_2.png) [@Jules\_Andre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jules_Andre)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522/332 "2010-01-06T04:01:30Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > No. I said it must be, and then somebody actually went and looked at the games and basically said what **divemaster** quoted from _TSN_.. Ah, okay, I couldn’t remember. Thanks, and thanks **divemaster** for the quote. Doesn’t make me feel any better, but the Eagles clearly weren’t showing the Cowboys everything this last week, so maybe it could be different. I’ve been impressed by this team’s ability to fight and claw their way to victories, so I was a little shocked they didn’t seem to put up a fight at all. Maybe they were playing possum. I hope they were playing possum. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522/333 "2010-01-06T04:06:03Z")
> [@Jules\_Andre](#): > > Ah, okay, I couldn’t remember. Thanks, and thanks **divemaster** for the quote. Doesn’t make me feel any better, but the Eagles clearly weren’t showing the Cowboys everything this last week, so maybe it could be different. I’ve been impressed by this team’s ability to fight and claw their way to victories, so I was a little shocked they didn’t seem to put up a fight at all. Maybe they were playing possum. I hope they were playing possum. That’s a really strange time to play possum, losing out on a bye week and home field advantage. Had the Eagles won that game, the only way they would meet the Cowboys in the playoffs would have been in Philly for the NFC Championship game. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522/334 "2010-01-06T05:01:51Z")
No way Philly was playing possum with a home game and bye week on the line, risking being bumped down to the 6 seed. Dallas straight up whooped 'em. ---
**Author:** ![TheBoltEater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheBoltEater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoltEater)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522/335 "2010-01-06T05:06:14Z")
I will now troll this thread to briefly point out that the champions of the NFC East this season were… the San Diego Chargers. 4-0! And now back to your regularly scheduled NFC East discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Jules\_Andre](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jules_andre/32/9334_2.png) [@Jules\_Andre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jules_Andre)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522/336 "2010-01-06T06:59:49Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > That’s a really strange time to play possum, losing out on a bye week and home field advantage. Had the Eagles won that game, the only way they would meet the Cowboys in the playoffs would have been in Philly for the NFC Championship game. I don’t understand it either, but they weren’t playing to their normal gameplan at all, most notably and noticeably so during the first half. They were wildly divergent from their season-long game plan to that point. Hopefully they have an ace up their sleeve, other than the inevitable Romo meltdown, of course. > [@TheBoltEater](#): > > I will now troll this thread to briefly point out that the champions of the NFC East this season were… > > the San Diego Chargers. 4-0! > > And now back to your regularly scheduled NFC East discussion. Ah yes. You know it’s late December-early January when the Charger fans are talking and bragging. I’ll know it’s February when those same fans are silent and sulking. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522/337 "2010-01-06T07:13:24Z")
Charger fans were insufferable on the [giants.com](http://giants.com) boards from 2004-2007, right up until Eli won Superbowl MVP. That shut up those butthurt crybabies right good. Those four years have warped me, though, so that now I hate the Chargers roughly on par with the Eagles. As in, I would rejoice if their charter plane crashed into a cornfield. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522/338 "2010-01-06T14:26:13Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > That shut up those butthurt crybabies right good. Ugh…I _wish_ that would’ve shut them up. “Waaaaahh! Eli didn’t deserve it! It was the defense that won that game! Waaaahh! He still can’t beat us! Waaaaahhh! Daddy’s boy! Waaaahh! He didn’t want to play wif us!!” My greatest wish is that after you die, you get a chance to peek in on alternate realities and timelines. It’s be fascinating to see how things would look now had the trade never went down – Eli leading the Chargers, and Rivers as Giants QB with Merriman on defense. I wonder if the Giants would’ve given Rivers the “don’t suck in the clutch” lessons he failed to receive in San D? I wonder if Eli would be looking like another Ryan Leaf? ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522/339 "2010-01-06T14:46:54Z")
This was probably obvious to everyone but me, but I just realized the other day that: Giants swept the Cowboys, Cowboys swept the Eagles, Eagles swept the Giants And to top off the perfect symmetry, everyone swept the Redskins. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2010, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522/340 "2010-01-06T14:58:06Z")
Speaking of … How was Eli’s year? I fully admit to thinking he’s an overrated prick, but, to be honest, I don’t follow him all that much. Apparently he’s the 11th best QB based on passer rating, and the Giants’ season was nothing to brag about, but that’s about all I know. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfc-east-2009/508522.md?page=18)