Arizona is the #1 seed in the NFC with an 8-1 record but with the loss of QB Carson Palmer and with division games against Seattle (twice), @Santa Clara, and @St Louis in addition to tough games against Detroit and KC Arizona could drop from the #1 seed after Week 10 to watching the playoffs from home. The #1 and #2 seeds are wide open for Philly, Detroit, Dallas, Green Bay, and even Seattle. And yet any one of these teams could with a bad stretch could lose their division and find themselves out of the playoffs while a 7-9 NFC South team squeaks in.
I don't think Arizona will fall off that much with Stanton. Palmer was already out this year and they kept on winning. But I agree that they have a tough stretch of games. I can see them getting the 4 wins they will probably need to make the playoffs, but it wouldn't surprise me if they went 2-5 down the stretch even if Palmer was healthy.
While Seattle and SF don't necessarily look great right now, I don't think anyone wants to see them in the playoffs. Its a shame they both won't get in this year.