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With the merciful elimination of the New York Jets ? in a game that deserves to have the lowest Monday Night Football ratings in history ? there are now 19 teams mathematically alive for the NFL playoffs.
And only 32 games left to sort it out.
Some of those teams have to defy the laws of probability ? like New Orleans, which has odds of 5,000-1 to win the Super Bowl; and St. Louis and Miami at 2,000-1 each.
Others have very little to play for over the final two weeks of the regular season and some have work to do to get in, with divisional titles still up for grabs as well as the wild-card spots and overall seedings.
Of the teams that are worth discussing, though, there is much intrigue to be played out during Week 16, which begins with a Saturday nighter between Detroit and Atlanta. (Appropriately, there will be no Monday nighter this week as it falls on Christmas Eve.)
Much is known, much left to be decided. Four AFC teams have earned playoff spots with three of those clinching their divisions. The NFC has just two division titles awarded and a real mess in the conference?s most high-profile group.
Here?s an attempt at sorting some of what can be settled over the weekend:
CLINCH BEFORE CHRISTMAS
First up on our pre-playoff preview are the teams that can clinch something in their next game without help. There are several teams that can achieve guarantees with assistance elsewhere, but each of the following can be settled on the field Saturday and Sunday.
- The struggling Baltimore Ravens can clinch the AFC North with a win over the inconsistent New York Giants.
- The Cincinnati Bengals can earn a playoff spot (at least a wild-card) with a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.
- The Indianapolis Colts can complete their remarkable turnaround season with a guaranteed a wild-card berth by winning over the lowly Kansas City Chiefs.
- An Atlanta Falcons win over Detroit essentially clinches them home-field throughout the NFL playoffs.
- The showdown in Seattle on Sunday night will result in an NFC West title for the San Francisco 49ers if they hand the Seahawks their first home loss of the season. If the Seahawks win, they clinch a playoff spot.
LEAST OF THE EAST
It?s not necessarily the most high-quality race still going, but with three 8-6 teams headed in various directions, the NFC East may well have the most intrigue heading into the penultimate week of the schedule.
First things first: That would be the Redskins, who own the tiebreaks and can retain it all if they win out vs. the Eagles and Cowboys.
The defending Super Bowl champion Giants have Baltimore then the Eagles as their remaining games and winning both would get them in the playoffs, though not necessarily the division title because they lose tiebreakers to both the Cowboys and Redskins.
After wins against the Bengals and the Steelers, the Cowboys have set themselves up for a shot at sneaking in, but it won?t be easy. The ?Boys start with a home date vs. New Orleans then end the season in Washington in what could be a division-deciding contest. Chances are strong they will need to go 2-0 to get in.
NORTHERN EXPOSURE
How costly was that overtime loss (set up by a Ben Roethlisberger interception) in Dallas for the Steelers? A loss to visiting Cincinnati on Sunday eliminates the Steelers. And even if they survive that, they have the Ravens in the season finale. Welcome to the wacky AFC North.
The Ravens could clinch the division with a win this weekend, but against the New York Giants that isn?t a gimme, especially given the poor current form of Baltimore.
And as unlikely as it seems, the third team in the race, the Bengals, have the most control of their destiny because they play each of their division rivals in their two remaining contests.
BY THE BYE
The Patriots? loss to the 49ers this past Sunday night may have been costly in their pursuit of a first-round bye in the AFC, not to mention a home-field advantage early on.
The Texans seem destined to grab the conference?s No. 1
seed ? and a win over the Vikings this weekend would secure it ? while Denver claims the other bye and
No. 2 seed if they win out. With games against Cleveland and Kansas City, the Broncos will be expected to do just that.
Over in the NFC, the Falcons are in control and can wrap up the No. 1 seed with a win over the Giants this weekend. The No. 2 seed still has some uncertainty with the 10-4 Packers and the 10-3-1 49ers the leading contenders.
NINERS LOOK SUPER
Picking a winner each week in this typically unpredictable NFL season is a moving target. So too is picking a Super Bowl favourite, with no clear standout at this point.
Action this past weekend prompted Las Vegas bookies to shuffle the deck on their odds to take it all. Most notably, San Francisco?s mild upset on the road in New England has the 49ers as the slight favourites, according to odds compiled by Vegasinsider.com
Here?s a look at the top six contenders, the only teams in single digits:
San Francisco 49ers, 7-2
Huge game vs. Seattle this weekend.
Denver Broncos, 4-1
Most consistent in the AFC as they roll toward playoffs.
New England Patriots, 9-2
With that offence, should recover from 49ers speed bump.
Houston Texans, 5-1
Likely to enter post-season as top seed in the NFC.
Atlanta Falcons, 6-1
AFC sleeper, largely because of past playoff failures.
Green Bay Packers, 6-1
A year ago they were faves. Riding a nice streak now.
Source: http://www.torontosun.com/2012/12/18/plenty-of-intrigue-in-nfl-week-16
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