Week 16 NFL thread

[Judge Jude]

Anybody hear this plot before? Cowboys facing off against a division rival with the division on the line in Week 17. Based on the way the Cowboys and Eagles played today Philly fans can get ready to throw snowballs in the playoffs.

If the Cowboys lose this one, they would "hit for the cycle" - losing to each of their division rivals in a division-deciding game on the final Sunday Night game of the season (Giants 2011, Redskins 2012).

[Erik]

On paper it should be a cakewalk for the Eagles, but on paper, an ADP-less Vikings team were supposed to be a cakewalk for the Eagles.

The Week 7 DAL-PHL game is no indicator at all of what should happen. Before he left that game with a concussion, Foles was throwing like he had Steve Blass Disease, missing wide open receivers, which made me wonder if he was concussed or otherwise hurt before the injury that knocked him out. Also, the odds of Matt Barkley seeing the field, as he did in a 3-INT performance in relief of Foles that day, are extraordinarily slim. Anyone who uses that game as a benchmark while trying to prognosticate this one is someone who should not be taken seriously. I'm looking at you, Jimmy Johnson.

[Judge Jude]

49ers will finish anywhere from 1st in NFC to - out of the playoffs, with 7 days to go

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (12-3) vs. St. Louis: Can clinch the NFC West and the #1 seed with either a win, or one San Francisco loss. If they lose to Rams and 49ers win both remaining games, Seattle falls to the 5 seed.

CAROLINA PANTHERS (11-4) at Atlanta: clinched playoff spot, can clinch NFC South with a win, or a New Orleans loss. Can still get #1 seed with win, Seattle loss, and two San Francisco wins. If lose and New Orleans wins, are the 5 seed if San Francisco is also 11-5, are the 6 seed if San Francisco wins both, or loses both.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (10-4) vs. Atlanta, at Arizona: Clinch playoff spot with one more win. Can win NFC West with two wins, plus a Seattle loss. Can get #1 seed by winning West and Carolina losing. Eliminated from postseason with two losses. Can get the 5 seed by winning both, and Seattle winning, or by winning one game, and New Orleans losing both. San Francisco will be the 6 seed if tied at 11-5 with either New Orleans or Carolina for wildcard spot.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (10-5) vs. Tampa Bay: Clinch playoff berth with a win, or an Arizona loss. Can also clinch with a San Francisco loss to Atlanta, so long as the SF/ARI game in week 17 does not end in a tie, as they would win a tiebreaker at 10-6 over either team. Win NFC South with a win and a Carolina loss. New Orleans misses out on the playoffs if they lose to Tampa Bay, and either a) Arizona beats San Francisco, after San Francisco beats Atlanta on MNF, or b) San Francisco and Arizona tie.

ARIZONA CARDINALS (10-5) vs. San Francisco: Arizona makes the playoffs with a win over San Francisco, plus either a San Francisco loss to Atlanta, or a New Orleans loss to Tampa Bay. Can be the 5 seed if (a) Carolina loses, San Francisco loses to Atlanta, and New Orleans wins, or (b) San Francisco loses to Atlanta, and New Orleans loses. Arizona will be the 6 seed otherwise.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (9-6) at Dallas: Win the NFC East with a win or tie at Dallas. Will be the 3 seed if they win the division.

DALLAS COWBOYS (8-7) vs. Philadelphia: Win the NFC East with a win over Eagles. Will be 3 seed if Green Bay wins NFC North, or if Chicago and Green Bay tie. Will be 4 seed if Chicago beats Green Bay.

CHICAGO BEARS (8-7) vs. Green Bay: Win the NFC North with a win or tie against Green Bay. Will be the 3 seed with a win, if Dallas wins the East. Will be the 4 seed if Philadelphia wins.

GREEN BAY PACKERS (7-7-1) at Chicago: Win the NFC North with a win over Bears. Will be the 4 seed.

[Trautdiggity]

Wow Tony Romo done for the season... That puts an even bigger damper on Dallas' chances next week

[Judge Jude]

Cowboys coach Garrett just denied it at hastily-called press conference - so it's likely true.

[Erik]

Wow Tony Romo done for the season... That puts an even bigger damper on Dallas' chances next week

But it reduces their chances of being victimized by back-breaking interception(s) late in the game.

The bigger loss is Sean Lee, one of their few competent defenders.

[Judge Jude]

STANDINGS entering Week 17 as they continue to battle to reach the Swamps of Jersey on Feb 2

x- CLINCHED PLAYOFF SPOT
y - CLINCHED DIVISION TITLE

AFC
EAST - y-PATRIOTS 11-4, Dolphins 8-7 [Jets 7-8, Bills 6-9]
NORTH - y-BENGALS 10-5, RAVENS 8-7, Steelers 7-8 [Browns 4-11]
SOUTH - y-COLTS 9-6 [Titans 6-9, Jaguars 4-11, Texans 2-13]
WEST - y-BRONCOS 12-3, x-CHIEFS 11-4, Chargers 8-7 [Raiders 4-11]

NFC
EAST - EAGLES 9-6, Cowboys 8-7 [Giants 6-9, Redskins 3-12]
NORTH - BEARS 8-7, Packers 7-7-1 [Lions 7-8, Vikings 4-10-1]
SOUTH - y-PANTHERS 11-4, SAINTS 10-5 [Buccaneers 4-11, Falcons 4-11]
WEST - x-SEAHAWKS 12-3, x-49ERS 11-4, Cardinals 10-5 [Rams 7-8]

AFC wild cards

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (11-4) at San Diego. The Chiefs are locked into the #5 seed.

MIAMI DOLPHINS (8-7) vs. New York Jets. Miami needs to win, and then have either the Ravens lose, or the Chargers win. If either of those things happen, Miami is the #6 seed. That’s because they would win a two way tiebreaker with San Diego at 9-7 based on the head to head win, and would win a three-way tiebreaker with Baltimore and San Diego based on having the best conference record (8-4).

However, the Dolphins lose a two team tiebreaker with only Baltimore at 9-7, because of the head to head loss. Also, they cannot make the playoffs with a loss, because the Jets would actually finish ahead of them based on division record tiebreaker. (The Jets, though, are eliminated. They only serve to keep Pittsburgh alive).

BALTIMORE RAVENS (8-7) at Cincinnati. Baltimore gets the #6 seed with a win, and either a Chargers loss or a Dolphins loss. In a weird twist, they win a two team tiebreaker with either San Diego or Miami at 9-7, but would lose a three-way tie at 9-7 to Miami (because San Diego did not play both teams, so it skips head to head and goes to conference record).

Baltimore can also win a giant cluster at 8-8, so long as Pittsburgh is not one of those teams also. If Baltimore loses, and Pittsburgh wins, Pittsburgh would have the tiebreaker based on division record. If Baltimore, Miami, San Diego, and the Jets are all 8-8, and Pittsburgh loses, Baltimore is the 6 seed based on New York knocking Miami out, and the Ravens winning the three way tiebreaker on conference record.

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (8-7) vs. Kansas City. Chargers need to win, and have both Baltimore and Miami lose. Hey, that was simple.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (7-8) vs. Cleveland. Pittsburgh must win, and must have Baltimore, Miami, and San Diego lose. If that all happens, then Pittsburgh finishes ahead of Baltimore based on division record. The Jets would also finish ahead of Miami based on division record. It would then go to a three-way tie between the Chargers, Steelers, and Jets.

The Steelers win that based on conference record (6-6 vs. 5-7 for the other two), which is how they can still miraculously get in.


...........

DENVER BRONCOS (12-3) at Oakland. Have clinched the AFC West and a first round bye, but could still miss out on the #1 seed with a loss at Oakland plus a New England win vs. Buffalo. If they win (or tie), they are the #1 seed.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (11-4) vs. Buffalo. Clinched the AFC East, and can finish anywhere between the #1 seed and the #4 seed depending on the outcome. They clinch a bye with a win vs. Buffalo, getting the #2 seed if Denver also wins, and the #1 seed if Denver loses.

If New England loses, then they are still the #2 seed if both Cincinnati and Indianapolis lose. New England would finish behind Cincinnati (head to head) or Indianapolis (conference record) or both, if either (or both) won. A three way tie at 11-5 would make New England the #4 seed.

CINCINNATI BENGALS (10-5) vs. Baltimore. Cincinnati has clinched the AFC North with Baltimore’s loss. Can still get the #2 seed. Cannot finish as the #4 seed if they win. Cincinnati gets the bye if New England loses, Indianapolis loses, and they win. Cincinnati is the #3 seed with a win, and a New England win.

If Cincinnati loses, then they are the #3 seed if Indianapolis also loses, and the #4 seed if Indianapolis wins.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (10-5) vs. Jacksonville. Indianapolis can still get the #2 seed with a win and a New England loss, and a Cincinnati loss. If the Colts win, Patriots win, and the Bengals win, Colts are the #4 seed. If the Colts win, Patriots win, and Bengals lose, they are the #3 seed. If the Colts lose, they are the #4 seed.

...........


SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (12-3) vs. St. Louis: Can clinch the NFC West and the #1 seed with a win or a San Francisco loss. If they lose to Rams and 49ers win, Seattle falls to the 5 seed.

CAROLINA PANTHERS (11-4) at Atlanta: clinched playoff spot, can clinch NFC South with a win, or a New Orleans loss. Can still get #1 seed with win, Seattle loss, and San Francisco win. If they lose and New Orleans wins, are the 5 seed if San Francisco loses, or are the 6 seed if San Francisco wins.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (10-4) vs. Atlanta, at Arizona: clinched playoff spot, can win NFC West with win, plus a Seattle loss. Can get #1 seed by winning West and Carolina losing. Get the 5 seed by winning and Seattle winning, or by winning and New Orleans losing. San Francisco will be the 6 seed if tied at 11-5 with either New Orleans or Carolina for wildcard spot.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (10-5) vs. Tampa Bay: Clinch playoff berth with a win, or an Arizona loss. Win NFC South with a win and a Carolina loss. New Orleans misses out on the playoffs if they lose to Tampa Bay and San Francisco and Arizona tie.

ARIZONA CARDINALS (10-5) vs. San Francisco: Arizona makes the playoffs at the 6 seed with a win over San Francisco, plus a New Orleans loss to Tampa Bay.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (9-6) at Dallas: Win the NFC East with a win or tie at Dallas. Will be the 3 seed if they win the division.

DALLAS COWBOYS (8-7) vs. Philadelphia: Win the NFC East with a win over Eagles. Will be 3 seed if Green Bay wins NFC North, or if Chicago and Green Bay tie. Will be 4 seed if Chicago beats Green Bay.

CHICAGO BEARS (8-7) vs. Green Bay: Win the NFC North with a win or tie against Green Bay. Will be the 3 seed with a win, if Dallas wins the East. Will be the 4 seed if Philadelphia wins.

GREEN BAY PACKERS (7-7-1) at Chicago: Win the NFC North with a win over Bears. Will be the 4 seed.

...............

Houston gets No 1 pick unless they lose and Redskins win Sunday (in which case the Rams get it)

2014 NFL DRAFT PREVIEW
2-13 - Texans
3-12 - Rams (from Redskins)
4-11 - Browns, Jaguars, Buccaneers, Falcons, Raiders
4-10-1 - Vikings

6-9 - Bills, Giants, Titans

[Erik]

NONE of the teams competing for the sixth spot in the AFC control their own destiny. Each needs at least one other game to go a certain way. Very odd.