Breaking down the AFC Playoff Picture (1 Viewer)

[Godsbrother]

Doesn't matter to me just as long as Pittsburgh doesn't find a way to sneak in there...

Very unlikely, even if the Steelers win out. They will definitely have a chance to shape the playoff picture though. A win this week will effectively end the Panthers playoff hopes. If they can beat the Ravens in Pittsburgh on Christmas Eve they could hurt Baltimore's chance at home field/first round bye in the playoffs. And depending on what Cincy does against Indy & Denver the Steelers final game could decide whether the Bengals make the playoffs or not.It definitely won't be as much for Steelers fans this year as last but at least it is something to watch...

 

[posty]

Doesn't matter to me just as long as Pittsburgh doesn't find a way to sneak in there...

It definitely won't be as much for Steelers fans this year as last but at least it is something to watch...

Maybe, but finishing 0-3 would be much better...

 

[Godsbrother]

Doesn't matter to me just as long as Pittsburgh doesn't find a way to sneak in there...

It definitely won't be as much for Steelers fans this year as last but at least it is something to watch...

Maybe, but finishing 0-3 would be much better...

I thought most WVU fans were Steelers fans...

 

[Black&Gold]

Doesn't matter to me just as long as Pittsburgh doesn't find a way to sneak in there...

It definitely won't be as much for Steelers fans this year as last but at least it is something to watch...

Maybe, but finishing 0-3 would be much better...

I thought most WVU fans were Steelers fans...

Must be one of the ones that live with the sheep.

 

[Black&Gold]

Jacksonville's win yesterday really hurt the Steelers chances.

 

[Godsbrother]

Doesn't matter to me just as long as Pittsburgh doesn't find a way to sneak in there...

It definitely won't be as much for Steelers fans this year as last but at least it is something to watch...

Maybe, but finishing 0-3 would be much better...

I thought most WVU fans were Steelers fans...

Must be one of the ones that live with the sheep.

So you're saying he's a Rams fan?

 

[Godsbrother]

Jacksonville's win yesterday really hurt the Steelers chances.

True. But what really hurt the Steelers were the losses to Cincy, Oakland and Atlanta. When you give games away you don't deserve to be in the playoffs.

 

[posty]

Doesn't matter to me just as long as Pittsburgh doesn't find a way to sneak in there...

It definitely won't be as much for Steelers fans this year as last but at least it is something to watch...

Maybe, but finishing 0-3 would be much better...

I thought most WVU fans were Steelers fans...

Hell no! Where does that say that has to happen? Is that one of those "you have to root for the home team" crap?

 

[Godsbrother]

Doesn't matter to me just as long as Pittsburgh doesn't find a way to sneak in there...

It definitely won't be as much for Steelers fans this year as last but at least it is something to watch...

Maybe, but finishing 0-3 would be much better...

I thought most WVU fans were Steelers fans...

Hell no! Where does that say that has to happen? Is that one of those "you have to root for the home team" crap?

I said most WVU fans, not all. Root for any team you want...

 

[LBH]

Im starting to like the Jets chances again. A huge make or break game for them X-mas night at Miami

 

[Chemical X]

Im starting to like the Jets chances again. A huge make or break game for them X-mas night at Miami

ran the following scenario with my buddy....here's how the jets make the playoffs.assume they need to make it outright, they lose virtually all tiebreaks.jets win out (@miami, vs.oakland)cincy loses tonight @ indy. leaving cincy at 8 wins. 4 afc teams then are 8-6, jax, nyj, cincy, den. (edit to say, if cincy were to win, they would then be needed to win at denver)jax loses at home to NE in week 16 and max out at 9 wins.cincy plays den, loser misses playoffs and maxes out at 9 wins. winner gets to 10. den has sf at home week 17.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

Denver is in if they win out (CIN SF), but otherwise thinking these scenarios through makes my head hurt at this early hour.

The Jets (@MIA, OAK) need JAX (NE @KC) to lose one and whichever team wins DEN/CIN (@IND, @DEN, PIT) to lose another one.

Jacksonville (NE @KC) also needs the winner of the CIN/DEN game to lose one of their other games. They lose the conference record tiebreak to a 10-6 CIN or DEN, but the beat out a 10-6 NYJ on the head to head tiebreak.

It really looks like 10-6 will get you in this year, much to the chagrin of PIT, who is playing A+ football right now. KC, PIT, TEN, and BUF would also lose more tiebreakers than they would win again the above group. For starters, any fan of these teams needs IND to beat CIN tonight.

And we haven't even gotten into bye week and homefield scenarios.

 

[Mungo Burrows]

Denver is in if they win out (CIN SF), but otherwise thinking these scenarios through makes my head hurt at this early hour.The Jets (@MIA, OAK) need JAX (NE @KC) to lose one and whichever team wins DEN/CIN (@IND, @DEN, PIT) to lose another one.Jacksonville (NE @KC) also needs the winner of the CIN/DEN game to lose one of their other games. They lose the conference record tiebreak to a 10-6 CIN or DEN, but the beat out a 10-6 NYJ on the head to head tiebreak.It really looks like 10-6 will get you in this year, much to the chagrin of PIT, who is playing A+ football right now. KC, PIT, TEN, and BUF would also lose more tiebreakers than they would win again the above group. For starters, any fan of these teams needs IND to beat CIN tonight.And we haven't even gotten into bye week and homefield scenarios.

One interesting twist on how the Broncos chances may play out. If it comes down to a bunch of 9-7 teams dueling tiebreakers for the final spot, (Say Denver loses to Cincy) Denver may never get to use it's advantage. If KC beats Oakland and Jacksonville to also end up 9-7, KC has tiebreaker advantage within the division (division record) over the Donkeys. So even though the broncos fare much better in conference-wide tiebreakers because of conference record, they'll never get the chance to prove it because they will fall behind KC in the division.Edit to add: Why would the jets need CIN to lose? If Cincy runs the table (including beating Den) they get the 5 seed at 11-5 (or win the division if baltimore collapses :shudder: ). Denver could do no better than 9-7, and if Jax also loses one, they can also do no better than 9-7. If the Jets run the table, they would be alone at 10-6 and get in as the 6 seed.

 

[Sigmund Bloom]

Edit to add: Why would the jets need CIN to lose? If Cincy runs the table (including beating Den) they get the 5 seed at 11-5 (or win the division if baltimore collapses :shudder: ). Denver could do no better than 9-7, and if Jax also loses one, they can also do no better than 9-7. If the Jets run the table, they would be alone at 10-6 and get in as the 6 seed.

You're right. The Jets only need help (in the way of either Cincy or Denver losing one more game) if Denver wins that game. If Cincy wins, all they need to do is pull for a JAX loss.

 

[Chemical X]

Denver is in if they win out (CIN SF), but otherwise thinking these scenarios through makes my head hurt at this early hour.The Jets (@MIA, OAK) need JAX (NE @KC) to lose one and whichever team wins DEN/CIN (@IND, @DEN, PIT) to lose another one.Jacksonville (NE @KC) also needs the winner of the CIN/DEN game to lose one of their other games. They lose the conference record tiebreak to a 10-6 CIN or DEN, but the beat out a 10-6 NYJ on the head to head tiebreak.It really looks like 10-6 will get you in this year, much to the chagrin of PIT, who is playing A+ football right now. KC, PIT, TEN, and BUF would also lose more tiebreakers than they would win again the above group. For starters, any fan of these teams needs IND to beat CIN tonight.And we haven't even gotten into bye week and homefield scenarios.

One interesting twist on how the Broncos chances may play out. If it comes down to a bunch of 9-7 teams dueling tiebreakers for the final spot, (Say Denver loses to Cincy) Denver may never get to use it's advantage. If KC beats Oakland and Jacksonville to also end up 9-7, KC has tiebreaker advantage within the division (division record) over the Donkeys. So even though the broncos fare much better in conference-wide tiebreakers because of conference record, they'll never get the chance to prove it because they will fall behind KC in the division.Edit to add: Why would the jets need CIN to lose? If Cincy runs the table (including beating Den) they get the 5 seed at 11-5 (or win the division if baltimore collapses :shudder: ). Denver could do no better than 9-7, and if Jax also loses one, they can also do no better than 9-7. If the Jets run the table, they would be alone at 10-6 and get in as the 6 seed.

the jets dont need cincy to lose; however, the worst jets scenario is cincy beating indy, then losing to denv.in that case, both those teams would be at 9 wins, with tiebreaks over the jets. so, if cincy loses to indy, it makes the den cincy game unimportant, as the loser would then be able to max out at 9 wins.

 

[The_Man]

Tonight's Cincy-Indy game is huge for the Ravens too.

If Cincy wins, then the Ravens move ahead of the Colts for the #2 seed. The Ravens can then have a chance to keep the #2 seed even if they lose at Pittsburgh. If the Colts win their last 2 and the Ravens beat Buffalo at home, then the Colts and Ravens are tied in AFC record and Common Opponents, and go to the Strength of Victory (SOV) tie-breaker.

Right now, the Colts hold a small SOV edge, but it's very small. There's actually a decent chance that the SOV tie-breaker could come down to the Week 17 Cleveland-Houston game -- if Cleveland wins, it boosts Baltimore SOV by 2, and a Houston win does the same for Indy. The Redskins' win yesterday was actually very big for the Colts as that was a 2-game SOV swing (Colts beat Washington, Ravens beat New Orleans)

 

[bigreese82]

What needs to happen for my Titans? I know the stars need to be aligned

 

[Despyzer]

What needs to happen for my Titans? I know the stars need to be aligned

They need to go back in time and not hire Floyd Reese.

 

[The_Man]

Top four AFC seeds seem pretty well locked in place now.

1 - San Diego

They can even lose to Seattle and still be #1, as long as they don't finish alone in a head-to-head tie with Baltimore. They hold the tie-breaker over Indy and would also get the #1 seed if they finish in a 3-way tie with Indy and Baltimore.

2 - Indy

Have clinched the head-to-head tie-breaker over Baltimore. Only way they don't get #2 is if they finish a game behind Baltimore or a game ahead of San Diego.

3 - Baltimore

Only tie-breaker edge is head-to-head over SD.

4 - New England

Wild Card -- who knows? Baltimore at Indy in the divisional round would be a very interesting game.