NFL Football Discussion Thread ~ Final Week of Regular Season

NFL ^

[CounterCounterCulture]

*** USELESS VANITY THREAD ***

And thus begins the official end to the season of 20 NFL teams as the 12 survivors jockey for their post-season slots this weekend.

AFC East  
  Team           W  L T 
  Miami          9  6 0 
  N.Y. Jets      8  7 0 
  New England    8  7 0  
  Buffalo        7  8 0 
 
AFC North  
  Team           W  L T 
y-Pittsburgh     9  5 1 
  Cleveland      8  7 0 
  Baltimore      7  8 0 
  Cincinnati     2 13 0  
 
AFC South  
  Team           W  L T 
y-Tennessee     10  5 0 
  Indianapolis   9  6 0 
  Jacksonville   6  9 0 
  Houston        4 11 0 
 
AFC West  
  Team           W  L T 
y-Oakland       10  5 0 
  Denver         8  7 0 
  Kansas City    8  7 0 
  San Diego      8  7 0 
 
NFC East  
  Team           W  L T 
yz-Philadelphia 12  3 0  
  N.Y. Giants    9  6 0 
  Washington     6  9 0 
  Dallas         5 10 0  
 
NFC North  
  Team           W  L T 
y-Green Bay     12  3 0
  Minnesota      5 10 0 
  Chicago        4 11 0 
  Detroit        3 12 0 
 
NFC South  
  Team           W  L T 
y-Tampa Bay     11  4 0  
  Atlanta        9  5 1 
  New Orleans    9  6 0  
  Carolina       6  9 0 
 
NFC West  
  Team           W  L T 
y-San Francisco 10  5 0 
  Seattle        6  9 0 
  St. Louis      6  9 0 
  Arizona        5 10 0  
x-clinched playoff berth
y-clinched division title
z-clinched first-round bye
*-clinched homefield advantage 

Official playoff scenarios

The following are the official playoff scenarios in each conference and division as determined by the NFL. Strength of victory is the season-ending winning percentage of all the opponents a team has defeated. Strength of victory can change after final week.

AFC EAST

Miami Dolphins: Can clinch AFC East division with win or tie.
To clinch home-field advantage: 1) Win AND Oakland loss AND Tennessee loss AND Pittsburgh loss AND Miami wins strength of victory tiebreaker over Oakland and Tennessee.
To clinch a first-round bye: 1) Win AND Pittsburgh loss or tie AND Oakland loss; 2) Win AND Pittsburgh loss or tie AND Tennessee loss; 3) Win AND Tennessee loss AND Oakland loss AND Miami wins strength of victory tiebreaker over Oakland and Tennessee.
To clinch a playoff spot: 1) N.Y. Jets loss or tie AND Denver win; 2) N.Y. Jets loss or tie AND Kansas City loss or tie.

New England Patriots: Can clinch AFC East division: 1) Win AND N.Y. Jets loss or tie.
To clinch a playoff spot: 1) Win AND Cleveland loss or tie AND Denver loss or tie AND Kansas City win; 2) Win AND Cleveland loss or tie AND Denver loss or tie AND San Diego loss or tie; 3) Tie AND N.Y. Jets loss AND Cleveland loss AND Denver loss AND San Diego loss AND Kansas City loss or tie.

New York Jets: Can clinch AFC East division: 1) Win AND Miami loss.
Can clinch playoff spot: 1) Win AND Cleveland loss or tie AND Denver win; 2) Win AND Cleveland loss or tie AND Kansas City loss or tie; 3) Tie AND New England loss or tie AND Cleveland loss AND Denver loss or tie AND Kansas City loss AND San Diego loss or tie.

AFC NORTH

Pittsburgh Steelers: Have clinched the AFC North title.
Can clinch home-field advantage: 1) Win AND Tennessee loss AND Oakland loss.
Can clinch a first-round bye: 1) Win AND Tennessee loss; 2) Win AND Oakland loss.

Cleveland Browns: Can clinch playoff spot: 1) Win AND Denver win AND N.Y. Jets win; 2) Win AND Kansas City loss or tie AND N.Y. Jets win; 3) Win AND Denver win AND Miami win or tie; 4) Win AND Kansas City loss or tie AND Miami win or tie; 5) Tie AND N.Y. Jets loss or tie AND New England loss or tie AND Denver loss or tie AND San Diego loss or tie AND Kansas City loss; 6) New England loss AND N.Y. Jets loss AND Baltimore loss or tie AND Denver loss AND San Diego loss AND Kansas City loss.

Baltimore Ravens: Can clinch playoff spot: 1) Win AND New England loss AND N.Y. Jets loss AND Cleveland loss AND Denver loss AND San Diego loss AND Kansas City loss.

AFC SOUTH

Tennessee Titans: Have clinched AFC South title.
Can clinch home-field advantage: 1) Win AND Oakland loss or tie; 2) Tie AND Oakland loss; 3) Pittsburgh loss or tie AND Miami win AND Oakland loss AND Tennessee wins on strength of victory tiebreaker over Miami and Oakland.
Can clinch a first-round bye: 1) Win or tie; 2) Miami loss AND Pittsburgh loss or tie; 3) Oakland loss AND Miami win AND Tennessee wins strength of victory tiebreaker over Oakland and Miami.

Indianapolis Colts: Can clinch playoff spot: 1) Win or tie; 2) New England loss or tie; 3) N.Y. Jets win; 4) Cleveland loss or tie AND Kansas City loss or tie; 5) Cleveland loss or tie AND Denver win.

AFC WEST

OAKLAND Raiders: Have clinched AFC West title.
Can clinch home-field advantage: 1) Win; 2) Tie AND Tennessee loss or tie; 3) Pittsburgh loss or tie AND Tennessee loss AND Miami loss; 4) Pittsburgh loss or tie AND Tennessee loss AND Oakland wins strength of victory tiebreaker over Tennessee and Miami.
Can clinch first-round bye: 1) Tie; 2) Miami loss or tie AND Pittsburgh loss or tie; 3) Miami loss or tie AND Tennessee loss; 4) Tennessee loss AND Oakland wins strength of victory tiebreaker over Tennessee and Miami.

Denver Broncos: Can clinch playoff spot: 1) Win AND Cleveland loss or tie AND New England loss or tie AND N.Y. Jets loss or tie; 2) Win AND Cleveland loss or tie AND Miami loss AND N.Y. Jets win; 3) Tie AND New England loss or tie AND N.Y. Jets loss AND Cleveland loss AND Kansas City loss or tie AND San Diego loss or tie.

Kansas City Chiefs: Can clinch playoff spot: 1) Win AND Denver loss or tie AND New England loss or tie; 2) Win AND Denver loss or tie AND Indianapolis win or tie AND N.Y. Jets loss or tie; 3) Win AND Denver loss or tie AND Indianapolis loss AND N.Y. Jets win AND Cleveland win; 4) Tie AND New England loss AND N.Y. Jets loss or tie AND Cleveland loss or tie AND Denver loss AND San Diego loss or tie.

San Diego Chargers: Can clinch playoff spot: 1) Win AND Denver loss or tie AND Kansas City loss or tie AND New England loss or tie AND N.Y. Jets loss or tie AND Cleveland loss or tie; 2) Win AND Denver loss or tie AND Kansas City loss or tie AND Miami loss AND N.Y. Jets win AND Cleveland loss or tie; 3) Tie AND Denver loss AND Kansas City loss AND New England loss AND N.Y. Jets loss AND Cleveland loss.

NFC EAST

Philadelphia Eagles: Have clinched NFC East title and a first-round bye.
Can clinch home-field advantage: 1) Win; 2) Tie AND Green Bay loss or tie; 3) Green Bay loss.

New York Giants: Can clinch playoff spot: 1) Win; 2) Tie AND New Orleans loss or tie; 3) New Orleans loss.

NFC NORTH

Green Bay Packers: Have clinched NFC North title.
Can clinch home-field advantage: 1) Win AND Philadelphia loss or tie; 2) Tie AND Philadelphia loss; Can clinch first-round bye: 1) Win or tie; 2) Tampa Bay loss or tie.

NFC SOUTH

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Have clinched NFC South title.
Can clinch first-round bye: 1) Win AND Green Bay loss.

Atlanta Falcons: Can clinch playoff spot: 1) Win or tie; 2) N.Y. Giants loss or tie; 3) New Orlean loss or tie.

New Orleans Saints: Can clinch playoff spot: 1) Win AND N.Y. Giants loss or tie; 2) Win AND Atlanta loss; 3) Tie AND N.Y. Giants loss.

NFC WEST

49ers: Have clinched NFC West title.

Source

The following teams have been officially eliminated from playoff contention:

Arizona, Buffalo, Carolina, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Jacksonville, Minnesota, St. Louis, Seattle and Washington

WEEK 17 SCHEDULE

(all times Eastern Standard Time)

Saturday, Dec. 28 
Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants, 1:30 pm
Kansas City at Oakland, 5:00 pm 
Sunday, Dec. 29 
Atlanta at Cleveland, 1:00 pm
Baltimore at Pittsburgh, 1:00 pm 
Carolina at New Orleans, 1:00 pm
Cincinnati at Buffalo, 1:00 pm 
Dallas at Washington, 1:00 pm
Miami at New England, 1:00 pm 
Minnesota at Detroit, 1:00 pm
Tennessee at Houston, 1:00 pm 
Jacksonville at Indianapolis, 4:05 pm
Arizona at Denver, 4:15 pm 
Green Bay at N.Y. Jets, 4:15 pm
Seattle at San Diego, 4:15 pm 
Tampa Bay at Chicago, 8:30 pm  
Monday, Dec. 30 
San Francisco at St. Louis, 9:00 pm  

POSTSEASON

Wild-Card Weekend 
Saturday, Jan. 4
AFC or NFC game, 4:30 pm on ABC
AFC or NFC game, 8:00 pm on ABC 
Sunday, Jan. 5
AFC game, 1:00 pm on CBS
NFC game, 4:30 pm on FOX 
Divisional Playoffs 
Saturday, Jan. 11
AFC game, 4:30 pm on CBS
NFC game, 8:00 pm on FOX
Sunday, Jan. 12
NFC game, 1:00 pm on FOX
AFC game, 4:30 pm on CBS 
Conference Championships 
Sunday, Jan. 19
NFC Championship Game, 3:00 pm on FOX
AFC Championship Game, 6:30 pm on CBS 
Super Bowl XXXVII 
Sunday, Jan. 26
Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, Calif.
6:00 pm on ABC 

[NittanyLion]

That would be the team they just beat.

I'll be stunned if Kerry Collins can string together three solid road playoff games in a row. If the Giants can get past the Niners, look for a loss in South Philly come 2nd round.

[winodog]

The final score was not indictive of the game. The giants should have won by more points.

[dead]

The problem for Philly is that they don't really have much of a home field advantage in the fourth quarter. By that time all of their fans that haven't been arrested have either been knocked out or are sleeping in puddles of their own puke.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Show your face.............if you dare

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

The Jets an "inferior opponent"?

Going by their records and the line from Vegas...yes. On paper they stack up well vs. the Packers. But the Jets of late have been hot but they have also shown a propensity for choking late. And until gametime nobody knows the outcome.

Ask the Mighty Rams...and all the suckers that bet against the Pats in the last Super Bowl.

[NittanyLion]

The problem for Philly is that they don't really have much of a home field advantage in the fourth quarter. By that time all of their fans that haven't been arrested have either been knocked out or are sleeping in puddles of their own puke.

ROFL. I might be inclined to defend Eagles' fans, if most of them wouldn't happily accept your characterization. (Myself excluded, of course.)

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Did they forget that they had a running back?

I had the same thought. Those are the types of situations that Ricky Williams lives for...and the types of decisions that get coaches fired.

[CounterCounterCulture]

06 Tampa Bay
00 Chicago
(Halftime)

Yawn

[jjhunsecker]

AFC Playoff will be between the Jets and the Raiders, two best quaterbacks in the league.

[motzman]

The Giants will beat Philadelphia wherever and whenever they play them. Injuries? The Giants have been decimated all year with injuries.

Did you watch that game yesterday?

The Giants kicked the crap out the "great" Philly D. I, and all Giant Fans, laugh at your defense.

Donovan McNabb doesn't play defense. Todd Pinkston doesn't play defense. You want a shootout? Bring it on!

Hmmm...#1 seed in NFC and Best record in NFL. Gee, somehow when the giants were in that position two years ago, "they were the worst team to ever got to a SB?" That was you saying that, wasn't it?

The Eagles haven't been to the Super Bowl since 1980, and have never won a Super Bowl. Oh, but they got real Big Mouths and a real Fat Coach!

Eagles will probably lose their first playoff game. They're huge chokers. You know it.

The Post-Season is a whole new ballgame; throw all your stats out the window. All that matters is how well you're playing, who's got the best weapons, and who's got momentum (i.e. what did you do last week). the Eagles are going to get a week off to think about how they got creamed by the Giants, and how they were lucky to lose by three. And the doubt starts...and the tightness...and all the bad scenarios start going through their mind....

Then, the get to see who they're going to play in the upcoming week. A team that has momentum. And the Eagles will over-plan and over-analyze and will...

CHOKE!

LOL! All in fun you know...just football smack-talk!!

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

And y'all can take this with you....it's good for another month or so:

[WarSlut]

That would be the team they just beat.

Actually, it would be the team that beat them three consecutive times previously. The one with Donovan McNabb and Todd Pinkston.

And the game will be at the Vet.

[lepton]

Bet the browns beat the Steelers.

Best teams in NFL: Raiders, Titans, Giants, Eagles, Jets. Any of these could reliably win it all in a 2 of 3...of course that's not how the playoffs are set up.

[motzman]

Actually, it would be the team that beat them three consecutive times previously.

And had lost to the Giants 9 consecutive times prior to that. Oh, those Eagles...

LMAO!!!!

[WarSlut]

The Eagles haven't been to the Super Bowl since 1980, and have never won a Super Bowl. Oh, but they got real Big Mouths and a real Fat Coach!

LOL!

I remember trying to play Pile-on-the-History with the New York Rangers back in '94. It didn't work. These things always seem to come to an end. If the Phillies can win a World Series after 100 years, the Eagles can win a championship after 42.

Speaking of NFL Championships, how's The Giff feeling these days...

And ease up on Andy, he's a good conservative (and a damn good coach).

[motzman]

LMAO watching pathetic Tampa Bay struggle aginst the Cubs..er-ah Bears.

Tampa is one-and-done.

Just like the Eagles...

[Steve0113]

Since nobody has mentioned it,

Redskins kick Dallas, their winning streak is over.

Emmett gets 17 yards, and falls short of

another 1,000 yard season.

So sad.

[motzman]

And ease up on Andy, he's a good conservative (and a damn good coach).

I like 'em, was just trash-talkin.

Any coach that opens a game his first time out with an onside kick is OK with me.

Phillies did well in the off-season this year...a little too well (Met fan)

[WarSlut]

Tampa is one-and-done.

If Tampa draws the Giants, the Giants will be playing the Eagles for the NFC Championship.

Pinch yourself. You didn't think this was possible when you lost to the Texans. Just like I didn't think a #1 seed was possible after we lost Donovan for the season.

Phillies did well in the off-season this year...a little too well (Met fan)

Johnny Estrada for Kevin Millwood. Talk about a Christmas present. On top of getting Bell and Thome. Phillies could be scary-good this season.

The Mets did well in picking up Floyd. And Glavine, obviously. Not a bad offseason for you guys. The division should be a dogfight (especially if Montreal keeps Colon or Vasquez).

[motzman]

Thome is great Bell is average and Millwood...well to get him for nothing means that somebody, somewhere, had pictures that someone in the Atlanta organization didn't want the world to see.