NFL Playoff Scenarios 2010: National Football League Fans, Let The Head Scratchin’ Begin!
Posted: Tuesday, December 22, 2009
by Edward Rhymes
Your doctorate or PhD won't do you any good here. You thought doing taxes was tough? You thought learning how to get that child seat hooked up in the backseat of your SUV was a chore? Well those things are just child's play when it comes to figuring out the various NFL playoff scenarios.
But don't you worry; Uncle Ed is here to help you understand the ins and outs of the playoff picture thus far. By the way, complimentary Tylenol and/or ibuprofen will be provided per reader request.
The playoff scenarios are fairly simple, outside of the AFC wild card. This week, settled three division titles, and one playoff berth. Next week, home field advantage, byes, and more playoff berths can conceivably be clinched. Starting on Christmas day, the playoff picture will come to the forefront again, as teams try to settle their fates definitively in week 17.
On Friday night, the Chargers can officially clinch a first round bye, and the AFC two seed, by beating the Titans. Since they have a two game lead over the Patriots and the Bengals, a bye seems all but assured. But a win would prevent the Patriots from gaining ground in that race, if they defeated the Jaguars on Sunday.
All the same, the Patriots can officially clinch the AFC East with a win in that game. Since they're up by two over the Dolphins and Jets, another division title looks inevitable. The Bengals can also clinch a division crown - in their third attempt - by beating Kansas City.
While all the AFC division titles and byes can be locked up this week, the circumstances are much more complicated in the wild card race. No wild card berths can be clinched on Sunday, but the race could get clearer, or much cloudier.
The Broncos and Ravens have a leg-up on the rest of the pack with 8-6 records. The monkey-wrench, however, is that the Broncos face the Eagles and the Ravens go to Pittsburgh, so they could both easily lose. If they do, then a traffic-jam of 8-7 teams could be tied for the fifth and sixth seed. Oh, but what do we see here? The Steelers, Titans, Jets and Jaguars are underdogs in week 16, while the Dolphins and Texans have an elimination game against each other.
The playoff picture is less convoluted in the NFC. The Saints can clinch home field with a win against the 2-12 Bucs, while the Vikings can clinch the second seed with a win and an Eagles loss. But if the Vikings lose to the Bears and the Eagles win, then that race is all knotted-up.
The Eagles have the more immediate goal of winning the NFC East, which they can do with a win and a Cowboys loss to the Redskins. If not, the Eagles-Cowboys game at Dallas next week would determine the NFC East winner.
That wasn't so hard, was it? Now, you can kick-back, relax and enjoy the games knowing... that this could all be flipped on its head next week!
But don't you worry; Uncle Ed is here to help you understand the ins and outs of the playoff picture thus far. By the way, complimentary Tylenol and/or ibuprofen will be provided per reader request.
On Friday night, the Chargers can officially clinch a first round bye, and the AFC two seed, by beating the Titans. Since they have a two game lead over the Patriots and the Bengals, a bye seems all but assured. But a win would prevent the Patriots from gaining ground in that race, if they defeated the Jaguars on Sunday.
All the same, the Patriots can officially clinch the AFC East with a win in that game. Since they're up by two over the Dolphins and Jets, another division title looks inevitable. The Bengals can also clinch a division crown - in their third attempt - by beating Kansas City.
While all the AFC division titles and byes can be locked up this week, the circumstances are much more complicated in the wild card race. No wild card berths can be clinched on Sunday, but the race could get clearer, or much cloudier.
The Broncos and Ravens have a leg-up on the rest of the pack with 8-6 records. The monkey-wrench, however, is that the Broncos face the Eagles and the Ravens go to Pittsburgh, so they could both easily lose. If they do, then a traffic-jam of 8-7 teams could be tied for the fifth and sixth seed. Oh, but what do we see here? The Steelers, Titans, Jets and Jaguars are underdogs in week 16, while the Dolphins and Texans have an elimination game against each other.
The playoff picture is less convoluted in the NFC. The Saints can clinch home field with a win against the 2-12 Bucs, while the Vikings can clinch the second seed with a win and an Eagles loss. But if the Vikings lose to the Bears and the Eagles win, then that race is all knotted-up.
The Eagles have the more immediate goal of winning the NFC East, which they can do with a win and a Cowboys loss to the Redskins. If not, the Eagles-Cowboys game at Dallas next week would determine the NFC East winner.
That wasn't so hard, was it? Now, you can kick-back, relax and enjoy the games knowing... that this could all be flipped on its head next week!
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