NFL - How confusing is this???

[Mogul4]

AFC PLAYOFF PICTURE

If season ended today: First-round byes: 1. Tennessee, 2. Pittsburgh.
6. Baltimore at 3. Miami, 5. Indianapolis at 4. Denver.

1. Tennessee Titans (13-2) – Clinched No. 1 seed, AFC South title, first-round bye and home-field advantage through AFC playoffs.


2. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4) – Clinched No. 2 seed, AFC North title and first-round bye.


3. Miami Dolphins (10-5) – Clinch No. 3 seed and AFC East title with:
a) win at NY Jets, OR
b) tie vs. NY Jets AND New England loss/tie at Buffalo.

Clinch No. 6 seed with tie AND Baltimore loss to Jacksonville (AND New England win).

Eliminated with loss.

4. Denver Broncos (8-7) – Clinch AFC West title, No. 4 seed and first-round playoff game vs. Indianapolis with win or tie at San Diego.

Eliminated with loss.

5. Indianapolis Colts (11-4) – Clinched No. 5 seed and first-round playoff game at Denver/San Diego.


6. Baltimore Ravens (10-5) – Clinch playoff berth, No. 6 seed and first-round playoff game at AFC East champion with:
a) win over Jacksonville, OR
b) New England loss at Buffalo, OR
c) tie AND Miami and/or New England tie.

Still alive

• New England Patriots (10-5) – Clinch No. 3 seed and AFC East title with:
a) win AND Miami loss/tie at NY Jets, OR
b) tie AND Miami loss.

Clinch No. 6 seed with:
a) win at Buffalo AND Baltimore loss/tie vs. Jacksonville, OR
b) tie AND Baltimore loss.

• New York Jets (9-6) – Clinch No. 3 seed and AFC East title with: win over Miami AND New England loss at Buffalo.

Clinch No. 6 seed with: win AND Baltimore loss to Jacksonville (AND New England win/tie).

• San Diego Chargers (7-8) – Can clinch AFC West title, No. 4 seed and first-round playoff game vs. Indianapolis with win vs. Denver.



NFC PLAYOFF PICTURE

If season ended today: First-round byes: 1. NY Giants, 2. Carolina.
6. Tampa Bay* at 3. Minnesota, 5. Atlanta at 4. Arizona (* Dallas, not Tampa Bay, controls its own fate in Week 17).

1. New York Giants (12-3) – Clinched No. 1 seed, NFC East title, first-round bye and home-field advantage through NFC playoffs.


2. Carolina Panthers (11-4) – Clinched playoff berth. Can clinch No. 2 seed, NFC South title and first-round bye with:
a) win/tie at New Orleans OR
b) Atlanta loss/tie to St. Louis.

Will be No. 5 seed with: loss at New Orleans AND Atlanta win over St. Louis.


3. Minnesota Vikings (9-6) – Clinch No. 3 seed and NFC North title with:
a) win vs. NY Giants, OR
b) Chicago loss at Houston, OR
c) tie AND Chicago tie.

Clinch No. 6 seed and first-round playoff game at Chicago with: tie AND Dallas loss at Philadelphia AND Tampa Bay loss to Oakland (AND Chicago win).

4. Arizona Cardinals (8-7) – Clinched No. 4 seed and NFC West title.


5. Atlanta Falcons (10-5) – Clinched playoff berth. Clinch No. 2 seed, NFC South title and first-round bye with: win over St. Louis AND Carolina loss at New Orleans.

Clinch at worst No. 5 seed with: win/tie OR Dallas loss/tie.

Otherwise clinch No. 6 seed and open playoffs at NFC North champion.

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-6) – Currently the No. 6 seed because of better conference record (8-4) than Dallas (7-4) and Chicago (7-5). However, Dallas will win the tiebreaker if teams finish 10-6 because both teams will have 8-4 conference record (eliminating Chicago), and Dallas beat Tampa Bay head to head.

Clinch No. 6 seed and playoff game at NFC North champion with:
a) win over Oakland AND Dallas loss/tie at Philadelphia, OR
b) tie AND Dallas loss AND either Minnesota or Chicago loss, OR
c) tie AND Dallas tie AND either Minnesota or Chicago tie AND either Minnesota or Chicago loss

Eliminated with loss OR Dallas win.

Still alive


• Dallas Cowboys (9-6) – Clinch No. 5 seed with: win at Philadelphia AND Atlanta loss to St. Louis.

Clinch No. 6 seed and playoff game at NFC North champion with:
a) win at Philadelphia (and Atlanta win/tie), OR
b) tie AND Tampa Bay loss to Oakland AND either Minnesota loss/tie or Chicago loss/tie, OR
c) tie AND Tampa Bay tie AND either Chicago loss at Houston or Minnesota loss to NY Giants.

Eliminated with loss.

• Chicago Bears (9-6) – Clinch No. 3 seed and NFC North title with:
a) win at Houston AND Minnesota loss/tie at NY Giants, OR
b) tie at Houston AND Minnesota loss at NY Giants.

Clinch No. 6 seed and playoff game at Minnesota with:
a) win AND Tampa Bay loss/tie at Oakland AND Dallas loss/tie at Philadelphia.
b) tie AND Tampa Bay loss AND Dallas loss.

• Philadelphia Eagles (8-6-1) – Clinch playoff berth, No. 6 seed and playoff game at NFC North champion with: win over Dallas AND Tampa Bay loss to Oakland AND either Minnesota loss to NY Giants or Chicago loss at Houston.






Looking at this, my start of the season wager on the SuperBowl being an all NewYork affair looks unlikely.

And i took the pats at huge odds the day Brady got told no more Football for 1 year.

Im a falcons fan, but money is money

[sil3ntq]

i really hope baltimore somehow does not make it into the playoffs. also, i really wish denver to upset san diego. I wouldnt mind Miami making it, but i wouldnt want New England or the jets to make it.

im a steelers fan, and i believe which ever team that beat us in the regular season will lose to us in the playoffs (Colts and Titans). i also believe that whichever team that we beat, will beat us in the playoffs (Chargers, Ravens, Patriots) Not so much the patriots, but i rather not play them. also, the jets have always played well against the steelers; whether in the season or in the playoffs. Last season, they lost to them 19-16 in OT. and in 2005, when the steelers were 15-1, they beat the jets barely in OT. so i rather play miami than the jets.

if the steelers make the superbowl, i'd want them to play the giants or the eagles, because they beat us once already; and i really dnt think that will happen again. I wouldnt want dallas to make it to the playoffs because i think they'll make superbowl if theyre in the playoffs and if they play pittsburgh, they'll win because steelers beat them in the regular season.

my playoff picture (that i wish would happen) is:

AFC:
1. Titans
2. Steelers
3. Dolphins
4. Broncos
5. Colts
6. Patriots

With Colts defeating Broncos and Dolphins defeating Patriots.
Then, Steelers defeating Dolphins and it does not matter who wins the Colts/Titans game, but i prefer Titans, just because of what Lendale White did to the terrible towel -__-.

NFC:
1. Giants
2. Falcons
3. Vikings
4. Cardinals
5. Panthers
6. Eagles

I think New Orleans is going to upset the panthers in week 17 and falcons are going to beat the rams and take the #2 seed in the nfc.

so therefore, eagles over vikings, panthers over cardinals.
giants or eagles, doesnt matter who wins; and panthers will beat the falcons.
whoever the panthers go against in the nfc championship, i want them to lose, so its either eagles or giants vs steelers in the superbowl.

if steelers play either one of them, they will beat them and win SB43. =D

[Zybomb]

This is impossible... either New England, NYJ or Baltimore have to get in

Jets win and either Ravens or Pats lose, Jets and the team that doesn't lose are in (if they both lose the Ravens get in anyway)

Jets lose, the Dolphins get in and The Ravens get in if they win, or New England gets in if they win and the Ravens lose (The ens get in if both teams lose)

Basically the only way Baltimore can't get in is if The Jets or The Pats take their spot. Two of the three teams can get in if (when) the Jets beat Miami. then if the other teams lose its the Jets and Ravens, if they both win its the Pats and Ravens and if one wins and one loses it's the Jets and the team that won.

Also in response to the original post looking at "If the season ended today" is often a poor and misleading way of looking at the playoff picture, because the last week of the season often has tie breaker implications which change everything around.... for example currently if the Jets win and The Ravens lose theyd both end up 10-6 and right now The Ravens are tied for the first tie breaker (Conference Record) but ahead in the next tie breaker, so one can then infer that The Jets can't get in ahead of the Ravens.... but if they Jets win and the Ravens lose to end up both 10-6 then the Jets will overtake the conference record tie breaker since both teams are playing in conference games.

Edit: I just read the end of the 2nd post -- Eagles or Giants vs The Steelers in the SB?????? Stop it stop it. The Eagles aren't even making the playoffs! Even if they manage to beat Dallas which I really don't think they will, do you really think that the Bucs are going to lose to Oakland AT HOME with their playoff lives on the line??....AND even if that somehow happens they still need more help (either a Bear loss to the Texans or a Viking loss to the Giants). To say Philly is gunna make the playoffs is borderline crazy.....to say the SUPER BOWL is full blown!

The Steelers have a chance to get in, but games at Tennessee or against The Colts will be very tough -- if both teams play their A game I'd pick both them ahead of Pitt, but it comes down to will they.

[sil3ntq]

alright i never said the eagles are gna make it... i just wrote my "wish list" playoff picture that i think would be best for my team...

[sil3ntq]

haha... so... eagles wont make playoffs? we saw the answer to that today

[drewjax]

so fucking gay

[Zybomb]

talk about everything falling into place for a team wow.

I still say its insane to think they'll make the superbowl -- but hey maybe ill eat my words

[Talking Poker]

[drewjax]

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO,
we can put a man on the moon, but we cant get the best teams in the NFL playoffs?????????????????????????????


ish imo

[Zybomb]

If there's one positive thing about yesterday, it's that we kept The Pats out. HAH! 11-5 not good enough buddy. Go come up with some more illegal schemes Belichick

[Mogul4]

All fine. But 11-5 not good enough while 8-8 Chargers are in?

Something is fucked with this system. They changed it in '91 and '02 i think. Change it again

[Reel Deal]

Someone needs to learn how to use the Manage Attachments feature of these boards... f'in n00b.

[Talking Poker]

Intentional forum asplosion FYW.

[drewjax]

Belichick's lap dog isnt even good enough for you losers!!!!!!!





BWWWWWWWWWWWHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHAHHHA

[Kurn]

Only losers call playing to win cheating. Greatest coach in the history of the game.

Keep up the good work Bill. His greatness is proved by the failures of his assistants when they leave.

Bill Parcells never won anything without Belichick.

And best, the rat Mangini gets fired. GG Jets, Ditch Pennington, pick up the most overrated QB in history and miss the playoffs.

Almost makes up for the Pats not making the playoffs.

[Kurn]

Only losers call playing to win cheating.

I'm going to proactively apologize to Zy for the word "loser", since I have respect for him and in sober retrospect consider it over the top. I'd like to substitute "annoying New York fan" in its place.

[Zybomb]

This is takin a turn in topic but....

Come on...

Parcells rebuilt the Giants, Patriots, Jets, and Cowboys (and now the dolphins although not as head coach), in under 2 years. He's simply a natural born winner wherever he goes, the team simply wins. no one else can take 1-15, 4-12, 6-10 teams and in one or two years turn them into playoff contenders. All without the convenient luxury of having someone named "Brady" at their most important position (I guess Phil Simms would be close but...) He took a Cowboy team that was 5-11 3 straight years into the playoffs in his very first year....with a QB named Quincy Carter!

I know Belichick's stats pre Brady are mediocre at best so i looked them up...Belichick was 36-44 with the Browns and the Patriots were 5-11 in 2000, Belichick's first year, without Brady. Add in this 11-5 season that makes him 52-60, 41-55 before this season without Tom Brady. Is Belichick that good or is he just fortunate to have the "Brady" factor?

Until Belichick proves he can win on multiple teams, he can't be put in the same category with Parcells, or even close for that matter

[Kurn]

Until Belichick proves he can win on multiple teams, he can't be put in the same category with Parcells, or even close for that matter

I doubt he'll jump teams like Parcells, so we'll likely never know if that's the criterion. OTOH, if Pioli goes elsewhere, it might be a good measure of how good Belichick is if he continues his success without his player-personnel guy. Clearly his coordinators leaving haven't had much of an effect.

However, the Pats have a discipline and a mindset unseen since Lombardi's Packer teams. For whatever reason, Belichick fosters a kind of professionalism rarely seen in todays pro sports.

11-5 after losing the best QB in the game in the first 15 minutes of game 1. Losing 2 defensive captains. The starting RB, losing a combined 8 games from the starting D-line, including 4 straight by IMO the best guy there (Ty Warren). Losing his best LB in mid season. Finishing the season with 2 rookies and 2 guys who were in recliners watching football after 10 games at LB. And did I mention a starting QB who hadn't started a game since High School.

Parcells is great, but how many Super Bowls without Belichick?

This may annoy other Boston fans, but the Pats of this era remind me a lot of the Yankees during their run in the late 90's. No BS allowed. Ask the perennially disgruntled how fast his act got old in the Bronx, or ask Chad Curtis who tried to preach scripture in the clubhouse and got thrown against a wall by Jeter and told that shit wasn't acceptable in HIS clubhouse.

Winning teams and winning coaches take care of business and nothing else. The same thing you're saying about Belichick was said about Torre. I don't buy it in either case. Maybe both learned from their mistakes. With Parcells it's always been as much about Parcells as about the team.

[Reel Deal]

Pretty sure that if you're a 3-time league MVP you really cannot be the most overrated QB in history.

[Gordogg]

I found that statement ridiculous as well.

[Kurn]

You're right. I forgot about Marino.