The Playoff Picture
Here's my take on this morning's headlines:
- NFC: This Monday morning feels a whole lot different than the previous 14. With losses by the Saints and Vikings, the gap that existed between those top two teams and the next three or four contenders in the NFC has seemingly closed. Three weeks ago, the NFC was appeared destined for a Minnesota-New Orleans championship game but after week 15, that is no longer the case. Sure, the Vikes and Saints will probably be the top two seeds in the playoffs. And they are still the best teams in the NFC, for now. But Philadelphia is on fire, having won five straight, and the Eagles offense is capable of scoring a lot of points on any defense. The Cowboys may have finally broken the curse of December and are dangerous without that monkey on their back. Arizona, despite some recent struggles, is back in the playoffs and it was just over 12 months ago that the Cardinals stormed through the conference and came within minutes of winning the Super Bowl. As far as the last playoff spot is concerned, the Packers are still in good position despite their last-second loss at Pittsburgh and they will be rooting hard for the Redskins to defeat the Giants tonight. If the Giants lose, the six teams will be virtually locked in the playoffs with only some positioning to settle. A Giants victory still leaves them hope of making a run. Either way, after this weekend's action, the NFC is a much tighter race than it was just a few weeks ago.
- AFC: Meanwhile, the top two teams in the AFC (Indianapolis and San Diego) solidified their hold on those spots and are playing at extremely high levels. New England was the biggest winner on Sunday as the combination of their victory and losses by Miami and the Jets have virtually locked-up the AFC East. Cincinnati is still in good position to win the AFC North or at least make the playoffs in a worst case scenario. The Broncos and Ravens are both 8-6 and control their own destiny. Denver lost at home to the Raiders and have to travel to Philadelphia in week 16. They are in a dangerous spot of surprisingly missing the playoffs after a 6-0 start. The Ravens were also big winners as they were finally able to separate themselves from the pack. Now at 8-6, the Ravens control their own fate but a loss in the final two weeks will open the door for one of the six 7-7 teams to make the playoffs. It should be a great race for the last two spots in the AFC as multiple combinations involving five to six teams is possible. In a surprising twist, week 15 actually confused the playoff picture more than it clarified the road to the Super Bowl.
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