Here's how the AFC is currently seeded...
AFC
1. New England (11-3)
2. Baltimore (10-4)
3. Houston (10-4)
4. Denver (8-6), Oakland (7-7), San Diego (7-7), Kansas City (6-8)
5. Pittsburgh (10-4)
6. New York (8-6)
New England: Two home games against the Dolphins and Bills, and a win plus a Houston loss secures a first round bye. New England clinches home-field advantage with a win + HOU loss + PIT loss + BAL loss. Smooth sailing.
Baltimore: The Ravens host Cleveland, and this game is huge because in Week 17 they travel to Cincinatti to play what could be a very desperate Bengals team. Baltimore holds the tiebreaker over Pittsburgh if they both happen to win out. They can clinch the AFC North with a win + PIT loss. They clinch a first-round bye with a win + PIT loss + HOU loss.
Houston: At Indy on Thursday night, and at home against the Titans in Week 17. They have clinched the AFC South and a home playoff game, and there's an outside chance that they could get the 2 seed and a first round bye. They'd need to finish with a better record than Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
AFC West: Denver is at Buffalo and then at home against KC. Oakland is at KC and then hosts the Chargers. San Diego is at Detroit, and then at Oakland. Kansas City hosts Oakland and then travels to Denver. Because this is such a mess, i'll show you this from ESPN.com AFC West Blogger, Bill Williamson.
Week 16 AFC WEST playoff-clinching scenarios:
Denver clinches AFC West Division:
1) DEN win + OAK loss or tie 2) DEN tie + OAK loss + SD loss or tie
Denver clinches a wild card spot:
1) DEN win + NYJ loss + CIN loss + TEN loss or tie
AFC West Week 16 playoff elimination scenarios
OAK eliminated from playoff spot with OAK loss + CIN win or tie
OAK eliminated from playoff spot with OAK loss + NYJ win or tie
OAK eliminated from playoff spot with OAK tie + CIN win + DEN win
OAK eliminated from playoff spot with OAK tie + NYJ win + DEN win
SD eliminated from playoff spot with SD loss + CIN win or tie
SD eliminated from playoff spot with SD loss + NYJ win or tie
SD eliminated from playoff spot with SD tie + CIN win + DEN win
SD eliminated from playoff spot with SD tie + NYJ win or tie + CIN win + DEN tie
SD eliminated from playoff spot with SD tie + NYJ win + DEN win
SD eliminated from playoff spot with SD tie + NYJ win + CIN tie + DEN tie
KC eliminated from playoff spot with KC loss or tie
KC eliminated from playoff spot with DEN win or tie
Complete AFC WEST clinching scenarios:
How Broncos Can Win AFC West:
1) DEN wins last 2 games
OR
2) DEN beats KC in Week 17
OR
3) DEN beats BUF in Week 16 AND OAK loses 1 of last 2 games
OR
4) OAK beats KC in Week 16 AND SD loses to DET in Week 16 AND SD beats OAK in Week 17
How Raiders Can Win AFC West:
1) OAK wins last 2 games AND DEN loses to KC in Week 17
How Chargers Can Win AFC West:
1) SD wins last 2 games AND DEN loses last 2 games
How Chiefs Can Win AFC West:
1) KC wins last 2 games AND DEN loses last 2 games AND SD loses 1 of last 2 games
Thanks Mr. Williamson, and good work.
Pittsburgh: Hosting the Rams, and then at Cleveland is all that remains for the Steelers. If they win both of those games like they should, and the Ravens lose one of their last two games, then the Steelers are the 2 seed and get the coveted bye week. Again, Baltimore owns the tiebreaker if they happen to end up with the same record.
New York: Giants and then at Miami for the Jets who do own a tie breaker over Cincinatti for the 6 seed due to common games played. Win both games and they are in, but the Bengals could over take them if the Jets beat the Giants, but lose to the Dolphins. That would give Cincinatti the nod if they beat Baltimore due to conference records. Obviously winning out is the plan, but if they had to get in by only winning one of their reamining games, then they want to for sure beat Miami. However, if the Raiders win out and the Jets lose one game, they would both finish at 9-7 meaning that Oakland gets the tiebreaker because they beat the Jets in Week 3.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S A CHANCE?
*Cincinatti (8-6): Two home games left for the Bengals against the Cardinals and Ravens. The easy way to get in is to win both games and hope the Jets lose one of those games. Should the Bengals and Jets both finish tied at 10-6. The tiebreaker would come down to strength of victory. The current records of the 10 teams each team would have defeated would be 57-83 for the Jets and 51-89 for the Bengals.
*Tennessee (7-7): Jags at home and then at Houston, for the Titans who blew their chance by losing to the Colts last week. They must win both remaining games, and also get some help. If they end up 9-7 with the Jets then the Titans own the tiebreaker. It's a little different and more complicated if they end up 9-7 with the Bengals. If the Bengals beat Arizona and then lose to Baltimore then they are in. If the more unlikely scenario happens, the Bengals losing to Arizona but beating Baltimore, then that means Cincinatti gets in.
OH NO
The Colts are at 1-13 and appear to be headed towards the #1 pick, although the Rams and Vikings are both 2-12 so the Colts better be careful not to win again.
No comments:
Post a Comment