The final week of the NFL season is upon us and the playoff scenarios are the talk of the NFL. In the AFC, seven teams are still alive for a spot in the playoffs. The New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens have the easy course…win and your in, lose and you are out.
The tiebreaker scenarios change significantly based on who wins and who loses. The Jets and Ravens lose every tiebreaker scenario, making it a free-for-all should either team lose. The following is a breakdown of all the possibilities for today’s games:
New York Jets clinch a playoff spot with:
A win over Cincinnati Bengals
Baltimore Ravens clinch a playoff spot with:
A win over the Oakland Raiders
Denver Broncos clinch a playoff spot with:
Denver win and a New York loss or tie and a Baltimore loss or tie
Denver win and a New York loss or tie and a Pittsburgh loss or tie
Denver win and a New York loss or tie and a Houston win
Denver win and a Baltimore loss or tie and a Pittsburgh loss or tie
Denver win and a Baltimore loss or tie and a Houston win
Pittsburgh loss and a Baltimore loss and a Houston loss and a Jacksonville loss
Pittsburgh loss and a Baltimore loss and a Houston loss and a New York loss
Pittsburgh loss and a Baltimore loss and a Jacksonville loss and a New York loss
Pittsburgh loss and a Houston loss and a Jacksonville loss and a New York loss
Miami loss or tie and a New York loss and a Baltimore loss and a Houston loss and a Jacksonville loss or tie
Pittsburgh Steelers clinch a playoff spot with:
Pittsburgh win and a Houston loss or tie and a New York loss or tie
Pittsburgh win and a Houston loss or tie and a Baltimore loss or tie
Pittsburgh win and a New York loss or tie and a Baltimore loss or tie and a Denver loss or tie
Houston Texans clinch a playoff spot with:
Houston win and a New York loss or tie and a Baltimore loss or tie
Houston win and a New York loss or tie and a Denver loss or tie
Houston win and a Baltimore loss or tie and a Denver loss or tie
Jacksonville Jaguars clinch a playoff spot with:
Jacksonville win and a Pittsburgh loss and a Baltimore loss and a Denver loss and a Houston loss
Jacksonville win and a Pittsburgh loss and a Baltimore loss and a Denver loss and a New York loss
Jacksonville win and a Pittsburgh loss and a Baltimore loss and a Houston loss and a New York loss
Jacksonville win and a Pittsburgh loss and a Denver loss and a Houston loss and a New York loss
Jacksonville win and a New York loss and a Denver loss and a Houston loss and a Baltimore loss
Miami Dolphins clinch a playoff spot with:
Miami win and a New York loss and a Baltimore loss and a Houston loss and a Jacksonville loss or tie
The Saints could not get things started until it was too late and ended up with their first defeat to the hands of the Dallas Cowboys. The Saints lost 24-17 that stopped their winning streak at 13. That leaves the only unbeaten team in the NFL the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts survived Thursday night’s game at Jacksonville winning 35-31 and going to 14-0.
Tony Romo is all laughs after handling the Saints their first loss.
The Cowboys jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter. The scoring started with a 49 yard scoring strike to Miles Austin. Austin had a great game with 7 catches for 139 yards and that first touchdown to set the momentum for the Boys. Dallas was in command from the start and held a 24-3 lead after three quarters. In the battle of two big name quarterbacks it was Tony Romo who outplayed Drew Brees.
Romo threw for 312 yards and one touchdown and zero interceptions. He was a efficient 22-34 and Dallas as a team had no turnovers. If you do not turn over the ball, you have a great chance to win any game in the NFL. Dallas ended up with 439 total yards and controlled the time of possession with 36:26. If you want to beat the Saints, keep Brees and the Saints off the field. Dallas had a good game plan and executed it to perfection. This victory leaves Dallas within a half game of Philadelphia in the NFC east and greatly increases their chances of playing playoff football.
In contrast, Brees and the Saints seemed to never get off the snide to start the game. Falling behind by three touchdowns after three quarters was to insurmountable to overcome. The Saint got it to 24-17 and had the ball but got held on downs to end the game. Brees was 29-45 with a touchdown and one interception. He also lost two fumbles and the Saints were held to their lowest output of the season. It was a credit to the Saints to make it this close considering they played so poorly the first three quarters.
This loss leaves the Saints at 13-1 and they are still the #1 seed in the NFC. Brees is very disappointed tha the could not bring the deserving fans of New Orleans a perfect season. This loss could only motivate the Saints and Brees to stay focused and not be complacent. It could be Blessing in Disguise.
The Colts and Peyton Manning pulled off another victory in the fourth quarter as they defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars 35-31 in a back and forth game Thursday night. The Colts fell behind four times before Manning worked his magic on a 65 yard touchdown strike to Reggie Wayne with 5:23 left in the game that turned out to be the game winner, and the only scoring of the fourth quarter. This has become a habit for this team and this quarterback. The Colts have won seven games this year when trailing at one point in the fourth quarter. This team just knows how to get the job done with the game on the line.
How much will Jim Caldwell play Peyton and Co to stay perfect?
Manning completed his first thirteen passes and ended up 23-30 with 308 yards and four touchdowns with one interception. The Colts were playing for pride and a perfect regular season. This team just has a infectious way of winning a football game. Jacksonville was playing for a chance for a Wild Card playoff position, so the Colts beat a opponent that has something on the line.
The Colts have two more opponents left on their schedule. They have the Jets at home and finish up in Buffalo. It will be interesting how much Jim Caldwell will play his starters in these last two games being they already have the home field advantage clinched in the AFC. I hope he gives it a real shot and makes the Colts a perfect 16-0. Maybe he will not want to finish perfect and get a loss out of the way and not end up like the New England Patriots did a few years ago. The next few weeks will tell the story.
The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Denver Broncos 28-16 yesterday and in doing so set two records and kept them rolling towards a perfect regular season this year. The first and current record they set is a impressive 22nd straight regular season victory eclipsing the 21 stright set by the New England Patriots just last year. You have to be both lucky and good to achieve a streak like this. The second and even more impressive record is the Colts have won 114 games this decade breaking the 113 wins in the 90’s set by the mighty San Francisco 49ers. The Colts are making history each week and are steam rolling towards a improbable 16-0 regular season finish. I would not bet against them achieving that goal and achieving that history.
In yesterday’s victory, they jumped out to a 21-0 lead. Denver closed to 21-16 before their great leader Peyton Manning lead them to a 80 yard drive to salt away the victory. It seems that Manning and the Colts can come up with that kind of scoring drive whenever they need to.
Their next three games are Thursday at Jacksonville, then the Jets at home and then finally at Buffalo. They should pull off that triple and will never be forgotten in the annals of the NFL.
I am truly hoping that they pull this off as I love a team and player like Peyton Manning to make sport memories that will last a lifetime. It makes watching the NFL very enjoyable for me and to any NFL fan that enjoys history in the making. Keep the decade of excellence going, Colts.
Along with the Saints, there is another 12-0 team n the NFL and that is the Indianapolis Colts. The Colts have been another team that has been very good at times but have been very fortunate to be undefeated. They have done it with the great play from their superstar quarterback, Peyton Manning. They have been suspect on the ground this year as Joseph Addai is their top runner only have amassing 662 yards but has twelve touchdowns. The Colts have a upcoming four game stretch that is win manageable on their quest to perfection.
The Colts next game is home to the Denver Broncos. The Broncos are coming off two impressive victories over the Giants and Chiefs. The Colts are in a different league than those two, add the home field advantage, and the Colts should be 13-0. Their next game is at Jacksonville. This could be a tough road game as Jacksonville as looked good at times. Which Jacksonville team will show up is the question. From their it is the Jets at home. The Colts should roll to a victory over them and possibly be within one game of a undefeated season. Their last game would be in the cold at Buffalo. The C0lts usually don’t fair well in the cold but if they are still undefeated that should warm them up wth the motivation to play well and get the victory.
As you see from their upcoming schedule, the Colts have a decent shot for a perfect season. I would love to see them match the 1972 Miami Dolphins and make this a memorable season for NFL fans. Peyton Manning is one of the best quarterbacks ever and deserves a season like this. Colts+Peyton could very well equal perfection.
