NFL Playoffs: Who Is The Favorite In The NFC? Super Bowl?

The NFL Playoffs are one of the most gambled on sporting events in the world.

At the beginning of each season, 32 teams have a chance of playing on that last Sunday in February. After week 17, there are only six teams remaining from each conference. Four will wait until the Divisional Playoffs to make their Super Bowl statements, but the other eight will battle in either five or six days on Wild Card Weekend. The once undefeated teams (Vikings and Saints) remain the Super Bowl favorites according to Bodog.com, but have you ever wondered what those exact odds were?

For non-gamblers, the odds are really a non-factor, they usually base the best team based on record. In most cases, that’s how Las Vegas and the off-shore sites have put the numbers together.

As of Monday, January 4th, 2010 – 2:04pm CST

ODDS TO WIN THE NFC CHAMPIONSHIP

New Orleans Saints = 5/4 or (Bet $100 to win $125)

Considering the Saints lost their last three games of the season, this is a very low and risky number. They are the current betting favorite in the NFC, but taking this short of odds on a team that is not playoff tested would be throwing away your money.

Minnesota Vikings = 5/2 or (Bet $100 to win $250)

Personally, the Vikings should be the favorite in the NFC with their playoff experience at the quarterback position and across the board. Super Bowl teams typically either have a superb passing game or a dominating running attack. Minnesota can attack you with both, that makes them the most versatile team in the NFC. If they need to run they’ll run, if they need to pass they’ll pass. The key will be how well the defense plays. Jared Allen, The Williams Wall, and the secondary all need to step up, and they will be playing in the end.

Dallas Cowboys = 11/2 (Bet $100 to win $450)

The Cowboys are the most interesting Wild Card team playing in the NFC. The talent they put on the field can be considered just as good or better than the Vikings, Saints, or Eagles. If they can shed the playoff woes of the past decade and then some, the Cowboys can make a run at the Super Bowl. They would have a significant advantage over Minnesota. The Vikings offensive line has been their biggest problem, and Dallas’ defensive line is one of the best in the league. Dallas fans know the only team they can play in round two is Minnesota. If Anthony Herrera and Bryant McKinnie play like they have in Minnesota’s four road losses than the Dallas Cowboys will end the Vikings season in the Divisional Playoffs. The reason I don’t like Dallas is that Minnesota is 8-0 at home. The dome is loud and those two lineman have played like Pro-Bowlers in the Metrodome.

Philadelphia Eagles = 8/1 or (Bet $100 to win $800)

Considering that they just got dominated by Dallas in an important seeding game, this number is also a little low for my taking. Most people are relying on the fact that Andy Reid has taken the Eagles to the NFC Championship five times over the past seven years. They have only won one of those games. Tough number to risk $100 on after they just got dismantled by Tony Romo. The more troubling thing was how Dallas’ defense just handled Donovan McNabb and DeSean Jackson.

Green Bay Packers = 9/1 or (Bet $100 to win $900)

A lot of betting wonks love to ride the hot pony, and the Packers have to be considered exactly that. Green Bay has won six of their past seven, their only loss coming in Pittsburgh in their home finale. They also lost on a miracle last second pass. If you dismiss that game and the two losses to Minnesota. The Packers would be the number one seed in the NFC. Now you can’t do that because they did lose those games, but the most likely scenario would take Green Bay to New Orleans in the Divisional Playoffs. Because of the way in which both Green Bay’s offense and defense are clicking right now, they should be considered a legit contender to knock off Drew Brees and the Saints. Wouldn’t it be sweet to see another Green Bay-Minnesota matchup in the NFC Championship game?

Arizona Cardinals = 9/1 (Bet $100 to win $900)

The defending NFC Champs are the longest shot in the NFC for a reason. They have lost the ability to defend like they did last season. They also were destroyed by their Wild Card Weekend opponents. It would surprise me if they get by Green Bay. Even though they are at home, Aaron Rodgers and Ryan Grant have shown the ability to take their offense to new heights. Injuries to Anquan Boldin and some other starters are going to make it a very tough task. The odds of this team should be more like 20/1, I would not take less than that.

 

ODDS TO WIN THE SUPER BOWL:

Arizona Cardinals = 22/1

Dallas Cowboys = 10/1

Green Bay Packers = 22/1

Minnesota Vikings = 7/1

New Orleans Saints = 4/1

Philadelphia Eagles = 16/1

These odds favor the AFC opponent in the matchup in Miami. The Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers, and New England Patriots would more than likely be favored over all of these teams in a Super Bowl.

ODDS OF POTENTIAL SUPERBOWL MATCHUPS:

Arizona Cardinals vs Baltimore Ravens = 100/1

Arizona Cardinals vs Cincinnati Bengals = 150/1

Arizona Cardinals vs Indianapolis Colts = 20/1

Arizona Cardinals vs San Diego Chargers = 20/1

Arizona Cardinals vs New York Jets = 200/1

Arizona Cardinals vs New England Patriots = 50/1

Dallas Cowboys vs Baltimore Ravens = 75/1

Dallas Cowboys vs Cincinnati Bengals = 100/1

Dallas Cowboys  vs Indianapolis Colts = 12/1

Dallas Cowboys  vs San Diego Chargers = 16/1

Dallas Cowboys  vs New York Jets = 125/1

Dallas Cowboys  vs New England Patriots = 35/1

Green Bay Packers vs Baltimore Ravens = 100/1

Green Bay Packers vs Cincinnati Bengals = 150/1

Green Bay Packers  vs Indianapolis Colts = 20/1

Green Bay Packers  vs San Diego Chargers = 25/1

Green Bay Packers vs New York Jets = 200/1

Green Bay Packers vs New England Patriots = 60/1

Minnesota Vikings vs Baltimore Ravens = 40/1

Minnesota Vikings vs Cincinnati Bengals = 60/1

Minnesota Vikings vs Indianapolis Colts = 6/1

Minnesota Vikings  vs San Diego Chargers = 9/1

Minnesota Vikings vs New York Jets = 70/1

Minnesota Vikings vs New England Patriots = 20/1

New Orleans Saints vs Baltimore Ravens = 30/1

New Orleans Saints vs Cincinnati Bengals = 40/1

New Orleans Saints vs Indianapolis Colts = 7/2

New Orleans Saints  vs San Diego Chargers = 5/1

New Orleans Saints vs New York Jets = 45/1

New Orleans Saints vs New England Patriots = 13/1

Philadelphia Eagles vs Baltimore Ravens = 90/1

Philadelphia Eagles vs Cincinnati Bengals = 125/1

Philadelphia Eagles vs Indianapolis Colts = 16/1

Philadelphia Eagles vs San Diego Chargers = 20/1

Philadelphia Eagles vs New York Jets = 175/1

Philadelphia Eagles vs New England Patriots = 50/1

 

 

 

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Denver Broncos Season Recap: Josh McDaniels Should Be Working at McDonalds

At first glance, it looked like Josh McDaniels really didn’t need Jay Cutler after the Broncos started the season at 6-0.

However, now we know McDaniels is 100% responsible for the Broncos’ tumble out of the playoff race. The Broncos’ record over the last 10 games was a miserable 2-8.

How could so much change so quickly in the Mile High City?

It’s simple. McDaniels was overconfident in his ability to beat any team at any time. He was quoted saying that his team could always find a way to beat any team.

But then McDaniels’ offense began to show signs of weakness. McDaniels’ weird decision to sit Orton for the start of a big game against San Diego and then insert him into the lineup after Chris Simms spotted the Chargers a 10-0 lead was indicative of the questionable offensive decisions that cost the Broncos a playoff berth.

 

Defensive Coordinator Mike Nolan was the real reason for the tremendous start to the season. He took a gutty group of veterans in the secondary and mixed them with a lot of youth and talent in a new 3-4 defense to confuse opposing offenses.

McDaniels got way too much credit too early for their good start and now his reputation in Denver is being questioned, again. Jay Cutler was spot on in his displeasure of McDaniels attempting to trade him. It was obvious McDaniels wanted his way regardless of his decisions’ effect on the team.

Cutler was one of the most coveted young quarterbacks in the league heading into this season. Mike Shanahan had worked with Cutler and the Vandy product was finally beginning to really understand the West Coast offense before Shanahan was canned by owner Pat Bowlen. 

Cutler was a Pro Bowl quarterback during the 2008 season. But McDaniels wanted Matt Cassel on his team because of their working relationship in New England, and he knew that Bill Belichick was going to trade him.

It was a very childish move on McDaniels’ part to attempt to trade a talented quarterback such as Cutler as soon as he was hired as head coach. A new coach should be looking to earn the respect and work with his Pro-Bowl quarterback, not going behind his back and talking with his former organization.

After this past week in which he suspended his best two pass catchers on the team, I officially believe his ego has cost Denver this season.  Other coaches in this league deal with giant locker-room egos and figure out a way to talk things out without a suspension.

In this case, McDaniels suspended Brandon Marshall and Tony Scheffler because they were not in the same mind set that he was. Marshall was injured and McDaniels pretty much called him soft in an interview with the Denver Post. As a result, Marshall was benched, which was a huge factor in the Broncos season-ending loss to Kansas City.

The Scheffler suspension was reportedly for “attitude reasons”. Tony Scheffler has long been a great threat as a tight end for Denver and was also one of Jay Cutler’s best friends. It is not surprising that he was the other person suspended for the game. He has probably been heated with the coach since the whole Cutler fiasco and it spiraled out of control after the Philadelphia loss. Scheffler has been lost in McDaniels offense and has not had nearly the amount of chances he saw in Shanahan’s schemes.

In the end, it looks like Pat Bowlen got brainwashed by McDaniels in his interview to become coach of the Broncos.

And if you thought the backlash in Denver was bad when they traded away Cutler, wait for the next couple years.

With McDaniels at the helm, these suspensions and locker room scuffles are just going to get worse. This team has collapsed three straight seasons now and that doesn’t look like it’s changing any time soon. Losing to Oakland, San Diego, and Kansas City at home was so embarrassing for Broncos fans and their owner that they really are questioning this coach.

Today, they literally got stomped by a three-win Chiefs team in a must-win, playoff type game. If that isn’t a sign that they should cut this cord immediately than I will never know what is.

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New York Jets: Colts Gift Last Week, NFL Gift This Week, Market Bias

New York has hope of for a playoff berth after the collapse of the Broncos and Ravens have faltered over the past few weeks. They were handed a win by the Indianapolis Colts last weekend when head coach Jim Caldwell pulled all of his starters in the second half. The NFL has also given them a gift this week by allowing NBC to make their game the Sunday night finale.

The Cincinnati Bengals are going to already know whether or not they need to play on Sunday night. If New England wins against Houston earlier in the day, the Patriots will be the No. 3 seed in the AFC. This automatically puts Cincinnati as the No. 4 seed. If this is the scenario that plays out, a New York Jets victory will mean that they will play the Bengals two weeks in a row.

The Bengals are not going to play any meaningful starters or show anything worth noting on offense. The game will be absolutely meaningless. The NFL knew this and let it happen.

The two games that should have been played at night are Baltimore at Oakland or New England at Houston. This way if New York beat Cincinnati earlier in the day, New England would have been forced to win to get the three seed. If they were to lose, it would affect so many playoff scenarios if the Jets or Ravens had lost earlier in the day.

I guess their is no perfect solution to the situation. The NFL would be better off putting a game without any seeding implications in the night position for that simple reason. All of the games should be moved to 4:15pm and played out simultaneously. That would be the best case scenario for all teams to play their starters as they scoreboard watch, but at least we would get to see an honest effort in all games.

Congratulations Jets fans, you faced the Colts in the perfect week, and will also get the Bengals in the perfect week.

It really is a joke because you are not the best 8-7 team in the AFC. Any of the other four teams are capable of doing more in the playoffs than the Jets.

Enjoy your Wild Card loss to the Bengals or Patriots.

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NFL Playoff Scenarios: With Five Teams at 8-7, How Will the AFC Play Out?

The Denver Broncos almost pulled out the 17-point comeback in Philadelphia on Sunday. That win would have put the hammer down on the fifth seed in the AFC, but multiple chances stalled early in the fourth quarter and it eventually cost them in the end.

Baltimore also made a legit comeback against the defending Super Bowl champion, Pittsburgh Steelers.

As of right now you will visit the popular sites and it will still tell you that the Broncos are in. Technically, yes, but they do not control their own destiny. If the Baltimore Ravens win at Oakland next weekend they will earn one of the two spots. I am going to go through the five games in which each of the 8-7 teams play and tell you how it affects the playoffs in the AFC.

There is so many scenarios and outcomes that will come to the forefront, I will try to explain them and get them correct as best as possible.

WEEK 17 GAMES

1. Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos

2. Cincinnati Bengals @ New York Jets

3. New England Patriots @ Houston Texans

4. Baltimore Ravens @ Oakland Raiders

5. Pittsburgh Steelers @ Miami Dolphins

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The NFL Tie-Breaking Procedures state that the only way to eliminate a team in a tie would be if all of the teams have defeated a certain team. In this case that is not applicable, the next tie breaker is conference record.

CONFERENCE RECORD FOR EACH TEAM:

Denver Broncos: 6-5

New York Jets: 6-5

Baltimore Ravens: 6-5

Pittsburgh Steelers: 5-6

Houston Texans: 5-6

As you can see there is still a three-way tie for the fifth seed, so the next tie-breaker rule must be used. The next tie-breaker is best win-loss percentage in common games, a minimum of four must be common.

This season four games were not common, so the next tie-breaker must be used to break a tie between Denver, New York, and Baltimore. The next tie breaker is strength of victory.

Strength of Victory Rankings:

Denver Broncos – (62-58)

New York Jets – (58-62)

Baltimore – (46-74)

* Therefore, currently the Denver Broncos are the No. 5 seed in the AFC Playoffs *

NOTE: If each team wins their respective games next week the standings will look like this.

New York Jets – (68-68)

Denver Broncos – (65-71)

Baltimore Ravens – (51-85)

* Therefore, next week if all three win, the New York Jets will receive the No. 5 seed in the AFC Playoffs

_________________________________________________________________________

After the Denver Broncos are awarded the fifth seed, the tie-breaking procedure starts all over again.

CONFERENCE RECORD FOR EACH TEAM:

NEW YORK JETS: 6-5

BALTIMORE RAVENS: 6-5

PITTSBURGH STEELERS: 5-6

HOUSTON TEXANS: 5-6

Another tie between the Ravens and Jets would send the tie-breaker to common opponents where the New York Jets would win the tie-breaker because they have played four common games.

* This would currently give the New York Jets the sixth seed in the AFC Playoffs *

_________________________________________________________________________

What would happen if this happened?

Denver beats Kansas City

New York Jets beats Cincinnati

Baltimore beats Oakland

Pittsburgh beats Miami

Houston beats New England

* Based on the exact scenario previously noted—Denver, Baltimore, and New York would all be tied at 7-5 within the division. Now there would be a fourth common opponent with Baltimore playing Oakland and Cincinnati playing the New York Jets. This would put the first tie-break as follows:

New York Jets (3-2) vs. NE, OAK, CIN, IND

Denver Broncos (2-3) vs. NE, OAK, CIN, IND

Baltimore Ravens (1-4) vs. NE, OAK, CIN, IND

NOTE: The No. 5 seed in the AFC would be awarded to the New York Jets

That would leave Denver and Baltimore to battle for the sixth seed with their conference records at 7-5. The advantage goes to Baltimore based on the first tie-breaker, head-to-head games. Baltimore defeated Denver 30-7 earlier in the season

NOTE: The No. 6 seed in the AFC would be awarded to the Baltimore Ravens

* Any 9-7 tie between NYJ, BAL, DEN would leave the Broncos the odd team out based on the above information.

Therefore, after Week 16 it may look like the Denver Broncos are in the fifth seed but they are actually the seventh and out of the playoffs.

_________________________________________________________________________

What would happen if this happened?

Denver WINS

Baltimore LOSES

New York Jets WIN

Houston WINS

Pittsburgh WINS

 

That would leave four teams at 9-7 to battle for the two playoff spots. Based on the common opponents angle played out in the last scenario, the New York Jets would have the advantage over Denver—based on a one-game advantage against IND, OAK, CIN, and NE.

NOTE: The New York Jets would be awarded the fifth seed in the AFC Playoffs

That would leave Denver, Pittsburgh, and Houston all at 9-7 vying for the remaining spot. Denver can NOT win a head-to-head tie breaker with Pittsburgh. Therefore, if Pittsburgh wins, Denver needs Houston to win also. This would change the tie-breaker to conference record, giving the Broncos the one-game advantage.

NOTE: The Denver Broncos would be awarded the sixth seed in the AFC Playoffs.

_________________________________________________________________________

What would happen if this happened?

Denver WINS

New York LOSES

Baltimore WINS

Pittsburgh WINS

Houston WINS

Based on the head-to-head game between Baltimore and Denver, Baltimore would have the advantage over Denver with them both being the two teams at 7-5 conference record.

NOTE: The Baltimore Ravens would be awarded the fifth seed in the AFC Playoffs

This is the exact same scenario played out for the sixth seed as in the previous section.

NOTE: The Denver Broncos would be awarded the sixth seed in the AFC Playoffs.

_________________________________________________________________________

What would happen if this happened?

Denver WINS

Baltimore LOSES

New York Jets LOSE

Pittsburgh WINS

Houston WINS

Based on conference record, the advantage would go to the Denver Broncos for the fifth seed.

NOTE: The Denver Broncos would be awarded the fifth seed in the AFC Playoffs.

Houston and Pittsburgh would finish tied in conference record without a head-to-head matchup and would therefore be forced into the common opponents tie-breaker.

Houston Texans: 4-1 against MIA, TEN, OAK, CIN

Pittsburgh Steelers: 2-3 against MIA, TEN, OAK, CIN

NOTE: The Houston Texans would be awarded the 6th seed in the AFC Playoffs.

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Would happen if this happened?

Denver WINS

Baltimore WINS

New York LOSES

Pittsburgh LOSES

Houston WINS

Based on head-to-head and conference record, Baltimore would get the edge for the higher seed.

NOTE: The Baltimore Ravens would be awarded the fifth seed in the AFC Playoffs.

Based on conference record without a head-to-head match up, Denver would have the advantage over Houston

NOTE: The Denver Broncos would be awarded the sixth seed in the AFC Playoffs.

_________________________________________________________________________

What would happen if this happened?

Denver LOSES

Baltimore WINS

New York WINS

Pittsburgh WINS

Houston WINS or LOSES

* Based on record among common opponents after the conference record tie-breaker, New York would be given the edge over Baltimore.

NOTE: The New York Jets would be awarded the fifth seed in the AFC Playoffs.

* The only divisional tie-breaker that could come into play between teams is Pittsburgh and Baltimore. The NFL has a separate order of tie-breaker rules for divisional foes when it comes to Wild Card seeding. Therefore the division would come down to the record against divisional opponents. Both were swept by Cincinnati and split against each other. Pittsburgh lost to Cleveland two weeks back, giving the advantage to Baltimore by one game.

NOTE: The Baltimore Ravens would be awarded the sixth seed in the AFC Playoffs.

_________________________________________________________________________

THE BOTTOM LINE FOR YOUR TEAM:

 

 

Denver Broncos:

 

This is what you need to see happen in the 1:00pm EST games on Sunday for you to have a realistic shot going into your home game. You need the Houston Texans to defeat the New England Patriots. This definitely could happen if they decide to rest their stars.

You would also like to see the Miami Dolphins defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers. If Pittsburgh does win you are still alive. At 4:00pm EST, you will need to win your game against the Kansas City Chiefs and hope your hated Raiders can upset the Ravens.

If Pittsburgh and Houston have both won, you will still be alive going into the night game in New York. If you Houston has lost and Baltimore has won, it’s all over.

DENVER CAN GET INTO THE PLAYOFFS IF:

Denver Wins + Houston Wins + Baltimore Loses (No. 6 seed)

Denver Wins + Houston Wins + New York Loses (No. 6 seed)

Any scenario in which three of the 8-7 teams lose and they win.

 

 

Baltimore Ravens:

 

It’s pretty simple Ravens fans, WIN and you are IN. If you lose, you have the advantage in many of the 8-8 tie-breakers based on conference record, but the chances of that happening are very unlikely

BALTIMORE CAN GET INTO THE PLAYOFFS IF:

Baltimore Wins (No. 5 or No. 6 pending on New York)

 

 

New York Jets:

 

What a relief in New York. Who would have thought at the beginning of the season that you wouldn’t have a playoff team? If you defeat Cincinnati on Sunday night you will be dancing in the streets based on all of the advantages you hold with division record and common opponent tie-breakers.

NEW YORK CAN GET INTO THE PLAYOFFS IF:

New York Wins (No. 5 seed is most likely)

 

 

Pittsburgh Steelers:

 

All you had to do was beat the Cleveland Browns and you didn’t. Now you need a ton of help. It’s too bad because you have a very good team and an underachieving team in many respects. A Houston loss in the early set will give them some hope, but you have to beat the Dolphins first.

PITTSBURGH CAN GET INTO THE PLAYOFFS IF:

Pittsburgh Wins + New York Jets Lose + Houston Loses

Any of the three 8-7 teams lose and you win

 

 

Houston Texans:

 

It wouldn’t have crossed my mind that you Texans fans would be dreaming of postseason football, but I am rooting for head coach Gary Kubiak. You need to hope that it comes down to a head-to-head tie-break between you and Pittsburgh. In any of those situations, the Texans will get in based on the common-opponent tie-breaker.

In other words, if two of three teams with a 6-5 conference record lose and Houston wins, it’s party time.

HOUSTON CAN GET INTO THE PLAYOFFS IF:

Houston Wins + Baltimore Loses + New York Jets Lose

Houston Wins + New York Jets Lose + Denver Loses

Houston Wins + Denver Loses + Baltimore Loses

_________________________________________________________________________

Obviously, there will be a hundred other possible scenarios if an 8-8 team makes the playoffs. If that’s how it happens, none of the five deserve to play in the Wild Card round.

New York and Baltimore are the front-runners at this point, but crazier things have happened in Week 17. Ask the 2007 Denver Broncos who lost to a bad San Francisco team at home. Ask the 2003 Minnesota Vikings who traveled down to Tempe, Arizona and lost a win-and-your-in game in Week 17.

It seems to happen every couple years. A team that looks like they play a cupcake in the last week, will let them hang around the entire game, and they will pull it out in the last few minutes.

Oakland has the talent to beat the Ravens. Just look at Baltimore’s strength of victory; it’s terrible. Cincinnati could be playing for the third seed in the playoffs on Sunday night if Houston pulls this upset early in the afternoon. Denver is crossing their fingers that Bill Belichick and Tom Brady have some plan to only play a quarter. They might not care if they get the fourth seed because they might not want to play Peyton Manning until the AFC Championship.

There is no telling what will happen next weekend. We all can count on a lot of drama beginning with the early games on Sunday afternoon. Have fun AFC football fans because it’s not very often five teams have legitimate hope in the final weekend of the season.

 

 

 

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NFL Playoff Scenarios: Every Team’s Chances Plus Tiebreaker Rules

There are 55 possible clinching scenarios for various prized playoff positions at stake in Week 16 of the NFL season. Rarely do we see every spot clinched prior to Week 17 and that is very unlikely with the number of teams still in the chase in 2009.

The NFL must love the fact that 19 of the 32 teams were still alive heading into this week. Tennessee was eliminated on Thursday evening by the San Diego Chargers 42-17. That leaves 18.

The AFC is full of questions after the Denver Broncos lost to the Oakland Raiders last week. It gave six teams hope at a shot for the Super Bowl. It could all mean nothing if Denver pulls the upset this week in Philadelphia.

With a win on the road and a home game against the Chiefs in Week 17, the Broncos could pretty much sew up their playoff ticket with a win tomorrow.

Then, there are the Baltimore Ravens, an AFC Championship team last season, a team who has defeated San Diego, Denver, and Pittsburgh, but also a team that has lost to Indianapolis, New England, Green Bay, Minnesota, and Cincinnati twice. All are potential playoff teams and if you were ever willing to consider a six-loss wild card team for Super Bowl potential, wouldn’t it be the Ravens?

Even if the Broncos and Ravens win this week, there will still be question in Week 17. I witnessed the Broncos lose at home to a 6-9 San Francisco 49ers team in 2006, allowing the Kansas City Chiefs into the playoffs which had very little to no hope in Week 16.

One thing the NFL has proven over time is it is unpredictable every week and every year. You never know which team will lay an egg and you never know which team will jump up and take that playoff spot from you.

The following is a list of every possible scenario that could be played out this week to either earn a playoff spot or clinch a division title.

 

Week 16 Playoff Scenarios

American Football Conference (AFC):

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (9-5)

Can clinch AFC East—four ways

1. Win Against Jacksonville

2. Tie Against Jacksonville

3. Miami loses to Houston

4. Miami Ties Houston

 

CINCINNATI BENGALS (9-5)

Can clinch the AFC North—three ways

1. Win against Kansas City

2. Tie Kansas City and Baltimore Ties Pittsburgh

3. A Baltimore Loss against Pittsburgh

Can clinch a playoff spot—five ways

1. Tie against Kansas City

2. Jacksonville Loses New York (A) Loses + Houston and Miami Tie Each Other

3. Jacksonville Loses to New York (A) Tie + Houston and Miami Tie Each Other

4. Jacksonville Tie New York (A) Loses + Houston and Miami Tie Each Other

5. Jacksonville Tie New York (A) Tie + Houston and Miami Tie Each Other

 

BALTIMORE RAVENS (8-6)

Can clinch a playoff spot—eleven ways

1. Win against Pittsburgh + Jacksonville Loses + New York Jets Lose

2. Win against Pittsburgh + Jacksonville Ties + New York Jets Lose

3. Win against Pittsburgh + Jacksonville Loses + New York Jets Tie

4. Win against Pittsburgh + Jacksonville Tie + New York Jets Tie

5. Win against Pittsburgh + Jacksonville Loses + Denver Loses

6. Win against Pittsburgh + Jacksonville Ties + Denver Loses

7. Win against Pittsburgh + Miami Loses + New York (A) Loses + Denver Loses

8. Win against Pittsburgh + Miami Ties + New York (A) Loses + Denver Loses

9. Win against Pittsburgh + Miami Loses + New York (A) Ties + Denver Loses

10. Win against Pittsburgh + Miami Ties + New York (A) Ties + Denver Loses

11. Tie against Pittsburgh + Jacksonville Loses + New York (A) Loses + Houston and Miami Tie Each Other

 

DENVER BRONCOS (8-6)

Can clinch a playoff spot—16 ways

1. Win against Philadelphia + Jacksonville Loses + Miami Loses + Pittsburgh Loses + New York (A) Loses

2. Win against Philadelphia + Jacksonville Ties + Miami Loses + Pittsburgh Loses + New York (A) Loses

3. Win against Philadelphia + Jacksonville Loses + Miami Ties + Pittsburgh Loses + New York (A) Loses

4. Win against Philadelphia + Jacksonville Loses + Miami Loses + Pittsburgh Ties + New York (A) Loses

5. Win against Philadelphia + Jacksonville Loses + Miami Loses + Pittsburgh Loses + New York (A) Ties

6. Win against Philadelphia + Jacksonville Ties + Miami Ties + Pittsburgh Loses + New York (A) Loses

7. Win against Philadelphia + Jacksonville Ties + Miami Loses + Pittsburgh Ties + New York (A) Loses

8. Win against Philadelphia + Jacksonville Ties + Miami Loses + Pittsburgh Loses + New York (A) Ties

9. Win against Philadelphia + Jacksonville Ties + Miami Ties + Pittsburgh Ties + New York (A) Loses

10. Win against Philadelphia + Jacksonville Ties+ Miami Ties + Pittsburgh Loses + New York (A) Ties

11. Win against Philadelphia + Jacksonville Ties + Miami Ties + Pittsburgh Ties + New York (A) Loses

12. Win against Philadelphia + Jacksonville Ties + Miami Ties + Pittsburgh Ties + New York (A) Ties

13. Win against Philadelphia + Jacksonville Loses + Miami Ties + Pittsburgh Ties + New York (A) Loses

14. Win against Philadelphia + Jacksonville Loses + Miami Ties + Pittsburgh Loses + New York (A) Ties

15. Win against Philadelphia + Jacksonville Loses + Miami Loses + Pittsburgh Ties + New York (A) Ties

16. Win against Philadelphia + Jacksonville Loses + Miami Ties + Pittsburgh Ties + New York (A) Ties

 

 

National Football Conference (NFC):

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (10-4)

Can clinch the NFC East—three ways

Win against Denver + Dallas Loses to Washington

Win against Denver + Dallas Ties Washington

Tie against Denver + Dallas Loses to Washington

 

DALLAS COWBOYS (9-5)

Can clinch a playoff spot—three ways

1. Win against Washington + New York (N) Loses

2. Win against Washington + New York (N) Ties

3. Tie Washington + New York (N) Loses

 

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (11-3)

Can clinch a first-round bye—three ways

1. Win against Chicago + Philadelphia Loses to Denver

2. Win against Chicago + Philadelphia Ties Denver

3. Tie Chicago + Philadelphia Loses to Denver

 

GREEN BAY PACKERS (9-5)

Can clinch a playoff spot—four ways

1. Win against Seattle + New York (N) Loses to Carolina

2. Win against Seattle + New York (N) Ties Carolina

3. Tie Seattle + New York (N) Loses to Carolina

4. Win against Seattle + Dallas Loses to Washington

 

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (13-1)

Can clinch the No. 1 overall NFC seed —three ways

1. Win against Tampa Bay

2. Minnesota Loses to Chicago

3. Minnesota Ties Chicago

 

THE FOLLOWING ARE THE OFFICIAL TIE-BREAKING PROCEDURES PROVIDED BY THE NFL AND COURTESY OF ESPN.COM

Tie-Breaking Procedures

The six postseason participants from each conference will now be seeded as follows:
1. The division champion with the best record.
2. The division champion with the second-best record.
3. The division champion with the third-best record.
4. The division champion with the fourth-best record.
5. The Wild Card club with the best record.
6. The Wild Card club with the second-best record.

The following procedures will be used to break standings ties for postseason playoffs and to determine regular-season schedules.
NOTE: Tie games count as one-half win and one-half loss for both clubs

 

To Break a Tie Within a Division

If, at the end of the regular season, two or more clubs in the same division finish with identical won-lost-tied percentages, the following steps will be taken until a champion is determined.

 

Two Clubs

1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games between the clubs).
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
5. Strength of victory.
6. Strength of schedule.
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
9. Best net points in common games.
10. Best net points in all games.
11. Best net touchdowns in all games.

 

Three or More Clubs

(Note: If two clubs remain tied after third or other clubs are eliminated during any step, tie breaker reverts to step 1 of the two-club format).
1. Head-to-head (best won-lost-tied percentage in games among the clubs).
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the division.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games.
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
5. Strength of victory.
6. Strength of schedule.
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
9. Best net points in common games.
10. Best net points in all games.
11. Best net touchdowns in all games.

 

To Break a Tie for the Wild-Card Team

If it is necessary to break ties to determine the two Wild-Card clubs from each conference, the following steps will be taken.
1. If the tied clubs are from the same division, apply division tie breaker.
2. If the tied clubs are from different divisions, apply the following steps.

 

Two Clubs

1. Head-to-head, if applicable.
2. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
4. Strength of victory.
5. Strength of schedule.
6. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
7. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best net points in conference games.
9. Best net points in all games.
10. Best net touchdowns in all games.
11. Coin toss.

 

Three or More Clubs

(Note: If two clubs remain tied after third or other clubs are eliminated, tie breaker reverts to step 1 of applicable two-club format.)
1. Apply division tie breaker to eliminate all but the highest ranked club in each division prior to proceeding to step 2. The original seeding within a division upon application of the division tie breaker remains the same for all subsequent applications of the procedure that are necessary to identify the three Wild-Card participants.
2. Head-to-head sweep. (Applicable only if one club has defeated each of the others or if one club has lost to each of the others.)
3. Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
4. Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
5. Strength of victory.
6. Strength of schedule.
7. Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
8. Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
9. Best net points in conference games.
10. Best net points in all games.
11. Best net touchdowns in all games.
12. Coin toss.

When the first Wild-Card team has been identified, the procedure is repeated to name the second Wild-Card, i.e., eliminate all but the highest-ranked club in each division prior to proceeding to step 2, and repeated a third time, if necessary, to identify the third Wild Card. In situations where three or more teams from the same division are involved in the procedure, the original seeding of the teams remains the same for subsequent applications of the tie breaker if the top-ranked team in that division qualifies for a Wild-Card berth.

 

Other Tie-Breaking Procedures

1. Only one club advances to the playoffs in any tie-breaking step. Remaining tied clubs revert to the first step of the applicable division or Wild-Card tie breakers. As an example, if two clubs remain tied in any tie-breaker step after all other clubs have been eliminated, the procedure reverts to step one of the two-club format to determine the winner. When one club wins the tie breaker, all other clubs revert to step 1 of the applicable two-club or three-club format.
2. In comparing division and conference records or records against common opponents among tied teams, the best won-lost-tied percentage is the deciding factor since teams may have played an unequal number of games.
3. To determine home-field priority among division titlists, apply Wild-Card tie breakers.
4. To determine home-field priority for Wild-Card qualifiers, apply division tie breakers (if teams are from the same division) or Wild-Card tie breakers (if teams are from different ivisions).

 

Tie-Breaking Procedure for Selection Meeting

If two or more clubs are tied in the selection order, the strength-of-schedule tie breaker is applied, subject to the following exceptions for playoff clubs:

1. The Super Bowl winner is last and the Super Bowl loser next-to-last.
2. Any non-Super Bowl playoff club involved in a tie shall be assigned priority within its segment below that of non-playoff clubs and in the order that the playoff clubs exited from the playoffs. Thus, within a tied segment a playoff club that loses in the Wild-Card game will have priority over a playoff club that loses in the Divisional playoff game, which in turn will have priority over a club that loses in the Conference Championship game. If two tied clubs exited the playoffs in the same round, the tie is broken by strength of schedule.

If any ties cannot be broken by strength of schedule, the divisional or conference tie breakers, whichever are applicable, are applied. Any ties that still exist are broken by a coin flip.

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Brett Favre Should Be Calling As Many Audibles As He Can

Many people may think that the whole Brett Favre, Brad Childress fiasco is just another power trip of the prima-donna quarterback. My argument is in the defense of Brett Favre and his willingness to audible out of the plays Darrell Bevell and Brad Childress are calling. The past three season under Brad Childress were almost unbearable to watch.

With Tavaris Jackson and Gus Frerotte taking the majority of the snaps, the Vikings offense was boring, mediocre, and just plain awful. Adrian Peterson was like a breath of fresh air in Minnesota when he arrived. The Vikings finally had their offensive playmaker post-Randy Moss. He definitely awakened the running game but that did not help the passing game.

The following are the statistics of the Vikings offense prior to the arrival of Favre:

2006:

Points Scored: 282 (17.62 per game)

Passing Stats: 195 yards per game—13  total touchdowns (23rd in the NFL)

 

2007:

Points Scored: 379 (22.81 per game)

Passing Stats: 172 yards per game—12 total touchdowns (28th in the NFL)

 

2008:

Points Scored: 379 (23.68 per game)

Passing Stats: 185 yards per game—22 total touchdowns (25th in the NFL)

 

Now the numbers on the surface don’t look too bad when it comes to points scored the last two seasons. Most of that has to do with the development of Adrian Peterson and the running game. He carried the ball 601 times in his first two seasons. His yards per carry have dropped each season. 5.6 his rookie year, 4.8 his second season, and he is at 4.4 through 15 games this season.

Brett Favre has audibled out of many runs into passing plays and that was what the tussle was revolving around last Sunday.  The Minnesota Vikings offensive passing statistics through 15 games have surpassed the totals of the last three seasons coached under  Childress. Brett Favre has thrown more passing touchdowns through 15 games than the entire team did through Childress’ first two seasons in Minnesota (25 was the total). Astonishing, maybe. What changed? The Vikings signed Brett Favre.

Brett Favre has thrown 27 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. Only 1.5 percent of his passes have been picked off this season. If he has audibled at the line of scrimmage it’s because the two play callers haven’t got a clue what they need to be running, or he is making an adjustment to the defense he is facing.

Brett Favre has been in the league for nearly 20 years and has faced just about every defense known to man. If anybody knows when they need to audible out of a play or formation it’s him. Favre’s positive influence on the offense is undeniable and Childress should feel pretty stupid for trying to get Favre to sit down in a one-point football game. It was absolutely asinine of him to go and criticize what he was doing on the field. If he felt they were in the wrong play, they most likely were.

The majority of the fault in the game against Carolina should go to the offensive line and particularly, Bryant McKinnie. Brett Favre has an ego and if you do not notice it you’re oblivious to why he came back and played.

I’ve heard he is a stat man and really loves the numbers he’s put up over his career. His goal is probably to win the Super Bowl, but he likes to play football because he’s still good at it. He wanted to prove to everyone that told him his career was over that he could still put up MVP type numbers and he has.

There are definitely underlying factors when it comes to his motives for playing with Minnesota, and I’m sure Brad Childress was aware of all of them before he pestered him to play for the Vikings. It’s just really sad that a quarterback who has put up insane numbers for his age and led the Vikings to an 11-3 record would consider being benched.

Brad Childress should be embarrassed. Whether or not Favre is audibling out of plays that would be successful, he has turned your “kick-ass” offense into exactly that. Childress’ silly ego and lack of faith in what he is changing the play to will eventually cost this team their chance at a Super Bowl. He needs to sit back and let Favre do what he was doing because prior to all the problems Favre had this team 11-1 and primed for a serious playoff run.

Coach approval ratings were posted on ESPN.com the last two seasons and I remember specifically that Brad Childress had the lowest rating in the league at one point. Vikings fans wanted Chilly out of town and because of his lucky playoff berth and eventual home loss to the Eagles in the Wild Card round he saved his job. The great start earned him a contract extension and all was great in Minnesota. Three weeks later panic has set in and everyone is doubting the coach and now the quarterback. I beg you Vikings fans, blame it on Childress.

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NFL Playoffs: Which 7-7 AFC Team Will Make the Playoffs?

The AFC looks like a cluster of mediocrity after 15 weeks. Eight teams are within one game of a playoff spot.

The Denver Broncos blew their chance to put a stranglehold on one of spots and fell to 8-6 and the Baltimore Ravens kept their one-game lead with a victory against Chicago improving their record to 8-6.

Next in line, six teams: Jacksonville, Tennessee, Houston, Pittsburgh, Miami, and the New York Jets.

What team has the best chance? What teams have very little chance? And, do any of the 7-7 teams have a chance?

 

DENVER BRONCOS

Current Record: 8-6 (Sixth Seed)

Remaining Games: @PHI (10-4), KC (3-11)

Conference Record: 6-5

With a huge game this week in the City of Brotherly Love, their playoff lives are at stake. They are a team with the ability to win on the road and defeat a team like Philadelphia.

My prediction is that the Denver Broncos’ ability to shut down opposing passing offenses will allow them to pull the upset in Philly. This would put a huge hammerlock on a Wild Card position with only Kansas City at home remaining on the schedule. 

 

BALTIMORE RAVENS

Current Record: 8-6 (Fifth Seed)

Remaining Games: @PIT (7-7), @OAK (5-9)

Conference Record: 6-4

With two very tough road games in front of them, the Baltimore Ravens have a huge task in front of them. A road game in Pittsburgh is at difficult it gets for the Ravens. The inability to establish the run could prove to be the cause of the end of the season for the Ravens.

In basically an elimination game of one of the eight remaining teams, I give the edge to the Steelers coming off their victory over the then 9-4 Green Bay Packers.

The last game of the season is a long trip all the way across the country and it has proven to be a tough task for some other teams along the east coast this year.

Oakland has played very well vs. good teams this season, defeating Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Denver.

 

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS

Current Record: 7-7

Remaining Games: @NE (9-5), @ CLE (3-11)

Conference Record: 6-4

Virtually in the same situation as the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens this week is a must-win for Jacksonville.

Pretty much guaranteed a conference victory at Cleveland in Week 17, if Jacksonville manages to get by New England, they will have the upper hand on Denver or Baltimore based on a conference record of 8-4. 

Many people have dismissed this team, but New England has struggled in many games this season.

Many of those were on the road, but if the Jaguars from the South can somehow win in the cold weather in Boston, they are in a prime spot with the Browns on their schedule.

 

MIAMI DOLPHINS

Current Record: 7-7

Remaining Games: HOU (7-7), PIT (7-7)

Conference Record: 5-5

Another elimination game of 7-7 teams in week 16 will be played in Miami between the Dolphins and Texans. Miami has the better shot of the two to get in with Houston being under .500 within the conference.

Miami’s running attack will be the focal point against a mediocre rush defense. Houston has allowed 14 rushing touchdowns and 14 rushes of 20 yards or more, both are in the bottom third of NFL defenses.

It is very likely that if Ricky Williams gets going and Miami controls the clock, they will control the game and move to 8-7.

The tough one will come in the finale if both teams have something to play for, Pittsburgh has the best rush defense in the league and it will present tons of problems for Chad Henne.

Best-case scenario for Miami would be to win and hope Baltimore defeats Pittsburgh. Then they have to start rooting for the Denver Broncos to lose.

 

HOUSTON TEXANS

Current Record: 7-7

Remaining Games: @MIA (7-7), NE (9-5)

Conference Record: 4-6

As explained in the Miami profile, Houston would need a ton of help plus two unlikely victories. If they can defeat Miami and New England beats Jacksonville, New England may have nothing to play for in week 17.

In that case they would need Baltimore to lose their last two, Denver to lose their last two, and Jacksonville, Miami, and New York to lose one.

Even under those conditions it could come down to a common games played. Their chances of making it are almost nil.

 

NEW YORK JETS

Current Record: 7-7

Remaining Games: @IND (14-0), CIN (9-5)

Conference Record: 5-5

Two of the toughest games on their schedule all season had to be in weeks 16 and 17. If Indianapolis plays all of their starters this week, which I would more than likely expect them to do with a perfect record on the line, the New York Jets are probably not going to make the playoffs.

Even if they win, Cincinnati will be playing for seeding in week 17 and it may or may not mean anything to them. You would assume that the three seed means a ton in the AFC because if you win with the three seed, than you will not have to face Indianapolis until the AFC Championship game.

Sorry New York fans, but I think your season will be wrapped up at about 7:30 p.m. on Sunday.

 

TENNESSEE TITANS

Current Record: 7-7

Remaining Games: SD (11-3), @SEA (5-9)

Conference Record: 4-7

It’s really not worth mentioning the Titans in playoff consideration because of their conference record. The beginning of their season was just too much to overcome.

The great play of Vince Young is something to look forward to for next season. Difficult opponents and too many obstacles are in the way of what would be a miracle post season berth.

 

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Current Record: 7-7

Remaining Games: BAL (8-6), @MIA (7-7)

Conference Record: 4-6

America’s Team? Not in the playoffs. What? It would have seemed unthinkable after the way the Steelers played to start the season.

Looking primed to make another Super Bowl run the Steelers started off the season 6-2, they have gone through the second half at 1-5 thus far.

Shocking, yes, considering that they have not had a collapse like this happen with Ben Roethlisberger at the helm. It’s scary to think that they still have a chance.

I promise you this, the division winners who play on Wild Card weekend are praying that the Steel Curtain does not find a way.

Although the situation is very unlikely, if Pittsburgh were the only team to tie Denver and Pittsburgh, the Steelers would get in because the Ravens and Steelers both beat the Broncos. Now that I stated it, it will happen.

Now that all of the teams have been shown it is looking like about five teams have a realistic chance of making the playoffs. Baltimore and Denver are playing for everything this weekend.

If Denver wins, they should be in. If Baltimore wins, they should beat Oakland too. All this speculation may mean nothing at the end of Sunday afternoon. At this point it is all up for grabs and Denver and Baltimore control their own destiny.

Jacksonville has the best chance to make hay if they can upset New England. That will give them the upper edge on both teams if one of them lose one game. We’ll see what happens. What an awesome weekend of football to look forward to.

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NFL Playoffs: Why the Minnesota Vikings’ Recent Struggles Are Not a Concern

As the playoffs approach for the 2009-10 season, teams are either gaining confidence or losing it.

A prime example: the Minnesota Vikings.

An offseason of Brett Favre speculation turned into a reality after training camp was finished. Favre decided he would come back to play for at least one more year. 

To the dismay of his Packers fan base, the 40-year-old quarterback, barring injury, would trot onto Lambeau Field wearing purple.

Essentially the best-case scenario played out for the Vikings, as they started out the season 11-1. Their only loss came in a tight game, on the road, against the Pittsburgh Steelers. All signs were pointing toward a run at the prize that has eluded the Vikings franchise since its existence.

Three weeks later, all of that hype built up over 12 weeks has been sucked out from underneath Vikings fans.

Two very disturbing losses, to the Arizona Cardinals and the lowly Carolina Panthers, have caused panic. A lack of a running game, a lack of pass blocking, a defense with significant injuries, and Favre arguing with coach Brad Childress on the sideline are the most worrisome aspects of the team.

I am going to argue that all of these concerns are meaningless, though, when it comes to the Vikings’ long-term goals.

Favre has thrown for 27 touchdowns and only seven interceptions through 14 games. If you told any Vikings fan in August that Favre would have those numbers at this point in the season, they would probably tell you that you are crazy. Favre has a passer rating of 104.1, unbelievably high considering his past performances leading into this season.

The biggest concern over the past few weeks is that Favre has been hit more lately than he has all season. It is true, but not as significant as it may have appeared to be against the Panthers.

Favre has been hit 73 times this season by opposing defenses. If you include the 31 times he has been sacked, Favre has been on his back 104 times this season.  Minnesota has run about 875 offensive plays with Favre in the game. If you do the math, Favre has been hit roughly 12 percent of the time.

If you only consider passing plays, Favre has thrown 460. He has been hit on 22 percent of the time on those plays.

Considering that he is in the pocket a majority of the time, those are not terrible numbers. It’s a lot of numbers to think about, but, to wrap it up, 27 percent of the hits on Favre have come in the past three games. Those three games comprise about 22 percent of the season thus far.

If you look at it as a whole the numbers are only up very slightly. And again, Favre has still only thrown an interception on 1.5 percent of his passes, remarkable for the old gunslinger.

Offensive lineman Bryant McKinnie has struggled in the two Vikings losses this year. He did go up against one of the top pass rushers in the league, Julius Peppers, this past week. Any left tackle in the NFL could have trouble with him when he is healthy and on his game.

Peppers had four hits on Favre and McKinnie was benched for his inconsistency. McKinnie has shown that he can be a top run-clocking tackle but has always shown the inability to stop elite pass-rushing defensive ends.

This is nothing new and has not changed since the beginning of the season. The Vikings just have not played any superstar ends to this point that rush from the right side. Childress should find a way to send help McKinnie’s way when he is struggling that much in games. He needs to keep an extra back or tight end on his side in obvious passing situations and he did not. This problem is correctable and will not hinder the team in the long run.

The most worrisome fact is Adrian Peterson’s inability to break off long runs this season. He has not shown the same speed this season and he obviously has something hampering him. The troubling fact is he only carried it 12 times against the Panthers. He only carried it 13 times in their loss to the Cardinals. 

The time of possession statistic has been a huge issue for Minnesota, and it may have to do with the inability of getting Peterson going of late. The Vikings had the ball only about 22 minutes against Carolina, and it was really telling in their offensive statistics.

The defense faced 73 plays in the loss and 40 of them were running plays. On the other side, Minnesota ran the ball 14 times and threw the ball only 27 times. You would have to think that Minnesota needs to get the ball to Peterson on about 30 to 40 percent of the time to be successful.

If Peterson is completely healthy, that formula has been proven to be successful in the past and should be the goal of Childress. It’s another easily correctable part of their offensive scheme, and it will likely change during the post season. What is usually a battle of ball control, I would still give the advantage to the Vikings in almost every matchup they could possibly face in the NFC.

The Antoine Winfield and E.J. Henderson injuries have taken their toll on the Vikings defense. Forcing younger and less talented players to get more playing time have been pretty obvious deficiencies in their losses.

Winfield looks like he can’t plant on his injured leg. Henderson is likely out for the remainder of this season and most of next.

Their replacements have had little experience because of the talent those two players have shown. It takes time, and it is one of the advantages Minnesota boasts, having two weeks remaining to fine-tune its inexperienced defenders.

The Vikings will get a tough matchup in Week 17 against a pretty good wide receiver corps that the New York Giants will put on the field. I expect Vikings defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier to sort things out on that side of the ball and have everything top notch moving into the playoffs.

Minnesota needs to win at least one more game to secure a first-round bye. Denver travels to Philadelphia this week in a must-win situation, and it could be a very tough game for the Eagles.

Minnesota should beat the Bears this week and could play a team with no incentive of winning next week, if the Giants lose to the Panthers this week. Either way, Minnesota should win its next two games. I have a feeling the Broncos will upset the Eagles and Minnesota will only need to win one of its last two, but that is far from a sure thing.

Either way, Minnesota fans have a ton to look forward to this January and possibly February. A lot of insignificant problems are causing a panic that is being a little overblown.

The Favre-Childress scuffle will be mended. The two people involved are smart enough to not let something so trivial cost them their chance at glory.

Minnesota still should be considered one of the top three contenders coming out of the NFC.

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NFL Playoff Picture: 12 Teams, No Favorites

A season filled with surprises, undefeated teams, disappointments, and some really bad football franchises will be wrapping up in the next three weeks.

The standouts are pretty obvious in the NFC; the New Orleans Saints are 13-0 and the 11-2 Minnesota Vikings, led by the 40 year-old Brett Favre, have been very impressive through 14 weeks.

In the AFC, there is has been one dominant football team, the undefeated Indianapolis Colts, also 13-0.

I find a lot of problems with these three teams, and reasons why all of them could get upset during the post-season.

These teams have their first-round byes pretty much sewn up. The question being brought up by ESPN and other major media outlets is; when should they rest their stars?

My answer is different for each.

What team has the most to lose by playing their starters?

 

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

I think the Minnesota Vikings would be best sitting down Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson as soon as possible.

If they can clinch their bye in the next week, I would recommend that Favre and Peterson play little in week 16 and not at all in week 17. They could extend the rest to injured cornerback, Antoine Winfield and wide receiver, Percy Harvin as well.

Their key to success has been their ability to run the ball effectively while stopping the run on defense. Adrian Peterson has not looked like himself over the past weeks. His inability to break free at the line of scrimmage has been very noticeable and NFL critics now consider him the second best back in the NFL behind Chris Johnson. 

On top of that, Chester Taylor has looked like the more effective tailback between the tackles. There is an outcry in talk radio for the Vikings to integrate Taylor into the offense beyond just third down situations.

I would be very hesitant to give Taylor more carries at this point because I still feel that Peterson can take it to the house on any carry.  He just needs a little rest to get his legs back underneath him and refocus his attention on what he was successful doing in the past.

What team has the most to gain by playing their starters?

 

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Peyton Manning has been a measure of consistency throughout his career in the NFL.

He has a new head coach this season.

He is really his own offensive coordinator on the field. 

If anyone could take a break and come back in top form it would be him.

I’m more worried about his on the field chemistry with Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie. Both are very critical to their success. Denver took away Wayne and forced him to throw to his secondary options and they picked him off three times as a result. 

Although the Colts are undefeated, they do not stay there by playing like the 2007 New England Patriots.  If head coach, Jim Caldwell decides to sit down Manning too early, I think he is asking for trouble in their Divisional Play-off game. 

_________________________________________________________________________

 

WILD CARD CONTENDERS

This year just feels like one in which somebody coming from Wild Card Weekend could make it to the Super Bowl. With surprise resurgences from Denver and Green Bay during 2009, it gives the division winners plenty to worry about beginning in early January.

The Broncos have defeated the Bengals, Patriots, Chargers and Cowboys in very tight games. They also have lost to the Redskins, Steelers, Ravens, Chargers, and Colts.

An injury to Kyle Orton played a significant part in two of their losses. A halftime lead was squandered against the Redskins following his injury. They spotted the Chargers a 21-point cushion before bringing Orton into the game.

They are a very interesting team when their offense is clicking. If the offense can score points off turnovers the defense has been creating, the Denver Broncos could easily pull a couple of upsets.

The Green Bay Packers are a very interesting team moving forward. If you take away the two losses to “Brett Favre,” Green Bay is 9-2. 

They have started to run the ball very well with Ryan Grant. That aspect of their offense was completely missing in 2008 and was so critical to their NFC Championship run in 2007.

They seem to have found it again which compliments Aaron Rodgers who has played very well all season.

The defense has been very stout, led by All-Pro cornerback, Charles Woodson. It would be no surprise for the Pack to travel to Arizona or Philadelphia and come out on top.

 

THE BEST OF THE REST

Among the division winners not getting a bye to the Divisional Play-offs, there are many good teams.

The Super Bowl runner-up, Arizona Cardinals, have played well enough in games to get back there again this season. They laid an egg on Monday Night Football in San Francisco, but really did not look or play like themselves.

If you toss that game out, there is a lot to like about the red birds.

The Philadelphia Eagles were in the NFC Championship game last year and have a decent shot of getting back there again.

Winning road games in Minnesota and New York during last years play-offs was impressive, but the loss of Brian Dawkins will prove to be a big off season mistake in about a month.

I am not a fan of either the New England Patriots or Cincinatti Bengals for a number of reasons; for instance, the latest locker room tussle in Boston and the manner of which the Vikings easily dismantled the Bengals in week 14.  I like both AFC Wild Card Winners to upset them on their home fields.

If it turns out to be Denver and Baltimore or Denver and Miami, I would suspect that both games will be very close. I lean towards the underdog in both games.

No matter how you feel the play-offs will turn out, the fact is any team that gets in can win it, and it is going to be a very fun start to 2010.

 

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Broncos Success Hinges On The Two Ryan’s

Ryan Harris and Ryan Clady both began starting for the Denver Broncos under Mike Shanahan last season.  Without much national attention, the duo was the best in the NFL when it comes to allowing the least amount of sacks. The combo gave up a combined three sacks during the entire 16 game regular season (0.5 Clady, 2.5 Harris).

With new head coach Josh McDaniels taking over in the tumultuous offseason, their previous success was far overlooked coming into this season. After a 6-0 start, Ryan Harris was injured in the Broncos loss to the Baltimore Ravens. He dislocated two toes in his right foot and has been sidelined ever since. He will return this week when the Broncos travel to Kansas City for an important divisional battle.

2009 has been a confirmation of success for the highly sought after offensive tackle from Boise State, Ryan Clady. The 12th draft pick for the Broncos in 2008, Clady has lived up to all the expectations. He has allowed only 2.5 sacks through 11 complete games this season. He has a much less mobile quarterback in Kyle Orton under center this season, and has continued to dominate Orton’s blindside.

Ryan Harris, a much less known commodity from Notre Dame was drafted as the sixth pick in the third round in the 2007 NFL Draft. He did not start a game in his rookie season, but the word was out that he was thought of highly within the Broncos organization and he is proving it in year three.

In seven starts this season, Harris has allowed only one sack. A top recruit out of Cretin-Derham Hall High School in Saint Paul, Minnesota, he could have been a much higher selection in the NFL Draft had the Fighting Irish had more success in his four years there.

Now proven commodities in the NFL, the Denver Broncos have solidified the bookends on the very important offensive line of McDaniels’ offense. The value of two great tackles is one of the most overlooked aspects in offensive passing games. It is going to a crucial part of the the Broncos long term success and for their aspirations to play in the Super Bowl this season. 

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