Hello Everyone,
Welcome to December and I hope your holiday shopping is going well. Speaking of December we are now in the thick of Playoff Scenario season and looking forward to week 14. As before I will post the AFC scenarios here while the NFC scenarios article as NFC Scenarios [Week 14] will be posted in the main forum. Since teams are now starting to clinch and be eliminated, I will use the following indicators: * -- Homefield, z -- First Round Bye, y -- Division Winner, x -- Playoff Spot. Sometimes I will follow a y or x with a number to reflect specific seed.
AFC East
This division is dominated by New England although they haven't clinched it quite yet. The Patriots seem to be doing pretty well for a 'down' year for Tom Brady.
Name Record Conf. Div. Last Four
Patriots 9-3 6-3 3-0 @Miami, @Pittsburgh, Buffalo, NY Jets
Miami 6-6 5-4 3-1 Patriots, @Minny, Jax, @Buffalo
Buffalo 4-8 3-6 1-2 NY Jets, Detroit, @Patriots, Miami
NY Jets 3-9 2-7 0-4 @Buffalo, Houston, Green Bay, @Patriots
Clinching Scenarios: New England can clinch the AFC East with a win (because that also means a Miami loss).
Elimination Scenarios: If the NY Jets lose or tie, the NY Jets are eliminated from the Playoffs. If Buffalo loses and Baltimore and Pittsburgh both win, then Buffalo is eliminated from the playoffs. This makes the game between the Jets and Bills essentially a playoff elimination game.
AFC North
This is a dogfight between the Baltimore Ravens and the recently stumbling Pittsburgh Steelers. That said the margins are so tight that NO team has been eliminated from division consideration (even the Browns) although that could change this week (see below).
Name Record Conf. Div. Last Four
Pittsburgh 7-4-1 4-4-1 3-1-1 @Oakland, Patriots, @Saints, Cincinnati
Baltimore 7-5 6-3 2-3 @Kansas City, Tampa, @LA Chargers, Browns
Cincinnati 5-7 3-5 1-3 @LA Chargers, Oakland, @Browns, @Pittsburgh
Cleveland 4-7-1 3-5-1 2-1-1 Carolina, @Denver, Cincinnati, @Baltimore
Clinching Scenarios: NONE This division is simply too tight.
Elimination Scenarios: If either Pittsburgh or Baltimore wins, then: 1) Cincinnati is eliminated from the AFC North race with a loss. 2) Cleveland is eliminated from the AFC North race with a loss or tie. If BOTH Pittsburgh and Baltimore win, then: 1) Cincinnati is eliminated from the playoffs with a loss. 2) Cleveland is eliminated from the playoffs with a loss or tie.
AFC South
I still smell fraud when I look at the Houston Texan's 9-3 record. I've seen them play and they aren't that good and they've has some insane luck during this win streak. All that said, when I look at the remaining games for the Texans and I struggle to find a game they should lose even for a mediocre team.
Name Record Conf. Div. Last Four
Houston 9-3 7-2 3-1 Indy, @NY Jets, @Philly, Jax
Indy 6-6 5-5 2-2 @Houston, Dallas, NY Giants, @Tenn
Titans 6-6 4-6 2-2 Jax. @NY Giants, Washington, Indy
Jax 4-8 3-6 1-3 @Tenn, Washington, @Miami, @Houston
Clinching Scenarios: If Houston wins AND Tenn either loses or ties, then Houston clinches the AFC South.
Elimination Scenarios: If Jax loses OR if Baltimore and Pittsburgh both win, then Jax is eliminated from the playoffs. If Indy loses (Houston wins), then Indy is eliminated from the AFC South race. If Houston wins AND Tenn loses or ties, then Tenn is also eliminated from the AFC South race.
AFC West
This division is coming down to a fight between the Kansas City Chiefs and the LA Chargers, and the upcoming head to head match ups will likely decide it. It's a virtual lead pipe cinch that whichever one of these two that doesn't win the division will go to the playoffs as a wildcard.
Name Record Conf. Div. Last Four
Chiefs 10-2 8-1 4-0 Baltimore, LA Chargers, @Seattle, Oakland
Chargers 9-3 6-2 2-2 Cincinnati, @Kansas City, Baltimore, @Denver
Denver 6-6 4-5 2-2 @San Francisco, Browns, @Oakland, LA Chargers
Oakland(e) 2-10 1-7 0-4 Pittsburgh, @Cincinnati, Denver, @Kansas City
Clinching Scenarios: The AFC West can not be clinched this week. However, if Kansas City wins or ties, then Kansas City is assured of a playoff berth of some sort. Likewise if the LA Chargers win AND Miami, Denver, Indy, and the Titans all lose, the LA Chargers are assured of a playoff berth of some sort.
Elimination Scenarios: The Oakland Raiders were eliminated from the playoffs by their latest loss. They could get at most 6 wins and would lose every tiebreak with any other potential team. No other AFC West team is subject to elimination this week.
*whew* I hope this helps.
Welcome to December and I hope your holiday shopping is going well. Speaking of December we are now in the thick of Playoff Scenario season and looking forward to week 14. As before I will post the AFC scenarios here while the NFC scenarios article as NFC Scenarios [Week 14] will be posted in the main forum. Since teams are now starting to clinch and be eliminated, I will use the following indicators: * -- Homefield, z -- First Round Bye, y -- Division Winner, x -- Playoff Spot. Sometimes I will follow a y or x with a number to reflect specific seed.
AFC East
This division is dominated by New England although they haven't clinched it quite yet. The Patriots seem to be doing pretty well for a 'down' year for Tom Brady.
Name Record Conf. Div. Last Four
Patriots 9-3 6-3 3-0 @Miami, @Pittsburgh, Buffalo, NY Jets
Miami 6-6 5-4 3-1 Patriots, @Minny, Jax, @Buffalo
Buffalo 4-8 3-6 1-2 NY Jets, Detroit, @Patriots, Miami
NY Jets 3-9 2-7 0-4 @Buffalo, Houston, Green Bay, @Patriots
Clinching Scenarios: New England can clinch the AFC East with a win (because that also means a Miami loss).
Elimination Scenarios: If the NY Jets lose or tie, the NY Jets are eliminated from the Playoffs. If Buffalo loses and Baltimore and Pittsburgh both win, then Buffalo is eliminated from the playoffs. This makes the game between the Jets and Bills essentially a playoff elimination game.
AFC North
This is a dogfight between the Baltimore Ravens and the recently stumbling Pittsburgh Steelers. That said the margins are so tight that NO team has been eliminated from division consideration (even the Browns) although that could change this week (see below).
Name Record Conf. Div. Last Four
Pittsburgh 7-4-1 4-4-1 3-1-1 @Oakland, Patriots, @Saints, Cincinnati
Baltimore 7-5 6-3 2-3 @Kansas City, Tampa, @LA Chargers, Browns
Cincinnati 5-7 3-5 1-3 @LA Chargers, Oakland, @Browns, @Pittsburgh
Cleveland 4-7-1 3-5-1 2-1-1 Carolina, @Denver, Cincinnati, @Baltimore
Clinching Scenarios: NONE This division is simply too tight.
Elimination Scenarios: If either Pittsburgh or Baltimore wins, then: 1) Cincinnati is eliminated from the AFC North race with a loss. 2) Cleveland is eliminated from the AFC North race with a loss or tie. If BOTH Pittsburgh and Baltimore win, then: 1) Cincinnati is eliminated from the playoffs with a loss. 2) Cleveland is eliminated from the playoffs with a loss or tie.
AFC South
I still smell fraud when I look at the Houston Texan's 9-3 record. I've seen them play and they aren't that good and they've has some insane luck during this win streak. All that said, when I look at the remaining games for the Texans and I struggle to find a game they should lose even for a mediocre team.
Name Record Conf. Div. Last Four
Houston 9-3 7-2 3-1 Indy, @NY Jets, @Philly, Jax
Indy 6-6 5-5 2-2 @Houston, Dallas, NY Giants, @Tenn
Titans 6-6 4-6 2-2 Jax. @NY Giants, Washington, Indy
Jax 4-8 3-6 1-3 @Tenn, Washington, @Miami, @Houston
Clinching Scenarios: If Houston wins AND Tenn either loses or ties, then Houston clinches the AFC South.
Elimination Scenarios: If Jax loses OR if Baltimore and Pittsburgh both win, then Jax is eliminated from the playoffs. If Indy loses (Houston wins), then Indy is eliminated from the AFC South race. If Houston wins AND Tenn loses or ties, then Tenn is also eliminated from the AFC South race.
AFC West
This division is coming down to a fight between the Kansas City Chiefs and the LA Chargers, and the upcoming head to head match ups will likely decide it. It's a virtual lead pipe cinch that whichever one of these two that doesn't win the division will go to the playoffs as a wildcard.
Name Record Conf. Div. Last Four
Chiefs 10-2 8-1 4-0 Baltimore, LA Chargers, @Seattle, Oakland
Chargers 9-3 6-2 2-2 Cincinnati, @Kansas City, Baltimore, @Denver
Denver 6-6 4-5 2-2 @San Francisco, Browns, @Oakland, LA Chargers
Oakland(e) 2-10 1-7 0-4 Pittsburgh, @Cincinnati, Denver, @Kansas City
Clinching Scenarios: The AFC West can not be clinched this week. However, if Kansas City wins or ties, then Kansas City is assured of a playoff berth of some sort. Likewise if the LA Chargers win AND Miami, Denver, Indy, and the Titans all lose, the LA Chargers are assured of a playoff berth of some sort.
Elimination Scenarios: The Oakland Raiders were eliminated from the playoffs by their latest loss. They could get at most 6 wins and would lose every tiebreak with any other potential team. No other AFC West team is subject to elimination this week.
*whew* I hope this helps.
