Can Patriots Clinch #1 Seed Next Week with win and Broncos loss?

Bengals are a physical defense with a good secondary, especially of late. Mannings duck will be fluttering into Cincys arms this week

You're discounting the Bengals QB and HC who both come up short in big games

pwes said:

Really? One of the tiebreakers is a coin toss? I know there isn't a chance in hell of it ever getting this far but if for some reason it did all hell would break lose.

Click to expand...

Right? I always laugh when I see that. It's like that scene in Friday Night Lights when the coaches gather in an undisclosed location to determine who moves on to the next round.

Who tosses this coin exactly? Roger Goodell?

And who verifies it is on the up and up? Do reps from the affected teams get together for this folkloric coin toss?

I don't think it has ever come to that, but it would be funny if it did.

In this day and age, it would probably be an hour long prime time special on ESPN sponsored by the Franklin Mint! Lol!

Anyone remember the game where the ref tosses the coin calling for the Patriots opponent and Brady in his squeaky high pitched voice starts screaming at the ref that he read the coin wrong?

In the final analysis, I guess we have to assume that Denver wins out, but it sure would be nice to get it wrapped up before Week 17.

Stranger things have happened. I mean they did Lose to the Rams.

Andy Dalton and Marvin Lewis....enough said. They will have to win out to get #1. Will easily handle jets...Buff game could be like MIA game for 1st half

dannydyn said:

I'm interested to hear (probably too lazy to look it up) what would happen if the Pats win, and donkeys lose to Cinci... does that mean donkeys lose 1st round bye?

Click to expand...

Four things need to happen for Cincinnati to knock off Denver as the #2 seed:

1. Bengals beat Denver next week in Cincinnati
2. Bengals win in week 17 at Pittsburgh
3. Broncos lose in week 17 to Oakland
4. Colts need to lose at least one of their final two games


Indianapolis can become the number two seed with this scenario:

1. Bengals beat Denver next week in Cincinnati
2. Broncos lose in week 17 to Oakland
3. Colts win their final two games

PatsWickedPissah said:

Anyone remember the game where the ref tosses the coin calling for the Patriots opponent and Brady in his squeaky high pitched voice starts screaming at the ref that he read the coin wrong?

Click to expand...

Wasn't that the 2003 @Mia OT game? (Game-winning OT bomb to "Bingo!")

rlcarr said:

Wasn't that the 2003 @Mia OT game? (Game-winning OT bomb to "Bingo!")

Click to expand...

Following up on myself, yes it was...

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2003-10-20/sports/0310200040_1_tim-bowens-patriots-tails

PatsWickedPissah said:

You're discounting the Bengals QB and HC who both come up short in big games

Click to expand...

I know. My only hope is that maybe it's time for them to get the monkey off their back - desperation on my part.

It may have gotten a little easier for Cinci in their game against Denver.

Brandon Marshall suffered an injury to his foot and is expected to miss a game or 2. Apparently the injury is in the Lisfranc region which could be quite debilitating.

In addition, Danny Trevathan, who just got back, dislocated his kneecap, went under the knife, and is out for the season.

Nate Irving is already out on IR

.http://www.denverpost.com/broncos/ci_27140875/undefined?source=infinite

cclocke said:

Quick question, do the Patriots clinch the #1 seed next week if they win and Denver loses in Cincy on Monday night? I know we have the head-to-head tie breaker vs DEN, but if NE, DEN, and Indy all end up 12-4, would the Patriots win the three way tiebreaker due to beating both teams?

Click to expand...

Yes, because:

• The Patriots would be assured of at least 12-4.
• No other AFC team could do better than 12-4.
• The only teams that could match 12-4 are Indy and Denver.
• The Patriots would have the head-to-head sweep tiebreaker in all tied-at-12-4 scenarios.

And by the way, Denver has less than a 2-game edge over each of Indy and Cincy, so there's a theoretical chance they lose the bye or even fall to 4th seed.

Rob0729 said:

I think if Pittsburgh and Baltimore both win next week, I think Buffalo may be eliminated from the playoffs because they don't have the tiebreakers against anyone with 8 or more wins right now.

Click to expand...

They need to win out and have one of the following scenarios

• Pittsburgh wins its last two to win the AFC North at 11-5;
• Cincinnati loses its last two to finish 9-6-1;
• Baltimore loses its last two to finish 9-7;
• Kansas City loses its last two to finish 8-8
• San Diego goes 1-1 in its last two to finish 9-7, leaving Cincinnati & Buffalo as the two wild cards.

---

Another path is similar to the one above:

• Same scenario as above (Pit wins last two, Cin loses last two, Balt loses last two, KC loses last two)
• San Diego goes 2-0 in its last two to finish 10-6, leaving San Diego and Buffalo as the two wild cards

---

Another scenario in which Bills fans would be rooting for Pittsburgh and against Cincinnati:

• Pittsburgh wins its last two to win the AFC North at 11-5;
• Cincinnati loses its last two to finish 9-6-1;
• Kansas City loses its last two to finish 8-8
• San Diego goes 1-1 in its last two to finish 9-7
• Baltimore goes 1-1 in its last two to finish 10-6, leaving Baltimore & Buffalo as the two wild cards.

---

A possibility to the other extreme -- Cincinnati finishes strong while Pittsburgh falters:

• Cincinnati wins its last two to win the AFC North at 11-4-1;
• Pittsburgh loses its last two to finish 9-7;
• Kansas City goes 1-1 (beating Pittsburgh, losing to San Diego) in its last two to finish 9-7
• San Diego goes 1-1 (losing to San Francisco, beating Kansas City) in its last two to finish 9-7
• Baltimore goes 1-1 in its last two to finish 10-6, leaving Baltimore & Buffalo as the two wild cards.

They really don't have a great shot even if they win out and I really don't know why people are just expecting them to easily beat Oakland in the Blackhole.

jmt57 said:

Four things need to happen for Cincinnati to knock off Denver as the #2 seed:

1. Bengals beat Denver next week in Cincinnati
2. Bengals win in week 17 at Pittsburgh
3. Broncos lose in week 17 to Oakland
4. Colts need to lose at least one of their final two games


Indianapolis can become the number two seed with this scenario:

1. Bengals beat Denver next week in Cincinnati
2. Broncos lose in week 17 to Oakland
3. Colts win their final two games

Click to expand...

Basically, as you have noted, it's all but certain Denver and the Patriots will be the #1 and #2 seeds (chances either team loses both games is small). So the #1 and #2 seeding is all about a Patriots and Denver staring contest with Denver having more on the line of they blink first..
That's the story here.

The second and up coming story is the Divisional Round matchups. We could face Indy(3), Pitt (4), both div winners, or Balt, Cincy (the teams I think will be WCs -- based on schedules and my hunches). The likeliest change would be to swap Cincy for the winner of the SD v KC game).
WC games are: Indy vs Cincy or KC/SD and Pitt vs Balt.

If my seeding is correct, if the Patriots do get the #1, and if the two home teams win their Wild Card round games, Patriots road to the SB is Pitt and Denver in Foxboro. If the Patriots end up with the second seed, the road to the SB is Indy in Foxboro and Denver in Denver.
As I see it that is first and second the likeliest road to the SB for the Patriots.
Obviously many other possibilities exist, however, at this point these are the likeliest outcomes -- with the likliest switch).

Fencer said:

And by the way, Denver has less than a 2-game edge over each of Indy and Cincy, so there's a theoretical chance they lose the bye or even fall to 4th seed.

Click to expand...

Sure, if they lose both of their remaining games there is.

I don't think we see anything remotely close to that, but it sure would be nice.