Bills Propel Pats to a Likely #3 or #4 AFC Seed

[Claremonster]

Houston isn't losing more than 2 games,maybe 3 if they sit starters in week 17 but they are a virtual lock for HFA

Despite all those who think the Ravens are finished are fooling themselves,it's the Ravens in very solid position at the #2 seed and only 2 losses to the Steelers (very unlikely) could derail that

I don't think the Broncos are all that and it simply means for them that to get the #3 seed over New England they have to have a better record than them,I would guess that both teams finish at 11-5 and that means NE is heading to the #3 seed

My guess at the AFC playoffs this early are....

WC Round....

#6 Pittsburgh at #3 New England
#5 Cincinnati at #4 Denver

Yes,I see 3 teams from the North making the playoffs in a very weak conference

Bungles? Playoffs? Yeah, I dunno about that one. Is the AFC really this bad?

 

[Claremonster]

Not ready to give up on the #1 or #2. We have to beat the Texans and hope they lose 1 more. Houston can still lose a game somewhere. They play Indianapolis twice late in the year which should give Luck enough time to get some more experience. They also have Detroit and Minnesota and you can't count them out either.

We just need to make sure we take care of our end.

The Texans are still missing another wide out threat opposite Andre Johnson. Their TE is getting a lot of stats though. Their qb is good, but, not great. We all know that their defense is pretty much the best in the league now. They're the best right now in the AFC, but, can be beaten.

Hopefully the Tuna is right about the Pats defense.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Bungles? Playoffs? Yeah, I dunno about that one. Is the AFC really this bad?

Well Miami is too green,Tennessee has been too erratic,Indy will come crashing down to earth as the games become real important and San Diego has Norv Turner.....other that those teams it's Cincinnati with a good shot and since they have a decent defense and a pretty decent QB/WR combo in Dalton to Green I think they rise above the others,even maybe over Pittsburgh who is an injury mess and old.

Cincinnati must win this week and possibly have to run the table to get there though,they usually drop out of contention around this time,but we will see.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

As of right now, Indy has a full 2 game lead on any other contender regarding the 6th slot, so it's very, very hard for me to imagine a team like Cincy overtaking them. To be honest, I am certainly not locking Indy into the #6, but I can't see any way that the lowly Cincinnati Bengals make it into the playoffs despite any scenario that you propose....

The Cincy Bengals are currently 4-5, and even worse they have a 2-5 AFC conference record. They are 1-4 in their last 5 games!!

They have a losing record at HOME...They also have games @SD, @PHI, and @PIT coming up, while hosting DAL and BAL to boot.

If the Bengals would make it, then Indy would somehow have to win 2 out of their last 7 games, and even then they'd still likely hold the tiebreaker over Cincinnati.

The percentages of both PIT and CIN making it are virtually impossible, but if Cincy somehow knocked out PIT for the #6 (as Indy would likey have the #5) then I certainly hope that we'd play them somehow.

I hear what your saying,it indeed is a big scramble for the 5 and 6 seeds since its all but set in stone that New England,Houston,Denver and Baltimore are playing at least one home game as division champs.

I for one am still not buying Indy,I think I would be very surprised if this young team doesnt pack it in in December.....I look at them as an 8-8 team and going 2-5 in their last 7 games.

If Indy beats NE at Gillette then I am going to have a newfound respect for this team and put them into playoff seeding, but until then,I say it's a Cinderella story and it will lose its glass slipper soon.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

I don't think its a big deal anyway....look at the SB champs of the past several years and how many of them won the title having a bye week......its a short list.

Whoever is on a roll into January has won the title lately,sometimes that extra week off lulls you to sleep as a team more than helps you,its an advantage of course but not as much as it used to be.

Well said. While nothing guarantees a SB win and having some bounces simply go your way can't be understated, going into January playing your best ball is also something that can't be understated. I'd trade that first week bye IF it was with the Patriots O having found their groove and the D having elevated it's game to near average. I like our chances no matter the bye if we have those 2 things going into January. If not and we are struggling to win with lackluster play? We NEED a bye or the hill to the SB is a much steeper incline.

Of course playing our best ball AND getting the bye would be the best of both worlds....

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Mentioning the NE Patriots in any context with that execrable MLB franchise should be a banable offense

I meant to say *collapse like a 'lead clock'* and my damn spell checker messed it up

 

[aberhwy61]

pats will get a bye. we'll lose 1 more probably. denver will lose one. we have the tie break. tom regular season wins since 06: 12, 16, 10, 14, 13... i'll be stunned if we drop two more games...

 

[shmessy]

pats will get a bye. we'll lose 1 more probably. denver will lose one. we have the tie break. tom regular season wins since 06: 12, 16, 10, 14, 13... i'll be stunned if we drop two more games...

It's not Denver they have to leapfrog.

It's Baltimore or Houston.

 

[brdmaverick]

Of course, all this talk of this early division clinching is predicated on an Indy victory. If last week against the Bills has taught us anything it's that it is NOT a sure thing.

 

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

pats will get a bye. we'll lose 1 more probably. denver will lose one. we have the tie break. tom regular season wins since 06: 12, 16, 10, 14, 13... i'll be stunned if we drop two more games...

If what you said ends up true that the Pats lose just one more and finish at 12-4 that means Baltimore right now at 7-2 has to lose 3 out of the next 7 games because that little controversial FG the Ravens had to beat NE could be the difference between a week off and the WC round

It truly is a game of inches when you realize that FG could mean everything.

 

[JoeSixPat]

I don't care about seeding anymore

As far as I'm concerned the goal of the regular season is to make the playoffs with every key player peaking with the best possible health and performance.

Give me a choice between the #1 seed and poor health or the #6 seed and excellent health and performance, I'll take the 6th seed every time.

 

[supafly]

I don't care about seeding anymore

As far as I'm concerned the goal of the regular season is to make the playoffs with every key player peaking with the best possible health and performance.

Give me a choice between the #1 seed and poor health or the #6 seed and excellent health and performance, I'll take the 6th seed every time.

The possibility obviously increases dramatically when you have to go on the road and win 3 games just to get to the SB vs. being able to win one playoff game at home and being in the AFFCG already. Don't let the so-called recent success of lower seeds fool you

Our chances increase dramatically be gaining that #2 seed, having a week to rest and gameplan at home to win one game to get to the AFFCG.