'Tis the season for playoff scenarios (NFL Playoff Machine)

[Big-T]

AFC:
1. Patriots (14-2)
2. Chiefs (13-3)
3. Colts (12-4)
4. Steelers (10-6)
5. Broncos (11-5)
6. Dolphins (11-5)

NFC:
1, Cardinals (13-3)
2. Cowboys (12-4)
3. Packers (12-4)
4. Saints (9-7)
5. Seahawks (11-5)
6. Lions (11-5)

 

[1960Pats]

The argument for it is that "Well, we force these teams to play six games against one another."

Quite simply, there is no perfectly fair system that will always guarantee that the N best teams in each conference make the playoffs. It's a question of what inequities you're willing to live with. Personally, I'm OK with saying "Every division winner gets in," although I'd prefer "Every division winner over .500 gets in."

The only truly fair and equitable system would be to have one 16 team division where each team plays all others once, with the top six teams getting in, but I could live with two 8 team divisions. Anything would be better than the ridiculous 4 team setup we have now. I'm not a big fan of playing the NFC during the season either. I'd rather see us play more of the AFC teams instead.

 

[Bledsoe_Fan]

I agree with the 8 team divisions. You're bound to have good teams at the top of each division if there are 8. Having 4 teams is just too small of a pool to have to pick a supposed "best" from, some seasons all 4 teams in a division will suck. Look at the NFC South this year.

 

[Patriot Missile]

On one hand I hate to give Green Bay any kind of film footage to work with when they play them in 2 weeks. Possibly to be used against us in the SuperBowl ala 07 vs Giants.

On the other hand they had some good stuff to work with in 01-02 when the Pats played the Rams and fell short in the regular season only to defeat them in the Super Bowl.

It works both ways I guess.

 

[Two Eight]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/machine



My first stab at it ...

Mine came out almost the same...I think I had the Cardinals beating KC at home and you must have gone the other way on that game?

AFC

1. NE 13-3
2. Den 12-4
3. Ind 11-5
4. Cin 10-5-1
5. KC 12-4
6. Hou 10-6


NFC

1. AZ 14-2
2. GB 13-3
3. Phi 12-4
4. NO 7-9
5. Dal 12-4
6. Det 11-5

 

[Oswlek]

This four team division setup, has been and will always be a travesty. In a league of 32 teams, there's no way in hell that a team and their fans should be rewarded with a trip to the playoffs based solely off of having a better record than just three of those other teams. We could have a 6-10 team in the playoffs this year and multiple superior teams with better records and a win against that team, sitting at home watching. Can anyone explain how that makes sense?

Interestingly enough, every single team that people have complained about making it into the playoffs (SD in 2008, Seattle in 2010, StL one year when they were 8-8 and probably another couple I am forgetting) have gone on to win their opening playoff games. So clearly they weren't that far out of their league.

 

[Bledsoe_Fan]

Interestingly enough, every single team that people have complained about making it into the playoffs (SD in 2008, Seattle in 2010, StL one year when they were 8-8 and probably another couple I am forgetting) have gone on to win their opening playoff games. So clearly they weren't that far out of their league.

I think it's not so much the fact that those teams COULDN'T win in the playoffs, because alot of teams with mediocre records can and have won playoff games, but I think it's more the fact that does a team with that record really DESERVE to be there, when teams with much better records in other divisions can't be?... Football ethics I guess you could say.

 

[Oswlek]

They're only one game out of the #1 seed. After their bye this week they play NO, KC and Cincy at home and Cincy and Atlanta on the road. Sounds doable to me.

Two games with two more conference losses than Denver and one more than NE. Pitt would need to win out - very unlikely - and get help. Probably in the neighborhood of a 1% possibility.

EDIT: Footballoutsiders' playoff odds has it at 1.6%, and those numbers are overstated because they undervalue NE by retaining their non-predictive first month.

 

[RelocatedPatFan]

I'll consider playoff seeding while in a Tryptophan sleep induced nap, but it still feels a little early.

 

[deters]

#1 Patriots
#2 Broncos
#3 Colts
#4 Ravens
#5 Chiefs
#6 Bengals

 

[stealthdog]

1 - Patriots
2 - Chiefs
3 - Colts
4 - Ravens
5 - Broncos
6 - Texans

Note - I have Pittsburgh going 9-7

NFC
1 - Cardinals
2 - Packers
3 - Eagles
4 - Saints
5 - Lions
6 - Cowboys

 

[NEWNYJETS]

LOL

FIRST-ROUND BYES
1st Seed
San Diego
Proj:10-6
2nd Seed
Houston
Proj:8-7-1
WILD-CARD GAMES
6th Seed
Kansas City
Proj:9-7
@
3rd Seed
Cleveland
Proj:8-7-1
5th Seed
Denver
Proj:10-6
@
4th Seed
NY Jets
Proj:8-8
Current Playoff Picture
NFC
FIRST-ROUND BYES
1st Seed
Arizona
Proj:14-2
2nd Seed
Philadelphia
Proj:11-5
WILD-CARD GAMES
6th Seed
San Francisco
Proj:10-6
@
3rd Seed
Green Bay
Proj:10-6
5th Seed
Dallas
Proj:11-5
@
4th Seed
Atlanta
Proj:9-7

 

[PatsFanSince74]

http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/machine
My first stab at it I have
AFC
#1 New England
#2 Kansas City
#3 Indianapolis vs #6 Houston
#4 Cleveland vs #5 Denver

thanks for having the guts (insanity) to do this.
what records do you have New England and KC finishing at?
thx again

 

[Rob0729]

Glad to see that people are coming around to my way of thinking that Denver was way overrated a few weeks ago and that the Chiefs have a good chance of taking the AFC West. Here are my picks:

1. Patriots 14-2 (Yes, I am calling a sweep of the rest of the season although I got the Packers game as a toss up)
2. Chiefs 12-4
3. Colts 11-5
4. Bengals 10-5-1
5. Broncos 11-5
6. Steelers 9-7

1. Cardinals 13-3
2. Packers 12-4
3. Eagles 10-6
4. Saints 7-9
5. Lions 11-5
6. Cowboys 10-6

 

[50-yard-line]

Don't know the seeding, but I'll predict that if Sanders and J. Thomas aren't back playing well soon, Denver won't win their division.

Heck, Denver better not be asleep on Sunday, at all, or Miami will put a hurt on them - oh, and the HIGH temp in Denver Sunday is expected in the mid-30's.

 

[hambone1818]

To be fair to the NFC South (and really, it's not the teams' faults, the league needs to change this mess of playoff seeding), I have the Saints at 8-8, possibly even 9-7 which would make this no different than several other seasons including 2008 when the Pats got screwed. The Saints remaining sched: vs BAL, @PIT, vs CAR, @CHI, vs ATL, @TB. Do they really lose 3 or more of those games, with 3 at home where they're a tough out and two of their road games against crap TB and imploding Chicago?

Anyway, Pats 13-3 (either @GB or the random late-season head-scratcher), then everyone else. KC was #2, Miami made it in at 10-6 (after two losses to Denver and NE are they gonna lose at home vs BAL, MIN or NYJ, or their road Jets game? I don't think so). I was surprised to see I had Arizona at 11-5, their schedule is brutal (@SEA, @ATL, vs KC, @STL, vs SEA, @SF)...I'm thinking 12-4 is more likely but man that's a nightmare final four games.

 

[New England Pride]

Please keep the rat birds out of the playoffs. I'd rather play any team but them. They are not phased by coming into foxboro in January.

 

[jah]

1. NE (13-3)
2. DEN (12-4)
3. IND (12-4)
4. PIT (10-6)
5. KC (12-4)
6. CIN (9-6-1)

1. GB (13-3)
2. ARI (12-4)
3. DAL (10-6)
4. NO (7-9)
5. DET (11-5)
6. SF (11-5)

6 CIN @ 3 IND
5 KC @ 4 PIT
6 SF @ 3 DAL
5 DET @ 4 NO

4 PIT @ 1 NE
3 IND @ 2 DEN
6 SF @ 1 GB
5 DET @ 2 ARI

3 IND @ 1 NE
6 SF @ 2 ARI

1A NE vs. 6N SF

I don't really feel too strongly about SF making the Super Bowl. I just think if the seeding ends up this way, they would probably win @DAL, @GB, and @ARI because they have done all 3 pretty easily in recent years. @ARI maybe not so much but I trust Kaepernick just a bit more than Stanton with a Super Bowl on the line.

As for the Patriots, I just hope I didn't jinx anything. I haven't predicted them to win the Super Bowl since 2010.

 

[AzPatsFan]

Would love for the OP to happen.
Arizona, SF, and Seattle are going to beat the cr@p out of each other in the coming weeks. I could see Arizona losing three of six and ending up as the #2 seed or even as a wildcard.
GB may win out at this point.
AFC North is wide open, and as indicated the NFC South is absurd and probably shouldn't be allowed to participate.

Was it only back in September, two months ago, when we were being harangued about the deep superiority of the mighty NFC...

 

[upstater1]

Those of you asking how Denver misses the playoffs, it could happen if they lose 3 out of these 4:

Home v. Dolphins
at KC
at SD
at Cincy

I see them going 2-2.

Do I think they could lose 3 of 4? Of course.

And if that happens, they are out of the playoffs.