Thanks to multiple postponements that eventually led to a Wednesday afternoon game (!), there was no Thursday Night Football this week - but we will have two games Monday, and another on Tuesday.
If the season were to end today the Patriots, Ravens and 49ers would be among the teams in the undesirable position of being not good enough to make the playoffs, while at the same time not being bad enough to receive a top-ten draft pick.
In a bit of an anomaly the Bills dropped from #3 to #4 despite winning last week, due to the Titans victory over the Colts. Tennessee moved from #5 to #3, while Indy plummeted from #4 to #7. Miami jumped up from #9 to #6 with a win over the hapless Jets, plus losses by the Raiders and Ravens. The Dolphins have another easy game this week (Bengals), but finish against teams with a combined record of 29-15.
Over in the NFC the Rams and Seahawks flip flopped the #2 and #5 seeds. The Giants - who started 1-7 (with their sole victory at that point due to their opponent deciding to go for two rather than continue to overtime) and were considered to be the second worst team in the league - now find themselves as the #4 seed in the conference. By virtue of their third loss in a row the Eagles moved from a #19 pick in the draft to #6. Dallas owns the worst record in the NFC - yet at the same time, is one game away from hosting a playoff game.
Current AFC Playoff Teams
1. Steelers (AFC North leader) – 11-0 overall / 4-0 division / 8-0 conference
Remaining games: vs Washington (4-7), at Bills (8-3), at Bengals (2-8-1), vs Colts (7-4), at Browns (8-3)
2. Chiefs (AFC West leader) – 10-1 overall / 3-1 division / 8-1 conference
Remaining games: vs Broncos (4-7), at Dolphins (7-4), at Saints (9-2), vs Falcons (4-7), vs Chargers (3-8)
3. Titans (AFC South leader) – 8-3 overall / 3-1 division / 6-3 conference
Remaining games: vs Browns (8-3), at Jaguars (1-10), vs Lions (4-7), at Packers (8-3), at Texans (4-7)
4. Bills (AFC East leader) – 8-3 overall / 4-0 division / 6-2 conference
Remaining games: at 49ers (5-6), vs Steelers (11-0), at Broncos (4-7), at Patriots (5-6), vs Dolphins (7-4)
5. Browns (First wild card) – 8-3 overall / 2-2 division / 5-3 conference
Remaining games: at Titans (8-3), vs Ravens (6-5), at Giants (4-7), at Jets (0-11), vs Steelers (11-0)
6. Dolphins (Second wild card) – 7-4 overall / 2-2 division / 4-3 conference
Remaining games: vs Bengals (2-8-1), vs Chiefs (10-1), vs Patriots (5-6), at Raiders (6-5), at Bills (8-3)
7. Colts (Third wild card) – 7-4 overall / 1-2 division / 3-4 conference
Remaining games: at Texans (4-7), at Raiders (6-5), vs Texans (4-7), at Steelers (11-0), vs Jaguars (1-10)
Within Two Games
8. Raiders – 6-5 overall / 3-1 division / 4-3 conference
Remaining games: at Jets (0-11), vs Colts (7-4), vs Chargers (3-8), vs Dolphins (7-4), at Broncos (4-7)
9. Ravens – 6-5 overall / 2-2 division / 4-5 conference
Remaining games: vs Cowboys (3-8), at Browns (8-3), vs Jaguars (1-10), vs Giants (4-7), at Bengals (2-8-1)
10. Patriots – 5-6 overall / 2-1 division / 4-4 conference
Remaining games: at Chargers (3-8), at Rams (7-4), at Dolphins (7-4), vs Bills (8-3), vs Jets (0-11)
Current NFC Playoff Teams
1. Saints (NFC South leader) – 9-2 overall / 4-0 division / 7-1 conference
Remaining games: at Falcons (4-7), at Eagles (3-7-1), vs Chiefs (10-1), vs Vikings (5-6), at Panthers (4-8)
2. Seahawks (NFC West leader) 8-3 overall / 2-2 division / 6-2 conference
Remaining games: vs Giants (4-7), vs Jets (0-11), at Washington (4-7), vs Rams (7-4), at 49ers (5-6)
3. Packers (NFC North leader) – 8-3 overall / 3-1 division / 6-2 conference
Remaining games: vs Eagles (3-7-1), at Lions (4-7), vs Panthers (4-8), vs Titans (8-3), at Bears (5-6)
4. Giants (see NFC East below) – 4-7
5. Rams (First wild card) – 7-4 overall / 1-2 division / 7-2 conference
Remaining games: at Cardinals (6-5), vs Patriots (5-6), vs Jets (0-11), at Seahawks (8-3), vs Cardinals (6-5)
6. Buccaneers (Second wild card) – 7-5 overall / 2-2 division / 4-4 conference
Remaining games: vs Vikings (5-6), at Falcons (4-7), at Lions (4-7), vs Falcons (4-7)
7. Cardinals (Third wild card) – 6-5 overall / 2-1 division / 4-3 conference
Remaining games: vs Rams (7-4), at Giants (4-7), vs Eagles (3-7-1), vs 49ers (5-6), at Rams (7-4)
Within Two Games
8. Vikings – 5-6 overall / 3-1 division / 4-4 conference
Remaining games: vs Jaguars (1-10), at Bucs (7-5), vs Bears (5-6), at Saints (9-2), vs Lions (4-7)
9. Bears – 5-6 overall / 1-2 division / 5-4 conference
Remaining games: vs Lions (4-7), vs Texans (4-7), at Vikings (5-6), at Jaguars (1-10), vs Packers (8-3)
10. 49ers – 5-6 overall / 2-2 division / 3-5 conference
Remaining games: vs Bills (8-3), vs Washington (4-7), at Cowboys (3-8), at Cardinals (6-5), vs Seahawks (8-3)
11. Lions – 4-7 overall / 0-3 division / 3-5 conference
Remaining games: at Bears (5-6), vs Packers (8-3), at Titans (8-3), vs Bucs (7-5), vs Vikings (5-6)
12. Washington – 4-7
13. Falcons – 4-7 overall / 1-2 division / 2-7 conference
Remaining games: vs Saints (9-2), at Chargers (3-8), vs Bucs (7-5), at Chiefs(10-1), at Bucs (7-5)
NFC Least
4. Giants (NFC East leader) – 4-7 overall / 3-2 division / 3-6 conference
Remaining games: at Seahawks (8-3), vs Cardinals (6-5), vs Browns (8-3), at Ravens (6-5), vs Cowboys (3-8)
12. Washington (NFC #2) – 4-7 overall / 3-2 division / 3-5 conference
Remaining games: at Steelers (11-0), at 49ers (5-6), vs Seahawks (8-3), vs Panthers (4-8), at Eagles (3-7-1)
15. Eagles (NFC #3) – 3-7-1 overall / 2-2 division / 3-4 conference
Remaining games: at Packers (8-3), vs Saints (9-2), at Cardinals (6-5), at Cowboys (3-8), vs Washington (4-7)
16. Cowboys (NFC #4) – 3-8 overall / 1-3 division / 3-6 conference
Remaining games: at Ravens (6-5), at Bengals (2-8-1), vs 49ers (5-6), vs Eagles (3-7-1), at Giants (4-7)
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