Week 16 other NFL Games

[jmt57]

No Thursday Night Football this week, but we do get six nationwide games (if you call Amazon/Twitch a 'nationwide telecast').

On Sunday most of the US will receive Colts at Steelers early on CBS and Rams at Seahawks late on Fox.

In the early time slot Fox reverts to pumping the Giants game into New England (they play the Ravens), while most of the rest of the US gets Atlanta at KC. Either option makes for all the more reason to watch the AFC game instead.

506 Sports - NFL Maps: Week 16, 2020

506sports.com

NATIONAL BROADCASTS

• Friday (Christmas) 4:30 ET: Minnesota @ New Orleans (FOX/NFLN)
• Saturday 1:00 ET: Tampa Bay @ Detroit (NFLN) (Adam Amin, Mark Schlereth)
• Saturday 4:30 ET: San Francisco @ Arizona (Amazon/Twitch) (Andrew Catalon, James Lofton)
• Saturday 8:15 ET: Miami @ Las Vegas (NFLN) (Joe Davis, Kurt Warner)
• Sunday Night: Tennessee @ Green Bay (NBC)
• Monday Night: Buffalo @ New England (ESPN/ABC)

 

[jmt57]

In terms of the AFC playoff picture, it appears the most important games are the Colts at Steelers this week, then Steelers at Browns and Dolphins at Bills next week.

Week 16 AFC Playoff Picture​

1.) 13-1 Chiefs (vs Falcons, vs Chargers); have clinched AFC West
Virtual lock for #1 seed. Would take two losses plus about 18 other specific outcomes to not happen.

2.) 11-3 Bills (at Patriots, vs Dolphins); have clinched AFC East
Hold tiebreaker over Steelers based on week 14 win.
Can clinch #2 seed with (a) win vs Pats; plus (b) Steelers loss; plus (c) Titans loss.
Can clinch at least #3 seed with (a) win vs Pats; plus (b) either a Steelers loss or Titans loss.

AFC Playoff Picture: Buffalo Bills have extremely narrow path to number-one seed

It could happen.

www.buffalorumblings.com

3.) 11-3 Steelers (vs Colts, at Browns); have clinched a playoff spot
Can clinch the AFC North and at least the #3 seed with a victory.

4.) 10-4 Titans (at Packers, at Texans); control own destiny (two wins and they are in the playoffs)
Can clinch AFC South with a win, plus a Colts loss.
Can clinch at least #6 seed with a win, plus Dolphins loss.
Eliminated from #2 seed with a loss, plus Steelers win.
Eliminated from #3 seed with a loss, plus Bills win.

5.) 10-4 Browns (at Jets, vs Steelers); control own destiny (two wins and they are in playoffs)
Can clinch at least #5 seed with a win, plus Ravens lose, plus Dolphins lose, plus either Colts or Titans lose.
Can clinch at least #6 seed with a win, plus two of the Colts/Dolphins/Ravens lose.
Can clinch a playoff spot with a win, plus one of Colts/Dolphins/Ravens lose.
Eliminated from #2 seed if Bills win.
Eliminated from #4 seed with a loss, plus Steelers win.

6.) 10-4 Colts (at Steelers, vs Jaguars); control own destiny
Can clinch at least #6 seed with a win, plus both Dolphins and Ravens lose.
Can clinch at least #7 seed with a win, plus either Dolphins or Ravens lose.
Eliminated from #2 seed if Bills win; eliminated from #3 seed with a loss to Steelers.
Eliminated from #4 seed with loss, plus Titans win.
Eliminated from #5 seed with loss, plus both Titans and Browns win.

7.) 9-5 Dolphins (at Raiders, at Bills); control own destiny
Cannot clinch anything in Week 16.
Eliminated from #5 seed with loss, plus Colts win.
Eliminated from #6 seed loss, plus both Colts and Browns win.

8.) 9-5 Ravens (vs Giants, at Bengals); do not control own destiny
Even though the Ravens cannot clinch anything by winning out, they are in good shape. They should be able to win both of those games, and then just need either the Bills to beat Miami, or Pittsburgh to beat Cleveland, or the Titans to lose twice and they are in the playoffs.

9.) 7-7 Raiders (vs Dolphins, at Broncos); do not control own destiny
All but mathematically eliminated; they need two win twice, plus have the Ravens lose to the Giants and Bengals.

2022 N.F.L. Playoff Picture: Each Team’s Path to the Postseason (Published 2023)

An interactive calculator that lets you explore every team’s path to the N.F.L. playoffs.

www.nytimes.com

2020 NFL Predictions

FiveThirtyEight's 2020 NFL forecast uses an Elo-based model to calculate each team's chances of advancing to the playoffs and winning the Super Bowl.

projects.fivethirtyeight.com

AFC Playoff Picture

The AFC Playoff Picture table presents the probabilities that a team will win each NFL playoff spot.

www.playoffstatus.com

 

[jmt57]

Odds as of 10:00 pm ET 12/24
Road teams are favored in seven games, and are less than four point underdogs in four other games.

6-8 Vikings (+7) at 10-4 Saints (o/u 7)
9-5 Bucs (-9½) at 5-9 Lions (o/u 54)
5-9 Niners (+5) at Cardinals (48½)
9-5 Dolphins (-3) at 7-7 Raiders (47½)
5-9 Broncos (+3) at 5-9 Chargers (49)
10-4 Browns (-9½) at 1-13 Jets (47½)
3-10-1 Bengals (+7½) at 4-10 Texans (46)
10-4 Colts (-1½) at 11-3 Steelers (44½)
7-7 Bears (-7½) at 1-13 Jaguars (47)
4-10 Panthers (+1) at 6-8 Washington (42½)
5-9 Giants (+10½) at 9-7 Ravens (44)
4-10 Falcons (+10½) at 13-1 Chiefs (54)
9-5 Rams (+1½) at 10-4 Seahawks (47½)
4-9-1 Eagles (-2) at 5-9 Cowboys (49½)
10-4 Titans (+3½) at 11-3 Packers (56)
11-3 Bills (-7) at 6-8 Patriots (46)

 

[jmt57]

Week 16 NFC Playoff Picture (after Saints-Vikings game)​

1.) 11-3 Packers (vs Titans, at Bears); have clinched NFC North
Can do no worse than #3 seed
Can clinch #1 seed with win, plus Seahawks lose to Rams

2.) 11-4 Saints (at Panthers); have clinched NFC South
Can do no worse than #3 seed

3.) 10-4 Seahawks (vs Rams, at 49ers); have clinched playoff spot
Clinch at least #3 seed with win over the Rams
Clinch at least #6 seed if Cardinals lose to 49ers

4.) NFC Least -- see below

5.) 9-5 Rams (at Seahawks, vs Cardinals); 98% chance to make playoffs
Clinch at least #5 seed with win vs Sea, plus Bucs and Cardinals both lose
Clinch at least #6 seed with win vs Sea, plus either Bucs or Cardinals lose
Clinch at least #7 seed with win vs Sea, or Bears lose to Jags, or 49ers lose to Cardinals
Eliminated from #1 seed if Packers win
Eliminated from division title (at least #3 seed) with loss to Seahawks

6.) 9-5 Bucs (at Lions, vs Falcons); 99% chance to make playoffs
Clinch at least #6 seed with win at Det, plus either Rams lose (to Sea) or AZ loses (to SF)
Clinch at least #7 seed with win at DET, or Bears lose (to Jax)

7.) 6-6 Cardinals (vs 49ers, at Rams); 69% chance to make playoffs
Clinch playoff spot with win vs SF, plus Bears lose
Eliminated from #5 seed with loss, plus either Bucs or Rams win
Eliminated from #6 seed with loss, plus both Bucs and Rams win

8.) 7-7 Bears (at Jaguars, vs Packers); must win twice; 34% chance to make playoffs
No chance to clinch a playoff spot this week
Eliminated from #5 seed with win by any of AZ, TB, or Rams
Eliminated from #6 seed with Bucs win, plus either AZ or Rams win
Eliminated from playoffs with loss, plus Arizona wins

NFC East​

4.) 6-8 Washington (vs Panthers, at Eagles); 75% chance to make playoffs
Clinch division and #4 seed with a win, plus Giants loss

11.) 5-9 Cowboys (vs Eagles, at Giants); 5% chance to make playoffs
Eliminated with either a loss, or a Washington win

13.) 5-9 Giants (at Ravens, vs Giants); 12% chance to make playoffs
Eliminated with a loss, plus either Washington or Eagles win

14.) 4-9-1 Eagles (at Cowboys, vs Washington); must win twice; 8% chance to make playoffs
Eliminated with either a loss, or a Washington win

 

[jmt57]

First a game that is only on NFL Network or something called FuboTV ($65/month), now a game that is only streamed on Amazon Prime and is also on YouTubeTV ($65/month). (What exactly is the benefit of cutting the cord if you just turn around and spend that kine of money?) The NFL's quest to drain every last penny of revenue they can possibly find continues.

Some final stats from the first Saturday game, Tampa Bay annihilating Detroit 47-7 at Ford Field. Any miniscule chance of a Lions upset went out the door when Matt Stafford departed on the first drive.

Total Yards: Bucs 588, Lions 186
Passing Yards: Bucs 477, Lions 113
Yards per Play: Bucs 8.4, Lions 3.7
First Downs: Bucs 30, Lions 12
Third Down: Bucs 4/10, Lions 1/10
Time of Possession: Bucs 35:53, Lions 24:07
Total Plays: Bucs 70, Lions 50
Offensive Touchdowns: Bucs 7, Lions 0

All that was with Tampa Bay stepping off the gas and having Blaine Gabbert play the entire second half.

 

[jmt57]

Arizona with a nice game opening drive, but had to settle for a field goal. Cardinals go 3-and-out on their second possession, then SF comes back to score. Beathard with two nice passes on that drive. 7-3 Niners.

 

[patsfanfromoversea]

49ers Lb/DB are really good in tackling

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

Arizona making a comeback much to the chagrin to the 3.3% of pats fans that picked SF in this game!

 

[MoreBellhorn]

Relying on a 5’7” QB to throw on a 4th and 2. SF keeping AZ in the game.

 

[jmt57]

So unlike Robbie Gould to miss a FG and an XP

 

[MoreBellhorn]

What a horrendous pick.

 

[Joker]

you can hear the air rushing out of that red balloon

 

[jmt57]

Kyler Murray bails Kliff Kingsbury out for panicked decision (going for it on 4th down on own 35 with 9+ minutes left), after AZ had gone FG, Punt, Punt, Punt, FG, Punt, Fumble, and finally a TD.

Oops, never mind - interception

 

[MoreBellhorn]

Release this bum if SF loses.

 

[FreeTedWilliams]

So unlike Robbie Gould to miss a FG and an XP

make that 2 FG misses.....

 

[Joker]

Gold turns to lead...he's a reverse alchemist

 

[MoreBellhorn]

Yea, that didn’t look bad at all. Roethisberger type of injury.

 

[Joker]

what? that was a normal run of the mill hit, Murray looked up, saw it was no good...NOW he's desperately injured??? Must be watching that other fake on the Ravens.

 

[denverpatsfan]

Had no idea you can watch just with the Yahoo Sports app. No Yahoo account required. Thanks to whomever posted that tip.

 

[Jlaff]

Strange decision to go for it on 4th in your own end in a tie game. But I bet on Miami, so I'll take it.