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As the season wears down, fans are left with short schedules and number crunching in hopes of predicting which teams will be in-and-out of the 2009 playoffs. While little has been officially set in stone, a knowledgeable review of the League can bring the playoff picture into focus.
The AFC: Busy for the Wild Card
In the AFC, the Colts have already locked up their division, and the Bengals need just one win in their final four games to clinch the AFC North for the first time since 2005. The rest of the Conference playoff picture, however, is not nearly as clean cut.
The Patriots are just one game over the Dolphins and the Jets, while the suddenly re-ignited Broncos are right on the tail of San Diego.
New England has struggled at times this season. However, their upcoming schedule features games against Buffalo, Carolina, and Houston… none of which seem likely to topple the Patriots. While the Dolphins and Jets recent success is impressive, neither team seems strong enough to run the table and beat out New England for the division.
The Chargers and Broncos remaining schedules are equally difficult, so with a current one-game lead, it seems more likely than not San Diego will stay on top.
That leaves a series of teams left to fight out the final two Wild Card spots. If the season ended today, Denver and Jacksonville would be in the playoffs, with the Dolphins, Ravens, Jets, and Steelers on the outside looking in.
Denver seems to be back on-track after some midseason struggles, and should be able to clinch a Wild Card. Jacksonville, on the other hand, has inspired little confidence all season despite a 7-5 record. With games against Indy and at New England, it’ll be tough for the Jaguars to hold on.
With a game coming up against the Jacksonville, Miami would seemingly have the inside track to strengthen their postseason chances. However, the Ravens remaining schedule includes Detroit, Chicago, and Oakland, making them the best bet to secure the sixth and final playoff spot in the Conference.
The NFC: East still Unsettled
The top of the Conference is virtually set. New Orleans clinched the NFC South when they squeaked out a win against Washington this weekend. And the Vikings, despite losing, still hold a two-game lead on the first-round bye. With two games at home still on the schedule, it seems unlikely they’ll be topped.
That leaves four remaining playoff spots in the National Football Conference.
One will go to the winner of the NFC West. The Arizona Cardinals can clinch this weekend with a win over San Francisco. Even if they are unsuccessful, the Cardinals would have to lose all of their remaining games with the 49ers simultaneously winning all of theirs in order for the division champion to change. With the Lions and the Rams remaining on the Cards schedule, that seems unlikely.
This means the Arizona Cardinals will likely be division winners for the second consecutive year, a feat even more impressive to anyone with the slightest familiarity with the franchise’s history of ineptitude.
Another playoff spot goes to the winner of the NFC East. The Dallas Cowboys hold a slim lead here, with the Eagles and Giants right behind them. The Week-17 match-up between Dallas and Philly may end up deciding who will come out on top, though New York can make it irrelevant if they’re able to get hot.
Due to recent December struggles, the Cowboys have been a popular pick to choke. Because of this, most experts see the winner of this weekends Giants-Eagles match-up as the eventual division champ. Unlike the other three divisions in the Conference, however, the NFC East is still very much in the air.
That leaves two Wild Card spots. Green Bay now has won four games in a row, and with a relatively easy schedule the rest of the way, should be able to maintain enough momentum to hold on to one of those spots. Their toughest game left appears to be against the Steelers at Heinz Field, though the defending champs have been floundering. Winning two out of their last four should be enough to get Green Bay to the playoffs.
The second spot will go to one of the NFC East teams; the Cowboys, Eagles, or Giants. Sure, some of the NFCs sub-.500 teams are still technically in it, but they all have heavily-concerning issues that will make a come-from-behind playoff push unlikely.
If the Giants are able to somehow get atop the NFC East, the Eagles-Cowboys Week 17 match-up could be a win-or-go-home situation for the final Wild Card spot.
Eric Marmon wrote this for SportEvents.com, which helps real NFL fans find NFL game tickets and tickets to the Super Bowl.
