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Well since NFL.com have a playoff picture ready, we might as well start looking at that, too.

AFC
1^st Seed: New England Patriots, 8-0 (East)
2^nd Seed: Indianapolis Colts, 5-2 (South)
3^rd Seed: Baltimore Ravens, 5-2 (North)
4^th Seed: Kansas City Chiefs, 5-3 (West)
5^th Seed: Buffalo Bills, 5-2 (East)
6^th Seed: Houston Texans, 5-3 (South)

NFC
1^st Seed: San Fransicso 49ers, 7-0 (West)
2^nd Seed: New Orleans Saints, 7-1 (South)
3^rd Seed: Green Bay Packers, 7-1 (North)
4^th Seed: Dallas Cowboys, 4-3 (East)
5^th Seed: Seattle Seahawks, 6-2 (West)
6^th Seed: Minnesota Vikings, 6-2 (North)

Bad sign: the Los Angeles Rams--reigning NFC Champions--would not make the postseason if the season ended today, and one of their division opponents are currently in place for one the wild cards. Although, they are in better position than the 2018 NFC North Champions, who are last in their division.

Over in the AFC, it looks like Mahomes's injury--paired with three-straight home losses--has opened up the #2 seed. The Colts hold it today, but the Ravens aren't far off, and the Texans would have a tiebreaker if they pull ahead in the AFC South.

We still need a few weeks to officially bury playoff hopes for any team, but we can realistically count out the Dolphins, Bengals, Jets, Redskins, and Falcons, who boast only 3 wins combined.

superjawes wrote:

We still need a few weeks to officially bury playoff hopes for any team, but we can realistically count out the Dolphins, Bengals, Jets, Redskins, and Falcons, who boast only 3 wins combined.

I’m ready to stick a fork in the Bengals, Dolphins, Jets, Redskins, Falcons, Buccaneers, Broncos, Cardinals and Giants right now. Since I’m feeling generous while throwing shade, I’ll close the book on the Bears and Chargers, too,

If the Steelers didn't have a guaranteed win tonight, I'd add them to the list as well.

JustAnEngineer wrote:

superjawes wrote:

We still need a few weeks to officially bury playoff hopes for any team, but we can realistically count out the Dolphins, Bengals, Jets, Redskins, and Falcons, who boast only 3 wins combined.

I’m ready to stick a fork in the Bengals, Dolphins, Jets, Redskins, Falcons, Buccaneers, Broncos, Cardinals and Giants right now. Since I’m feeling generous while throwing shade, I’ll close the book on the Bears and Chargers, too,

I'd wait for the Giants just because the Cowboys aren't in a strong divisional position like the Saints and 49ers. Giants are unlikely to get a wild card, but with some divisional help, they could steal an NFC East title. They still have to play the Jets, Dolphins, Skins, and Bearsto help their record. Granted, they also have to play the Packers, Cowboys, and Philly x2...

Captain Ned wrote:

If the Steelers didn't have a guaranteed win tonight, I'd add them to the list as well.

Steelers still have Cincy, Arizona, and Cleveland x2, with some of their tougher opponents (Indy, LAR) at home, while the Ravens have New England, Houston, LAR, and SF on their schedule. That's a shot at a wild card or the AFC North title. I also think this is unlikely, but still plausible with help.

Chris Grier wrote:

Can I trade players during a game?

Biggest lead Miami has had since last season, and the Bengals are 1 loss ahead of the Dolphins in the race to the bottom.

Let's talk about this.

This is a sign of bigger problems in Chicago, if only on special teams. You should always know where your kicker prefers the ball, therefore giving you the best chance of making a field goal in this exact situation. If Nagy wants to take the next step, he needs to know this, but also, why doesn't Pineiro know for sure where he wants the ball? That's an even bigger failing on the special teams coordinator Chris Tabor. I bring all this up because this isn't the first Chicago Bears kicker to miss a critical field goal. If they don't get this together, it won't be the last, either.

Anecdotally, Pat McAfee has a semi-related story about lying to a general manager and getting sent to a holding boot camp in North Carolina before holding balls for the greatest kicker of all time. That is just one difference maker between double-doinking out of the playoffs and making a 51-yard, game-winning field goal at age 46.

Welcome to the Middle of the Season!

Week 9

Thursday Night Football 10/31
San Francisco 49ers at Arizona Cardinals

Sunday, 11/3, In London
Houston Texans "at" Jacksonville Jaguars

Sunday, 11/3
Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles
Indianapolis Colts at Pittsburgh Steelers
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins
Minnesota Vikings at Kansas City Chiefs
Tennessee Titans at Carolina Panthers
Washington Redskins at Buffalo Bills
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Seattle Seahawks
Detroit Lions at "Oakland" Raiders
Green Bay Packers at Los Angeles Chargers
Cleveland Browns at Denver Broncos

Sunday Night Football
New England Patriots at Baltimore Ravens

Monday Night Football, 11/4
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants

Despite being burned by the Eagles more than once this season, I'm taking them against the Bears. I'm still really bothered by that Pineiero story. I should also pick against the Dolphins, but with flashes of talent on Monday night, there is a chance they play a good game, so instead I'm legitimately taking the Jets after Le'Veon Bell's Twitter speech. I also like the 49ers to stay undefeated and the Packers in a home away from home game. How many cheeseheads do you expect in LA?

For watchable games, we've got the Colts continuing their impressive 2019 campaign on the road against one of their stronger opponents, and the Matt Moore Chiefs against the Vikings. Tennessee aren't having a great season, but you might want to see what Carolina do after their rough loss in SF. We've also got the best game of the week in Baltimore. The Patriots have played only one team with a winning record, but this game is a road one against John Harbaugh. Should be good.

Week 9 - Results

Thursday Night Football 10/31
San Francisco 49ers 28 at Arizona Cardinals 25

Sunday, 11/3, In London
Houston Texans 26 "at" Jacksonville Jaguars 3

Sunday, 11/3
Chicago Bears 14 at Philadelphia Eagles 22
Indianapolis Colts 24 at Pittsburgh Steelers 26
New York Jets 18 at Miami Dolphins 26 (You had one job!)
Minnesota Vikings 23 at Kansas City Chiefs 26
Tennessee Titans 20 at Carolina Panthers 30
Washington Redskins 9 at Buffalo Bills 24
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 34 at Seattle Seahawks 40
Detroit Lions 24 at "Oakland" Raiders 31
Green Bay Packers 11 at Los Angeles Chargers 26
Cleveland Browns 19 at Denver Broncos 24

Sunday Night Football
New England Patriots 20 at Baltimore Ravens 37

Monday Night Football, 11/4
Dallas Cowboys 37 at New York Giants 18

My Colts got beat badly by the Zebras today. I'm going to be steamed for a while about this one. Also, WTH is Brian Flores thinking! he's supposed to lose games, but he just put the Jets in as-good a position to get the #1 pick! And as a weird observation, all of the home teams won today, excepting the Jaguars, who technically played in London, and Baltimore, who play shortly.

SNF EDIT: Baltimore got their home win, too.

Ryan Fitzmagic completed 24 of 36 attempts for 288 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions against the Jets for a QBR of 119.
Meanwhile, Minkah Fitzmagic had been traded to the Steelers, where he had a 96-yard pick-six against your Colts.

Sunday Night Football will feature an important Vikings - Cowboys matchup.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/th ... -using-it/

Code: Select all

 NFL matchups for Week 10, ranked according to various factors
Favorite    Underdog    Win prob    Quality    Evenness    Importance    QBs
 9    Cowboys    vs     5    Vikings     54.3%    2    4    1    1
22    Raiders    vs    14    Chargers    50.8%    7    2    3    4
 3    49ers      vs    11    Seahawks    68.0%    1    9    6    3
16    Bills      at    23    Browns      50.1%    9    1    5    8
 7    Rams       at    18    Steelers    59.6%    3    5    2    10 

Week 10

Thursday Night Football 11/7
Los Angeles Chargers at "Oakland" Raiders

Sunday, 11/10
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals
Buffalo Bills at Cleveland Browns
Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears
New York Giants "at" New York Jets
Kansas City Chiefs at Tennessee Titans
Arizona Cardinals at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints
Miami Dolphins at Indianapolis Colts
Los Angeles Rams at Pittsburgh Steelers
Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers

Sunday Night Football
Minnesota Vikings at Dallas Cowboys

Monday Night Football, 11/11
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers

Got a few more teams on bye this week, so fewer games to pick, still, I'm happy to take the Ravens, high on their SNF victory, over the Bengals, high on their ownership of the #1 draft pick. I also like the Packers and Colts in bounce-back games and the Saints against a pretty bad Falcons team. Quinn's future is 100% up in the air right now, so I wouldn't count him out in divisional games, but the Saints are still one of the best teams in the league.

For games to watch, SNF looks good, but MNF is the better game. The last undefeated team are hosting their division rivals, and the Seahawks need to win this one if they want a real shot at the NFC West title.

Week 10 - Results

Thursday Night Football 11/7
Los Angeles Chargers 24 at "Oakland" Raiders 26

Sunday, 11/10
Baltimore Ravens 49 at Cincinnati Bengals 13
Buffalo Bills 16 at Cleveland Browns 19
Detroit Lions 13 at Chicago Bears 20
New York Giants 27 "at" New York Jets 34
Kansas City Chiefs 32 at Tennessee Titans 35
Arizona Cardinals 27 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30
Atlanta Falcons 26 at New Orleans Saints 9
Miami Dolphins 16 at Indianapolis Colts 12
Los Angeles Rams 12 at Pittsburgh Steelers 17
Carolina Panthers 16 at Green Bay Packers 24

Sunday Night Football
Minnesota Vikings 28 at Dallas Cowboys 24

Monday Night Football, 11/11
Seattle Seahawks 27 at San Francisco 49ers 24

...I need a drink. And I am shocked that Brian Flores still has a job after winning two games in a season that his GM is trying to lose.

Despite all of the upsets today, the playoff picture hasn't changed much.

The teams with less than 2% chance of making the playoffs are: Bengals (0-9), Redskins (1-8), Giants (2-8), Cardinals (3-6-1), Dolphins (2-7), Jets (2-7), Falcons (2-7), Buccaneers (3-6), Broncos (3-6) and Lions (3-5-1). The Chargers (4-6) and Bears (4-5) are both at 6%.
On the opposite end, the Patriots (8-1), 49ers (8-0), Ravens (7-2), Packers (8-2) and Saints (7-2) are all over 90% likely to make the playoffs. The Texans (6-3) and Chiefs (6-4) are both at 84%.

Just throwing this out there...the rest of the Dolphins' schedule is (in order): BUF, @CLE, PHI, @NYJ, @NYG, CIN, @NE. They could plausibly go 9-7 on the season and be in playoff contention.

Week 11

Thursday Night Football 11/14
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns

Sunday, 11/17
Atlanta Falcons at Carolina Panthers
Dallas Cowboys at Detroit Lions
Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts
Buffalo Bills at Miami Dolphins
Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens
Denver Broncos at Minnesota Vikings
New York Jets at Washington Redskins
New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers
Cincinnati Bengals at "Oakland" Raiders
New England Patriots at Philadelphia Eagles

Sunday Night Football
Chicago Bears at Los Angeles Rams

Monday Night Football, 11/18 in Mexico City
Kansas City Chiefs "at" Los Angeles Chargers

Week 11 is really a turning point for a lot of teams, so the picks are more difficult. I'll take the easy one (Raiders over Bengals), and I like the Vikings and 49ers at home. One for their home field advantage after debuting Prime Time Kirk Cousins, one for a bounce-back after one of the best MNFs of the year. My risky pick is taking the Saints on the road against the Bucs. Brees was still shaking off some rust, but with Teddy B waiting in the shadows, this is their chance re-establish control of the NFC South.

Many of these games should be good though. The absolute best will be Texans at Ravens (go Ravens...we could use some help), with Chiefs/Chargers as a close second. The Super Bowl LII rematch should also be good, and we can see if Miami can string 3 Ws in a row. Should be a good week of football.

Week 10 - League Status

A string of wins by the Steelers has elevated the AFC North, although they still own the only winless team in the league. The NFC East continued to slip thanks to the Giants and Reskins. As expected, the NFC West and North remain strong.

1st: NFC West: 24-13-1 (.645) [=1st]
2nd: NFC North: 22-15-1 (.592) [=2nd]
3rd: AFC South: 21-16 (.568) [^5th]
4th: AFC East: 18-18 (.500) [_v3rd]
5th: AFC West: 18-20 (.474) [^6th]
6th: NFC South: 17-19 (.472) [_v5th]
7th: AFC North: 14-21 (.417) [^8th]
8th: NFC East: 13-24 (.351) [_v7th]

ALL AFC: 72-75 (.490)
ALL NFC: 76-71-2 (.517)

New head coaches continued to improve in the last 4 weeks, raiding their combined win% from .309 (or .319, depending on how you define "new").

Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers: 8-2 (.800)
Kliff Kingsbury, Arizona Cardinals: 3-6-1 (.350)
Bruce Arians, Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 3-6 (.333)
Freddie Kitchens, Cleveland Browns: 3-6 (.333)
Vic Fangio, Denver Broncos: 3-6 (.333)
Adam Gase, New York Jets: 2-7 (.222)
Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals: 0-9 (.000)
Brian Flores, Miami Dolphins: 2-7 (.222)

ALL New Head Coaches: 24-36-1 (.331)
Minus Arians and Gase: 11-24-1 (.348)

Funnily enough, Arians, Kitchens, and Fangio were all at .333 the last time I did this, as if they're determined to win 1 out of every 3 games.

Week 11 - Results

Thursday Night Football 11/14
Pittsburgh Steelers 7 at Cleveland Browns 21

Sunday, 11/17
Atlanta Falcons 29 at Carolina Panthers 3
Dallas Cowboys 35 at Detroit Lions 27
Jacksonville Jaguars 13 at Indianapolis Colts 33
Buffalo Bills 37 at Miami Dolphins 20
Houston Texans 7 at Baltimore Ravens 41
Denver Broncos 24 at Minnesota Vikings 27
New York Jets 34 at Washington Redskins 17
New Orleans Saints 34 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17
Arizona Cardinals 26 at San Francisco 49ers 36
Cincinnati Bengals 10 at "Oakland" Raiders 17
New England Patriots 17 at Philadelphia Eagles 10

Sunday Night Football
Chicago Bears 7 at Los Angeles Rams 17

Monday Night Football, 11/18 in Mexico City
Kansas City Chiefs 24 "at" Los Angeles Chargers 17

The Bengals are the first team to be officially eliminated from the playoffs after matching their 10 losses from 2018 in 11 weeks. The Falcons are...decent? I don't know what Quinn (+staff) weren't doing before their bye, but they just won two straight against good division teams. In some good news/bad news (for me and Baltimore/for the rest of the AFC), the Ravens absolutely manhandled the Texans today.

SNF EDIT: Did not watch the Bears last night, but it sounds like the end of the road for their season, and Trubisky's career as a starter. Doesn't sound great for the Rams, either, who have to compete with the 49ers and Seahawks for their spot in the playoffs, and one of those teams still has the #1 seed.

MNF EDIT: Rivers and the Chargers melt down in Mexico City, virtually eliminating them from the playoffs.

Chances of making the playoffs (as of 11/19):
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/20 ... id=rrpromo
None: Cincinnati Bengals
<1%: :Miami Dolphins, Washington Redskins, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Arizona Cardinals, New Jersey Giants, Detroit Lions, New Jersey Jets, Denver Broncos, Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers
<8%: Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars
17-28%: Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers
40-71%: Oakland Raiders, Philadelphia Eagles, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills
>84%: Seattle Seahawks, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers
>97%: New Orleans Saints, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots

If you'd rather see what Las Vegas oddsmakers think instead of a mathematical model:
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/standings/

Week 12

Thursday Night Football 11/21
Indianapolis Colts at Houston Texans

Sunday, 11/24
Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills
New York Giants at Chicago Bears
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals
Miami Dolphins at Cleveland Browns
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panther at New Orleans Saints
Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles
Detroit Lions at Washington Redskins
"Oakland" Raiders at New York Jets
Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans
Dallas Cowboys at New England Patriots

Sunday Night Football
Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers

Monday Night Football, 11/25
Baltimore Ravens at Los Angeles Rams

I'm gonna risk getting burned by a couple picks this week, but I think the Colts have a good enough defense and run game to manage the Texans in Houston. Regardless, this is one of the most important games in the AFC, and it could be the deciding game for the AFC South. My other potential burn is taking the Ravens over the Rams in LA, but the Ravens are good...really good. And I think they're far more adaptable than Geoff and McVay. Additionally, I like Atlana's hot streak over the Bucs, the Saints getting a division win at home, and the Lions winning in DC.

The games to watch this week should obviously include the Colts/Texans and Ravens/Rams matchups, but Packers/49ers will also be good.

Millenials...
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/281 ... selfie-fan

As the Washington Redskins offense ran back onto the field, ready to take the victory formation, quarterback Dwayne Haskins was taking a selfie with a fan. Former Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann wasn't happy about it, based on a tweet he made after the game. After the draft, Theismann gave Haskins his blessing to wear the No. 7 again; it had been out of commission since he retired in 1985. But Theismann wasn't a fan of what happened Sunday.

Joe Theismann wrote:

How do u miss the last snap of a game because ur taking selfies. That’s unprofessional & wrong.

JustAnEngineer wrote:

Millenials...
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/281 ... selfie-fan

As the Washington Redskins offense ran back onto the field, ready to take the victory formation, quarterback Dwayne Haskins was taking a selfie with a fan. Former Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann wasn't happy about it, based on a tweet he made after the game. After the draft, Theismann gave Haskins his blessing to wear the No. 7 again; it had been out of commission since he retired in 1985. But Theismann wasn't a fan of what happened Sunday.

Joe Theismann wrote:

How do u miss the last snap of a game because ur taking selfies. That’s unprofessional & wrong.

Ok boomer.

More seriously, kid was acknowledging one of the few fans who actually went to that game? Give him a break.


Week 12 - Results

Thursday Night Football 11/21
Indianapolis Colts 17 at Houston Texans 20

Sunday, 11/24
Denver Broncos 3 at Buffalo Bills 20
New York Giants 14 at Chicago Bears 19
Pittsburgh Steelers 16 at Cincinnati Bengals 10
Miami Dolphins 24 at Cleveland Browns 41
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35 at Atlanta Falcons 22
Carolina Panther 31 at New Orleans Saints 34
Seattle Seahawks 17 at Philadelphia Eagles 9
Detroit Lions 16 at Washington Redskins 19
"Oakland" Raiders 3 at New York Jets 34
Jacksonville Jaguars 20 at Tennessee Titans 42
Dallas Cowboys 9 at New England Patriots 13

Sunday Night Football
Green Bay Packers 8 at San Francisco 49ers 37

Monday Night Football, 11/25
Baltimore Ravens 45 at Los Angeles Rams 6

Rough week for me...

MNF: We really need to start acknowledging the Ravens for the #1 team they are.

I don't mind the QB taking selfies with the fans... unless he's doing that when he is supposed to be doing his job on the field.

Chances of making the playoffs (as of 11/24):
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/20 ... id=rrpromo
None: Cincinnati Bengals
<=2%: Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, Washington Redskins, Arizona Cardinals, New Jersey Giants, Detroit Lions, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, New Jersey Jets, Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears
19-37%: Oakland Raiders, Los Angeles Rams, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers, Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles
64%: Dallas Cowboys
80-82%: Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills
>=88%: Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks, Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, New Orleans Saints, New England Patriots

If you'd rather see what Las Vegas oddsmakers think instead of a mathematical model:
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/standings/

Oops...a little late on this one.

Week 13

Thursday Day 11/28
Chicago Bears 24 at Detroit Lions 20
Buffalo Bills 26 at Dallas Cowboys15
New Orleans Saints 26 at Atlanta Falcons 18

Sunday, 12/1
Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts
New York Jets at Cincinnati Bengals
Washington Redskins at Carolina Panthers
San Francisco 49ers at Baltimore Ravens
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Jacksonville Jaguars
Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers
Green Bay Packers at New York Giants
Philadelphia Eagles at Miami Dolphins
Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals
Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos
"Oakland" Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs

Sunday Night Football
New England Patriots at Houston Texans

Monday Night Football, 12/2
Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks

So I'm back to picking against the Bengals. I feel like it's a must-win for Gase and the Jets (to not hand the 0-11 team their first W), but at some point it's also a must-lose for the Bengals. They were the first out of the 2019 postseason, and they'll probably make use of that #1 pick. I also like the Panthers at home, and then I'm taking the Packers and Rams in must-win road games. The Packers are in adjustment mode. They were a finish-strong team under McCarthy (one of the most predictable coaches of all time), so here's LaFleur's chance to make the key adjustments to close out 2019 strong. The Giants aren't a huge threat, but it's a start (and a confidence booster). The Rams are probably not going to win the NFC West over SF and Seattle, so they need every win they can get just to make the playoffs, and that starts with beating the worst team in their division.

Shame Baltimore AND SF were in prime time last week, as they are the best and most interesting matchup on the board. Super Bowl XLVII rematch (ish) and possible Super Bowl LIV preview. They're the only interesting game in the early window, IMO, but Raiders/Chiefs should be a good one, and it's a big AFC West matchup. I also like the potential of Vikings/Seahawks. Should be good on paper, but it's also a "prove-it" game for Cousins and the Vikings. If they want to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders, this is the kind of game--Prime Time in Seattle--they need to win.

Oh, and one benefit of being late, we can highlight the fact that the Saints just won the NFC South, securing the first playoff berth of 2019. The Bills also secured a "winning season"! Only slightly joking about them. They're a somewhat formidable team, and their success this year has kept the AFC East title out of New England's grasp (for now). Good for them.

Week 13 - Results

Thursday Day 11/28
Chicago Bears 24 at Detroit Lions 20
Buffalo Bills 26 at Dallas Cowboys15
New Orleans Saints 26 at Atlanta Falcons 18

Sunday, 12/1
Tennessee Titans 31 at Indianapolis Colts 17
New York Jets 6 at Cincinnati Bengals 22
Washington Redskins 29 at Carolina Panthers 21
San Francisco 49ers 17 at Baltimore Ravens 20
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28 at Jacksonville Jaguars 11
Cleveland Browns 13 at Pittsburgh Steelers 20
Green Bay Packers 31 at New York Giants13
Philadelphia Eagles 31 at Miami Dolphins 37
Los Angeles Rams 34 at Arizona Cardinals 7
Los Angeles Chargers 20 at Denver Broncos 23
"Oakland" Raiders 3 at Kansas City Chiefs 40

Sunday Night Football
New England Patriots 22 at Houston Texans 28

Monday Night Football, 12/2
Minnesota Vikings 30 at Seattle Seahawks 37

Riiight...forgot that Washington just went to 3 wins, so this was the perfect week to spring the trap and end the winless season. I deserve that one. I don't think I deserve the Panthers losing a must-win game at home, though.

Big playoff implications from today. The Raiders and Colts got dropped firmly into Wild Card contention, while the Bolts, Browns, Jets, and Jags got dropped off entirely (more or less). The Ravens kept their pace with the Patriots (pending SNF) in their close win against one of the best in the NFC.

Speaking of the NFC, they mainly saw seeding implications, with Green Bay improving and San Francisco getting a little closer to New Orleans. Their Wild Card situation is pretty much narrowed down to the Seahwks, Vikings, and Rams with 9, 8, and 7 wins, respectively. We could see some wiggle after Monday, where the Seahawks could take the #2 seed and the lead in the NFC West, or the Vikings could put an extra win between them and the Rams while making a case for a division title.

SNF EDIT: Ravens hop to #1 with some Texan help...a lot can happen in 4 games, but that really puts a spin on the AFC side of the playoff bracket.

MNF EDIT: Seattle to #2, New Orleans to #1, San Francisco #5, and a little extra hope for LA, who are now only 1 win behind the Vikings. The Vikings face the entire NFC North, plus LA's other team in the final four weeks. The Rams face the rest of the NFC West, plus Dallas, offering a slightly easier schedule?

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/standings/playoffrace
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/standings/
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/20 ... edictions/

Officially eliminated: New Jersey Giants, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Detroit Lions, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins
<=3% playoff chance: Carolina Panthers, Washington Redskins, New Jersey Jets, Los Angeles Chargers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos, Chicago Bears
5-11%: Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, Oakland Raiders
25%: Los Angeles Rams
35%: Philadelphia Eagles
42-46%: Tennessee Titans, Pittsburgh Steelers
66%: Dallas Cowboys
82-93% Minnesota Vikings, Houston Texans, Green Bay Packers
>=96%: Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots
Officially clinched division: New Orleans Saints

The winner of 49ers/Seahawks will win the NFC West and likely be the #1 seed in the NFC, which comes with a first-round bye and home field in the second and third rounds of the playoffs. The loser will be the #5 seed and have to play three playoff games on the road, starting against whichever of the lousy Cowboys/Eagles manages to win the NFC East and the #4 seed. The Saints have already clinched the NFC South and are likely to be the #2 seed. The winner of Packers/Vikings will take the NFC North and the #3 seed and the loser will take the #6 seed, likely starting the first round with a re-match between these two.

In the AFC, the Titans and Steelers are vying for the last playoff spot.

Seahawks/Vikings game was fantastic. And the bonus is that it pushed the 49ers to a wildcard spot!

Buub wrote:

Seahawks/Vikings game was fantastic. And the bonus is that it pushed the 49ers to a wildcard spot!

I hope they both enter week 17 with identical records and play in the SNF slot, because a winner-take-all game would be the best way to close out the regular season.

And Ron Rivera will not finish the 2019 season as Head Coach. Frankly, I would have fired him after benching Cam Newton (for a "dress code" issue) prior to a prime time game in Seattle, allowing Derek Anderson to throw a pick on the very first play. Darn shame what happened to the Panthers after 2015. They were never 15-1 good, made clear by their whipping in Super Bowl 50, but they never really recovered from that season.

In other news, we have playoff-clinching scenarios for week 14. Basically, Baltimore (vs. BUF) can get in with a win, plus they can seal the AFC North with a net +0.5 wins over Pittsburgh (@ ARI). KC (@ NE) can clinch the AFC West by netting +1 win over "Oakland" (vs. TEN). San Francisco (@ NO) can clinch a playoff berth with net +0.5 wins over LAR (vs. SEA), while Seattle are completely in control of their own fate, needing only a tie or better to clinch.

Week 14

Thursday Day 12/5
Dallas Cowboys at Chicago Bears

Sunday, 12/8
Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons
Indianapolis Colts at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets
San Francisco 49ers at New Orleans Saints
Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings
Denver Broncos at Houston Texans
Baltimore Ravens at Buffalo Bills
Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns
Washington Redskins at Green Bay Packers
Los Angeles Chargers at Jacksonville Jaguars
Pittsburgh Steelers at Arizona Cardinals
Tennessee Titans at "Oakland" Raiders
Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots

Sunday Night Football
Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams

Monday Night Football, 12/9

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles

I'm taking a couple of risky picks this week in New Orleans and Seattle, but if you think about it, the Saints beat the Seahawks in Seattle with a backup QB, the Seahawks beat the 9ers in SF, and SF beat the Rams in LA. Besides, all those teams have to play for seeding and playoff clinching, so they should be good shows. I'm also taking the Pack (@ home vs. a bad team) and the Eagles (@ home vs. a bad team, even with Eli starting). I guess that Eagles pick is dangerous, too, but they're only 1 game behind the Cowboys, and it's "win or die" time for them.

As long as you pick a game with playoff hopefuls, you should have a good Sunday.