Now that the playoffs are right around the corner, let’s do things a little differently. Instead of running down each division, it’s time to take stock of who’s out, who’s in, and who’s got a shot at the big brass ring. We’ll save picks for the end.
ELIMINATED
AFC: Cleveland, Indianapolis, Denver, Houston
NFC: Giants, 49ers, Bears, Buccaneers, Redskins
Who do you want to hitch your wagon to in the future? Cleveland will have their choice of QB in the 2018 Draft, and if their guy turns out like Carson Wentz or Jared Goff, there’s enough talent in the fold to turn them around in a couple of years. On the other hand, it’s the Browns. For the Colts, if Andrew Luck can return at a high level (big if), they won’t have to draft a QB in the first round – they could right the ship quickly with an impact rookie or two. Is Denver’s great defense going to remain effective by the time their new QB (one would assume) gets his sea legs? Speaking of young QBs, is Houston’s recovery really as simple as “Deshaun Watson and JJ Watt come back and we’re in contention”? Watt breaks something every other year – can he be effective again after this many injuries? Is a few great games by Watson enough evidence that he’s for real?
The Giants are in for at least a couple more lean years, although watching the continuing deterioration of Odell Beckham’s sanity should provide some unintentional entertainment. Jimmy Garoppolo should be fine at QB, but the 49ers aren’t upwardly mobile just yet. With a little draft luck, the Redskins could be in the hunt for a playoff spot next year; the Bears and Buccaneers look well-placed to be competitive for a couple of years. In the latter case, a coaching change would appear to be in order.
ALREADY IN
AFC: Pittsburgh
NFC: Philadelphia
Two teams with serious Lombardi aspirations – and serious injuries. In western Pennsylvania, Steelers LB Ryan Shazier will not return this season; out east, the Eagles will have to make do without a leading MVP candidate in QB Carson Wentz. The Steelers should be okay without their defensive star; the Eagles’ prospects aren’t as bad as they might seem:
1) Home-field advantage. The Eagles have the inside track to earning it, and while home field isn’t as big in the NFL as it is in the NBA, it’s better than not having it
2) The offensive line. Even without Jason Peters, the Eagles O-line is perhaps the best in the league. If you’re trying to make things easier on your backup QB, a great line is the best way to do so. Speaking of backup QBs…
3) Nick Foles. Sure, he’s not really as good as he looked under Chip Kelly, but he’s got a track record. He’s not a second year guy or some guy who’s spent a career holding a clipboard – he’s a proven guy, a known quantity. He’s not going to lose games, and he might even make some plays to help win them
IN IF NOTHING CHANGES
AFC: New England, Jacksonville, Kansas City (division leaders), Tennessee, Buffalo
NFC: Minnesota, LA Rams, New Orleans (division leaders), Carolina, Atlanta
I was as shocked as you all were when the Patriots laid an egg in Miami, but obviously they’ll be clinching the AFC East very soon. Odds are that they and Pittsburgh will earn first-round byes. It would take a miracle for the AFC West champ to catch the Pats, and Jacksonville has already lost once to Tennessee with one more matchup ahead. Buffalo’s hold on the #6 seed is extremely light, and they’ve got the Dolphins twice and another Patriots game left on their schedule. Someone else will be in that spot after week 17.
Things get very muddled in the NFC after the Eagles and Vikings. The Rams could still miss out on a playoff spot entirely. The NFC South is very much up for grabs in spite of the Falcons sleepwalking through half the season and the Panthers’ leaning so heavily on Cam Newton to bolster their running game.
STILL ALIVE
AFC: Baltimore, LA Chargers, Miami, Oakland, Cincinnati, NY Jets
NFC: Seattle, Dallas, Detroit, Green Bay, Arizona
Baltimore will probably end up with Buffalo’s spot. The Chargers could still get in if they win the AFC West, and they’re tied with the Chiefs with one more game between them left to play. (KC won the first one) Oakland still has a shot because they’re only a game back in division; Miami’s division is not up for grabs. Cincy and the Jets (my favorite Elton John song) are both 5-8; I can’t imagine what sort of demonic magic it would take for either of those teams to get in.
Seattle is down a tiebreak to Atlanta; if nothing changes, they’re out. They almost have to win the NFC West to get in. They’ve won the first matchup with the Rams with another one to go, so they’ve got a good shot at it. Dallas, Detroit and Green Bay play in divisions that are already clinched or just about there; I can’t see any of them leapfrogging Atlanta and Seattle. Arizona is 6-7, so they’re even worse off.
So this is how the playoff tree’s gonna look in a few weeks:
AFC – Pittsburgh (1), New England (2), Jacksonville (3), LA Chargers (4), Tennessee (5), Baltimore (6)
NFC – Philadelphia (1), Minnesota (2), New Orleans (3), Seattle (4), Carolina (5), LA Rams (6)
If it turns out I’m wrong, I will subscribe to Teen Vogue for one year. If I’m right, I will subscribe for two years. On to the picks!
Denver 25 @ Indianapolis 13 (F – 12-14)
Chicago @ Detroit – Chicago has nothing to play for
LA Chargers @ Kansas City – Like I said, I’m off the bandwagon
NY Jets @ New Orleans – Oh, come on
Arizona @ Washington – this should finish off the Cards
Cincinnati @ Minnesota – Minnesota can still earn home field advantage
Green Bay @ Carolina – Rodgers picked a bad week to come back
Philadelphia @ NY Giants – Foles picked a good week for his first start of the season
Baltimore @ Cleveland – One. Last. Time.
Miami @ Buffalo – Miami’s played well last week and Buffalo has QB issues
Houston @ Jacksonville – Did Bill O’Brien play the head coach in Varsity Blues?
LA Rams @ Seattle – Losses like this are growing pains for an up-and-comer
Tennessee @ San Francisco – Tennessee’s fighting for their playoff lives
New England @ Pittsburgh – I doubt Belichick goes all-in to win this one
Dallas @ Oakland – “What a great matchup!” said the late 1970’s
Atlanta @ Tampa Bay – This loss will sink the Falcons playoff hopes
PICKS
Week 14: 10-5
Total: 100-63 (I just need five more correct picks to clinch a winning season!)
Comments
57 responses to “The End is Near: NFL Week 15”
I don’t think the colts will go for a QB. maybe I’m wrong.
They need to go for a GM
That and a new coach.
Luck or Brissett can do it. Brisset needs some more help than Luck, but I think he can be a starting QB that will help more than hurt a team.
They certainly need a new coach. The Colts are the worst 4th quarter team in the league; that has to be at least partially due to not making the right adjustments during the game. It’s a shame, because Chuck Pagano has a great story, but he has to find a new job.
I suppose you could blame OC’s and whatnot. but I really think they need to basically clean house.
Start by dropping anyone named Irsay into a woodchipper. Feet first.
Q picked out the front page picture?
My good taste is just rubbing off on everyone else.
I see what you did there.
At least Dom Capers is good at defending against running quarterbaaaaahaha….couldn’t finish it.
Repost:
Glibs, come one come all! Choose the best rack of 2017!
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3T2WNBQ
Data will be collected through Sunday Evening Links!
Share!
Overlords: Maybe you can put this in afternoon/evening lynx? Pretty please?
I think ZARDOZ is up…I ain’t telling him to do anything! I can probably post as a comment for ya.
OK, I have petitioned ZARDOZ… If I get CLEANSED for this, my ghost will haunt you!
Thank the great one for me.
I saw this in the last post and voted for th Short haired Brunette Minx, but the Red heads, oh the Red heads….
Why are so many of them e-l-o-n-g-a-t-e-d in the vertical dimension? Did they get sucked into an alternate STC or somethin’?
Are you suggesting that some of these young women are not being faithfully represented, I am shocked-shocked-to find that Photoshopping is going on in here.
Surveymonkey shrank some of them to fit, I couldn’t figure out how to undo it.
Thanks Q…i wrestled with my decision, but in the end a came to a conclusion.
I predict the redhead wins.
I answered your questions in the previous post, it may help
Thank you very much.
there’s more
OK, I’ll go out and look at the cap tomorrow, and get the part number. There are places online that sell A/C parts, so hopefully I won’t have to go through Ebay. Ebay sellers always seem to gouge on shipping.
This Summer, the contactor was replaced. I was shocked the bill, including labor, was $600. So I went and looked online. The part is basically a relay that cost $30.
I figure I might as well replace the cap, then hire someone if it still doesn’t work.
Damn, 600$ is way too much, I charge very low rates for my area, that’s worth about 250$, however a Contactor is a Heavy duty relay, just ever skimp. When you replace the cap, Use an insulated screwdriver, and short the old cap before you touch it, they don’t always discharge and it hurts. Replace Wire for wire, one goes to the fan one goes to Herm, that’s the Compressor, the other is common, with one leg to the contactor and sometimes another to the Fan.
Where are you? there is Baker, Johnstone, Grainger,Goodman, any supply house will have your parts,
Probably a 45/5-370v cap, something like that, 45 Mfd for the compressor and 5Mfd for the Fan
Apparently I voted for one, but I’m not sure which. The mobile version is very touchy.
It’s cool I voted for you,
Which one is mr simple?
i knew that was coming
I went with the 4th one down although there were probably 4 or 5 others I could have easily given it to.
I’d be surprised if Seattle won their division. Their defense is suspect with their secondary all beat to hell, and they’re quite possibly the most undisciplined team in the league, right up there with the coach.
You think the Browns can pick a quarterback? Local news already has a list of the top 5 quarterback controversies to hit the Browns.
Doesn’t matter what the Browns pick up…
They will be letting their fans down.
Kizer wins the practice pageant. Looks the part — big, fast, can make all the throws with touch. But put any pressure (physical or mental) and he falls apart more than he rises to the occasion.
It could be worse: he could be Brett Hundley.
I was hoping to watch some good football today, but I have to settle for the Bears v Lions instead.
Poor ol’ Bears. They look better than they did last year, but they still have a few more years to limp along until they have a chance at not being dead last in their division.
Trubisky’s O-line is doing him zero favors.
No doubt.
John Fox isn’t exactly helping much either.
The Defense has shown a few flashes, but they are so undisciplined with penalties, they hand over automatic 1st downs to the opposing team like gifts. I’m looking at you, Fuller.
Aaaaand yet again, the Bears brain-dead penalties nullify a brilliant run by Tarik Cohen.
Serves him right for cultural appropriation. Cohen indeed.
Lolz. Maybe a member of one of the Lost Tribes that ended up in Zimbabwe.
Lions gave Trubisky the game ball.
SMDH.
Holy shit.
I’m sort of watching the Boise St vs Oregon. Oregon is getting their buts kicked. Down 24-0 and Boise is inside Oregon’s 5 yard line with less than a minute left in the first half.. Boise tries a Statue of Liberty play and fumbles. An Oregon defender picks up the ball and runs 90+ yards for a defensive yard. Oregon scores. Score now 24-7, Boise St in the lead. After the kickoff, Boise hits a big play and gets inside Oregon’s 5 yard line again. Looks like Boise is going to recover from their mistake. About 20 seconds left in the half. Boise tries a pass. Boom. Oregon picks it off in the endzone and returns the pick for another touchdown.
The game goes from a probable 27 or 31 point lead for Boise going into half to a 10 point Boise lead with all the momentum on Oregon’s side.
Of course Oregon still hasn’t done anything on offense.
sometimes that’s all the offense needs to get into gear.
Win here + Vikes lose to Packers a week from today = Eagles have the 1 seed wrapped up.
I really think that Foles can do it for us. Maybe it’s denial, but we have the running game and we have the defense.
Fly. Eagles. Fly.
Samichlaus 2014 vintage. I am sad. My source for Samichlaus will not get in any this year.
I’m drinking the Uinta Season Pass Vanilla Porter. Very nice. Unfortunately I cannot post pictures because wifey organized my desk again and my camera cable has once again mysteriously disappeared.
That’s a good beer.
That sounds yummy.
It really is the near the end. But not because of foozball. Because the Trumputins passed tax cuts for the super rich that will allow the rich to once again feast upon the poor on their private mega yachts.
It’s not like we’ll hear about, since the ISPs are going to block any credible news site, and we’ll have spent all our money to access social media and email.
This is my Social media, Ya deviant!
OFFICE MANAGER MOHAMMED COMPELS YOU! INFIDEL!
I feel that my first STEVE SMITH first wasn’t hairy enough, So Here, also a more realistic reaction One might have to encountering STEVE in the wild.
Nice:)