Considering how crowded the parity-filled AFC is right now, it’s not exactly surprising that there are no clinching scenarios that side of the league in Week 14.
All but four teams are sitting at .500 or better and only two wins separate the current top seed, the 9-4 New England Patriots, from the 13th-place Miami Dolphins, whose record has climbed from 1-7 to 6-7 thanks to a five-game win streak to place themselves firmly back in the hunt.
But the NFC? That’s a different story. While it’s getting pretty crowded at the top, there’s definitely some space between the top contenders and those who’ve all but mathematically fallen out of the race. By the end of Week 14, we could officially have our first three playoff-bound teams in the NFC as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Green Bay Packers, and Arizona Cardinals all have clinching scenarios.
The Minnesota Vikings’ 36-28 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night foiled a few possibilities, ruling out a scenario or two for each of those three NFC foes and delaying the Packers’ quest for a third straight division title. Here’s how all three teams can clinch a playoff berth in Week 14, adjusted after that Vikings spoiler:
Of the three playoff-eligible teams this week, the Cardinals are the only franchise in total control of their own fate — win, and they’re in. Arizona can clinch a playoff berth via one of the following two scenarios:
• A Cardinals win/tie vs. Rams Monday night; OR…
• A 49ers loss (vs. Bengals) AND a Saints loss/tie (vs. Jets) AND a Panthers-Falcons tie
While the Packers will have to wait another week for a shot at the NFC North crown, they can still grab a playoff berth — though, they cannot do it alone. Here’s what needs to happen for the Packers to punch their ticket:
• A Packers win (vs. Bears) AND a Saints loss/tie (vs. Jets) AND a 49ers loss (vs. Bengals); OR…
• A Packers win AND a Saints loss/tie AND a Rams loss (vs. Cardinals Monday night) AND a 49ers tie (vs. Bengals)
Unlike Arizona and Green Bay, the Buccaneers can claim the division this week — in fact, a division title is the only way Tom Brady & Co. can secure their entry into the playoffs in Week 14. Tampa Bay’s road back to the Super Bowl can officially begin with the following scenario:
• A Buccaneers win (vs. Bills) AND a Saints loss/tie (vs. Jets) AND a Panthers loss/tie (vs. Falcons).
(After looking at those three teams’ clinching scenarios, it’s safe to say the New York Jets’ bandwagon is gonna be pretty full this Sunday!)
Bills facing massive test
The Buffalo Bills entered this season with Super Bowl-sized expectations, but there’s a troubling trend that’s developed over the course of the year that’s made it difficult to determine what this team is really made of — and whether it can win when the going (and the opponent) gets tough.
The Bills won four straight games from Weeks 2 through 5, twice shutting out opponents and putting up a whopping 156 points over the course of that win streak. But it’s been a roller-roaster ride since then, with Buffalo unable to string together two wins in a row.
Looking at Buffalo’s wins, you’ll notice that all but one have come against sub-.500 teams: Miami (twice), Washington, Houston, Kansas City, the Jets, New Orleans. (For what it’s worth, that victory over the Chiefs came in Week 5 before Patrick Mahomes & Co. returned to form.)
Now, let’s look at their losses. With the exception of that mind-boggling Week 9 defeat in Jacksonville, Buffalo has fallen to some very strong opponents: Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Indianapolis and New England. That’s a tough group of foes, and while it’s not exactly fair to fault a good team for losing to a good team, this particular case is troubling. This group of AFC teams is most likely the exact group of teams Buffalo will have to get through in January if the Bills are to realize those Super Bowl expectations — especially if New England continues its dominance and forces Buffalo to fight not for the AFC East division title like we all predicted but for a Wild Card spot.
This Sunday, with wounds still fresh from Monday’s loss at home to New England, brings a different kind of challenge for Josh Allen & Co.: The defending Super Bowl champs.
Before the season, this Week 14 matchup was one many were circling as a possible Super Bowl preview — and it could still be, if Buffalo can harness its offensive power and correct the building narrative.
Take away all the playoff and Super Bowl implications from this one, and we’ve still got what should be an excellent game between the Bucs’ top-ranked offence and Bills’ top-of-the-league defence — not to mention a pair of MVP contenders suiting up in Brady and Allen.
This one should be really, really fun.
Washington embarks on tough road ahead
Week 14 brings some crucial divisional matchups — Raiders-Chiefs, Ravens-Browns and Rams-Cardinals should all be must-watch matchups — but Washington’s upcoming slate takes the cake.
All five of Washington’s remaining games are against divisional opponents — something that hasn’t happened in more than two decades.
While this means Washington can essentially control its own destiny with a string of wins over its biggest rivals, this heavy divisional schedule down the stretch typically doesn’t bode well, as indicated above. Win Sunday against Dallas, and things get really interesting. Follow that up by stopping a red-hot Eagles squad, and we’ve got some must-watch football in the NFC East ahead of us.
Football world mourns loss of a beloved Bronco
Those in and around the football world will be playing and watching this weekend’s NFL action with a heavy heart upon learning late Thursday of the passing of former Denver Broncos receiver Demaryius Thomas.
Thomas was a force on the football field. Tributes have been pouring in from former teammates, reporters who spoke with him over the course of his 10-year career, and of course from the Broncos family about the impact Thomas leaves behind.
This Sunday — and many football Sundays to follow — will certainly bring many more.
The Broncos announced Friday that this weekend’s game will include a series of tributes to honour No. 88, including decals to be worn on helmets, a pre-game video tribute and moment of silence, and likely more.
Thomas was just 33 years old, and less than a year removed from his retirement from the NFL.
“There’s still 10 players on this team that played with him,” Broncos head coach Vic Fangio said Friday. “A bunch of coaches that coached him, including [Running Backs Coach] Curtis Modkins, who recruited him to Georgia Tech and was one of his college coaches besides being on the staff here in 2018 with him. We have over 40 workers in the organization and the support staff that were around him. Just seeing and feeling their reaction and hurt just tells you what a special player D.T. was. I never had the opportunity to meet him, but [him being]a special player and a special person is obvious by their responses.”
