With just 3 weeks of the 2011 NFL season left, here’s what the playoff picture looks like:
y = Clinched Division Title x = Clinched Playoff Birth
In the AFC, we’re beginning to see a distinction between the playoff teams and those that will be left on the outside looking in. The Jets have overcome many early season setbacks to make their way to the 6 seed in the wild-card race. That being said, the Titans have a schedule that may lend itself towards winning out, especially if the Texans can clinch the top seed in the AFC before their week 17 matchup. They’re still my team to watch in the AFC.
The Steelers and the Ravens are in a peculiar situation. They’re tied atop the AFC North, and they’re both still very much in the running to claim the top slot in the AFC, but the one that doesn’t win the division is relegated to the 5 seed. Here’s the way I think that plays out. If the Steelers can win out, I think the Ravens will lose one more game, giving the AFCN title to the Steelers. That’s just a hunch, but when you look at the Ravens losses this season, you see why I say that. They’ve dropped games to the Titans (respectable), the Jaguars, and the Seahawks. And oh-by-the-way, they still have two tough games left (Chargers, Bengals).
The NFC is shaping up much in the same way that the AFC is. Teams that are in the playoffs are beginning to separate themselves from the rest of the pack, with just one exception.
The Giants play the Cowboys in week 17 for what could be a winner take all game. It may be the most delicious game left on the NFL’s regular season schedule, and this one could become yet another thriller as their most recent matchup was on Sunday night.
At this point, I think the Giants are better suited to make a deep playoff run than the Cowboys. Tony Romo’s struggles in the post-season have been well-documented, and Jason Garrett doesn’t have the late season experience that Giants head coach Tom Coughlin does. That being the case, this isn’t about winning in the post-season; it’s about getting to the playoffs. The Giants have been struggling to find wins lately, and the Cowboys have been the more consistent team so far this season.
At this point, it would be tough for any 7-6 team to make the playoffs without winning out. That’s means that the Lions should be able to get in with a 10-6 record. The Bears could even be pulled from this list considering their offense’s performances since Jay Cutler went down. The injury happened just as the Bears were beginning to get into a nice groove. They look like a ship with no rudder. They’re done. As mentioned above, the Cowboys and the Giants will likely take each other out, getting only one of those teams into the playoffs while the other is sent packing.
