The Current Playoff Picture For The NFL, Week 17
Let’s hope no complicated formulas are needed.
Here we are, the last week of the 2014 regular season, and 14 teams are vying for either playoff position or playoff qualification. There are many roads to the NFL playoffs, so let’s see what roads are available.
We’ll start with the easy roads, those teams and positions that are already decided. We’ll start in the AFC.
According to the New York Times, the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts are in and set. The Patriots are the number one seed, and have home-field advantage as long as they are in the playoffs. The Colts are set at number four, and will host whichever teams ends up at number five. So, here’s how the AFC would break down;
1) New England Patriots, home field advantage while they are still in the playoffs.
2) Number two seed, home field until AFC Championship game if Patriots are still alive. The Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals are vying for this position.
Denver gets the number two seed if;
a) Denver beats Oakland, OR
b) Denver loses to Oakland, AND
c) Pittsburgh beats Cincinnati.
Cincinnati gains the number two seed if;
a) Denver loses to Oakland, AND
b) Cincinnati beats Pittsburgh.
3) Number three seed, hosting first round Wild Card game, faces number six seed.
Cincinnati gains the position if;
a) Denver beats Oakland, AND
b) Cincinnati beats Pittsburgh.
Denver gets this position if;
a) Oakland beats Denver.
b) Cincinnati beats Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh can get this position if:
a) Pittsburgh beats Cincinnati.
4) Indianapolis Colts, number four seed, hosts first round Wild Card game against number five team.
5) Number five seed, travels to number four seed city for first round Wild Card game.
a) The loser of the Cincinnati/Pittsburgh game will gain this position.
6) Number six seed, travels to number three seed city for first round Wild Card game.
There are four teams that can still gain this position, San Diego, Baltimore, Kansas City, and Houston.
San Diego claims the position if:
a) San Diego beats Kansas City.
Baltimore gains the position if;
a) Kansas City beats San Diego, AND
b) Baltimore beats Cleveland.
Kansas City gets the position if;
a) Kansas City beats San Diego, AND
b) Cleveland beats Baltimore, AND
c) Jacksonville beats Houston.
Houston is still alive, and can make the playoffs if;
a) Kansas City beats San Diego, AND
b) Cleveland beats Baltimore, AND
c) Houston beats Jacksonville.
Now, to the NFC. Many possibilities, so here’s the scenario, according to the Bleacher Report.
1) Number one seed. Possible teams; Seattle, Green Bay, Detroit, Arizona, Dallas.
Seattle gets the position and home field advantage as long as they are alive if;
a) Seattle beats St. Louis.
Green Bay get first position if;
a) Green Bay beats Detroit, AND
b) St. Louis beats Seattle.
Detroit gets the first position if;
a) Detriot beats Green Bay, AND
b) Arizona beats San Francisco, AND
c) St. Louis beats Seattle.
Arizona gets the first place if;
a) Arizona beats San Francisco, AND
b) St. Louis beats Seattle, AND
c) Detroit beats Green Bay.
Dallas has a slim shot if;
a) San Francisco beats Arizona, AND
b) St. Louis beats Seattle, AND
c) Detroit and Green Bay tie.
2) Number two seed. Possible teams, Green Bay, Dallas, Arizona, Detroit.
Green Bay would get the second bye outright if:
a) Green Bay beats Detroit, AND
b) Seattle beats St. Louis.
Dallas gets the number two seed if;
a) San Francisco beats Arizona, AND
b) St. Louis beats Seattle.
Arizona can claim the second spot if;
a) Arizona beats San Francisco, AND
b) St. Louis beats Seattle, AND
c) Green Bay beats Detroit.
Detroit can make it to the second slot if;
a) Detroit beats Green Bay, AND
b) San Francisco beats Arizona, AND
c) Seattle beats St. Louis.
3) Number three seed. Possible teams, Dallas, Seattle.
Dallas can claim this spot if;
a) Arizona beats San Francisco, OR
b) Seattle beats St. Louis.
Seattle gets the third spot if;
a) St. Louis beats Seattle, AND
b) San Francisco beats Arizona.
4) Number four seed. Possible teams; Atlanta, Carolina.
The winner of the Atlanta/Carolina game will automatically claim the fourth seed for this years’ playoff. It will also mark the second time with this playoff format that a team with a sub-.500 record makes the playoffs, Seattle doing it back in 2010.
5) Number five seed. Possible teams; Arizona, Seattle.
Arizona gets the fifth spot if;
a) San Francisco beats Arizona, OR
b) Arizona beats San Francisco AND
c) Seattle beats St. Louis.
Seattle gets the number five spot if:
a) St. Louis beats Seattle, AND
b) Arizona beats San Francisco.
6) Number six spot. Possible teams; Detroit, Green Bay.
a) The loser of the Detroit/Green Bay game will automatically claim the last spot in the 2014 playoffs.
There, that should clear it up a bit.
