With two weeks left in the season, we're still only down to about twenty teams who can still be one of the twelve playoff teams! Eleven AFC teams are still eligible for the tournament, although three spots were clinched yesterday (division champs Denver, Indianapolis, and New England). Meanwhile, six teams fight for five spots in the NFC, plus the one team who will eventually "win" the NFC Southern division out of three candidates still vying for the spot.
Projecting the likely winners of the Week 16 & 17 games from the Following Football tiers, we have predictions of those playoff teams:
NFC: East - Philadelphia (win at Wash, win at NYG) = 11-5-0
Dallas (loss v. Indy, win at Wash) = 11-5-0
North - Green Bay (win at Tampa, win v. Det) = 12-4-0
Detroit (win at Chic, loss at Green Bay) = 11-5-0
South - New Orleans (loss tonight at Chic, win v Atl, win at TB) = 7-9-0
Carolina (win v. Cleveland, loss at Atlanta) = 6-9-1
Atlanta (loss at New Orleans, win v Carolina) = 6-10-0
West - Arizona (win v Seattle, win at SF) = 13-3-0
Seattle (loss at Ariz, win v. StL) = 11-5-0
NFC PLAYOFF TEAMS:
#1 seed = Arizona (13-3)
#2 seed = Green Bay (12-4)
#3 seed = Philadelphia (11-5) [better div record than Dallas]
#4 seed = New Orleans (7-9)
#5 seed = Detroit (11-5) [better conf. record than Dallas or Seattle]
#6 seed = Dallas (11-5) [def. Seattle head-to-head]
...and Seattle's out of the playoffs...
AFC: East - *New England (win at NYJ, win v. Buff) = 13-3-0
Miami (win v. Minn, win v. NYJ) = 9-7-0
Buffalo (win at Oak, loss at NE) = 9-7-0
North - Pittsburgh (win v KC, win v. Cinc) = 11-5-0
Baltimore (loss at Hous, win v Clev) = 10-6-0
Cincinnati (loss v Denv, loss at Pitt) = 9-6-1
Cleveland (loss at Carol, loss at Balt) = 7-9-0
South - *Indianapolis (win at Dal, win at Ten) = 12-4-0
Houston (win v Balt, win v. Jax) = 9-7-0
West - *Denver (win at Cinc, win v Oak) = 13-3-0
Kansas City (loss at Pitt, win v SD) = 9-7-0
San Diego (loss at SF, loss at KC) = 8-8-0
AFC PLAYOFF TEAMS:
#1 seed = New England (13-3) [def. Denver head to head]
#2 seed = Denver (13-3)
#3 seed = Indianapolis (12-4)
#4 seed = Pittsburgh (11-5)
#5 seed = Baltimore (10-6)
#6 seed = Cincinnati (9-6-1)
...alas, no up-n-comers (Miami, Buffalo, Houston, KC all 9-7; that tie keeps the Bengals in the playoffs after all!)...
Our forecast beyond that? Anything goes. "We predict that one of those twelve teams will win the Super Bowl!" That's the most we'll commit to in a one-game knockout tournament where the #6 seed has won as often as the #1 seeds have!
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