While for many, Christmas is a time of contemplation and idleness, for the pros of the National Football League, now is actually just the beginning of the really hot phase of the season. Many will think twice about a double helping of dessert on Christmas Day as they need to be fit for an emphatic push toward the playoffs these days. Half the league is shaking and still hoping for their place in the postseason, a scenario in which it is not always easy to keep track!
NFL fans are glued to the next three weeks, as this is where many teams will decide what has really become of this season. Desperate playoff hopes have to deal with all sorts of adversities, as in many places the wheat is being separated from the chaff right now and a number of teams are dealing with the wear and tear of a long season and the increasingly chaotic Covid 19 situation in the league. Despite all the unpredictable, one thing is very clear: excitement is guaranteed under the Christmas tree and early in the new year, because the race for the playoff spots seems to be closer than it has been for a long time.
Almost the entire AFC still wants to make the NFL playoffs
In the AFC, there is actually only one team that can feel relatively safe in the postseason and that is the Kansas City Chiefs (10-4) around superstar Patrick Mahomes. Andy Reid’s men shouldn’t sit back too much either, because their remaining program with Pittsburgh and guest appearances in Cincinnati and Denver is anything but easy. The situation of the Conference Primus makes it clear how close things are in the AFC this year.
Second place (New England with 9-5) and tenth place (Pittsburgh with 7-6-1) in the playoff picture are only separated by one defeat and landslide movements can be expected here almost every week. There are still a number of head-to-head clashes to come, with few more significant than next weekend’s AFC East Battle between the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills. The latter seem to be slowly finding their form again, just in time, one might think.
AFC North promises almost historical drama
The finish in the AFC North should also be extremely dramatic. The bitterly feuding teams are all with six or seven losses and are still quasi-collectively searching for some solutions to certain ongoing problems (eg, Pittsburgh’s offense, Cincinnati’s consistency, Baltimore’s health, Cleveland’s offense). As the game plan gods would have it, all teams will play two more games against a direct division competitor, so the helmet straps should be tightened a little bit over the next few weeks.
Potential dark horses for the postseason, such as the Chargers with All-World youngster Justin Herbert or the Indianapolis Jonathan Taylors (of course, they also have a defense) lost far too many feathers over the season to feel safe in any way. Overall, the conference currently lacks a truly dominant team, but that could change very quickly if one of the many balanced teams like Tennessee, New England or Buffalo heats up.
Green Bay clearly claims the role of favorite in the NFC
In terms of depth, the NFC cannot really keep up with its sister conference, but there are definitely more top teams at the top. In addition to the Green Bay Packers (11-3), who have been the most convincing so far, many experts believe that defending champions Tampa Bay, the Dallas Cowboys, the Arizona Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams are capable of a big hit. Behind the top teams, the San Francisco 49ers have made an impressive comeback, but remaining away games in Tennessee and with the Rams could show the limits of the euphoria.
The Packers at the top don’t really care about such arithmetic games, their remaining program is definitely feasible (two home games against the Browns and Vikings and a trip to Detroit) and offers them the optimal chance to secure home rights through the entire playoffs. The mystical Lambeau Field could perhaps tip the scales later, especially for a team that has perhaps been the most consistent of all favorites throughout the season. However, the pressure does not decrease, especially if Aaron Rodgers reaches an NFC Championship Game again.
Battered teams in the lower NFL playoff window with Puncher’s Chance
It’s the same for the teams at the back, of course, you slept well yesterday. It could well be that after the last three NFL game days, a team with a negative season record will move into the postseason, like the Washington Football Team did last year. Whether it’s Ron Rivera’s men, the Philadelphia Eagles or the New Orleans Saints (7-7, extremely doable remaining program with Miami, Carolina and Atlanta), there will probably be a team in the NFC that, for one reason or another, gets into the Postseason limps. As the Saints’ recent shutout against Tampa Bay shows, that doesn’t mean these guys will be cannon fodder per se.
A very special factor could play the Covid-19 situation in the league in the coming days. With a number of rosters depleted, not only are upcoming games much more difficult to predict, but no team can truly feel safe in the face of a number of uncertainties. This once again increases the explosiveness of the individual games, which already have an enormously important character in the NFL. But that’s how it should be around Christmas…
Finally, an overview of the remaining programs of all NFL playoff candidates:
AFC
Kansas City Chiefs (10-4) vs Steelers, @ Bengals, @ Broncos
New England Patriots (9-5) vs Bills, vs Jaguars, @ Dolphins
Tennessee Titans (9-5) vs 49ers, vs Dolphins, @ Texans
Cincinnati Bengals (8-6) vs Ravens, vs Chiefs, @ Browns
Indianapolis Colts (8-6) @ Cardinals, vs Raiders, @ Jaguars
Los Angeles Chargers (8-6) @ Texans, vs Broncos, @ Raiders
Buffalo Bills (8-6) @ Patriots, vs Falcons, vs Jets
Baltimore Ravens (8-6) @ Bengals, vs Rams, vs Steelers
Cleveland Browns (7-7) @ Packers, @ Steelers, vs Bengals
Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6-1) @ Chiefs, vs Browns, @ Ravens
Miami Dolphins (7-7) @ Saints, @ Titans, vs Patriots
Denver Broncos (7-7) @ Raiders, @ Chargers, vs Chiefs
Las Vegas Raiders (7-7) vs Broncos, @ Colts, vs Chargers
NFC
Green Bay Packers (11-3) vs Browns, vs Vikings, @ Lions
Dallas Cowboys (10-4) vs Football Team, vs Cardinals, @ Eagles
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (10-4) @ Panthers, @ Jets, vs Panthers
Arizona Cardinals (10-4) vs Colts, @ Cowboys, vs Seahawks
Los Angeles Rams (10-4) @ Vikings, @ Ravens, vs 49ers
San Francisco 49ers (8-6) @ Titans, vs Texans, @ Rams
New Orleans Saints (7-7) vs Dolphins, vs Panthers, @ Falcons
Washington Football Team (6-8) @ Cowboys, vs Eagles, @ Giants
Minnesota Vikings (7-7) vs Rams, @ Packers, vs Bears
Philadelphia Eagles (7-7) vs Giants, @ Football Team, vs Cowboys
Atlanta Falcons (6-8) vs Lions, @ Bills, vs Saints
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