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Dec. 7, 2005 Where’s Jim Mora when you really need him? In 2001, his last season with the Indianapolis Colts, Mora’s famous “Playoffs?!” outburst during a press conference became highlight fodder for sport shows all over the country. Four years later, that outburst sets the stage for this correspondent’s analysis of yet another NFL playoff drive. With four weeks left in the season, two teams are already in the playoffs, and 21 teams are still in the hunt for a shot at the postseason. We’ll start first with the nine teams who are already planning their winter vacations. They are officially out of the playoff chase: · Baltimore, in what may possibly be head coach Brian Billick’s last stand. · Cleveland, going through another tough season. · Green Bay, in what may be the swan song full of sour notes for future Hall-of-Famer Brett Favre. · Houston, the league’s worst team at 1-11. · New Orleans, playing in a nightmare of a season after the nightmare of Hurricane Katrina. · New York Jets, grounded by a multitude of injuries. · Oakland, also bitten by the injury bug and unable to get things going in 2005. · San Francisco, a young team in the middle of a major rebuilding campaign. · Tennessee, another young team in the middle of rebuilding. Now for the good stuff as we head into Week 14. In the AFC, the Colts, Mora’s old team, clinched a playoff berth with their win against Tennessee last week and ran their record to 12-0. They will clinch the AFC South and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win at Jacksonville this week. Last year’s Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots, can clinch the AFC East this week with a win at Buffalo AND a Miami loss at San Diego. And the Cincinnati Bengals can clinch the AFC North with a win at home against Cleveland AND a Pittsburgh loss at home against Chicago. The AFC West is too tight to call at this point. Only one game separates Denver (9-3), Kansas City and San Diego (both 8-4). If they playoffs were today, though, the Chiefs would be the odd team out, since they lost to the Chargers earlier in the season. Kansas City has the toughest row to hoe this week, visiting Dallas in a late-afternoon tilt. Denver hosts the hapless Ravens, while the Chargers face a Dolphins team that hasn’t quit. In the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks clinched the NFC West when Washington beat St Louis last week. That means they get to play at least one home game in the playoffs, but they have to keep winning in order to secure a first-round bye. That 42-0 thumping of Philadelphia on Monday night goes a long way toward that goal. This week’s home game against San Francisco, though, may not be as easy as it seems. Back in Week 11, the Seahawks escaped against the 49ers 27-25, thanks to a missed two-point conversion late in the game. No NFC team can clinch a playoff spot in Week 14, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some big games to look out for. Of the three NFC East contenders, the Cowboys have the toughest draw this week, hosting a pumped-up Chiefs squad that beat Denver last week 31-27. The Giants, meanwhile, travel to Philadelphia in hopes of sweeping their depleted division rival. And the Redskins go out west for Old Home Week when they take on former division rival Arizona. At 6-6, a game behind Dallas and two behind New York, AND with both Dallas and New York coming to town in Weeks 15 and 16, Washington can ill afford a loss this week. In the NFC South, Carolina hosts Tampa Bay in a battle of division foes. This game is huge for the Panthers, because a win will give them the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Buccaneers. The Falcons, meanwhile, coached by the younger Jim Mora, will look to rebound from that 24-6 loss they suffered here in Charlotte when they host the Saints on Monday night. In the NFC North, the Bears look to beef up their 9-3 record with a win at Pittsburgh. The Steelers suffered a huge home loss against Cincinnati last week, and are struggling on both sides of the ball. As good as the Bears defense has been, this game—and the Steelers’ playoff hopes—will no doubt ride on Ben Roethlisberger’s arm. Minnesota, meanwhile, looks to stay hot at home against the struggling Rams. The Vikings have overcome the off-field turmoil and rallied behind 37-year-old Brad Johnson to get in position for a playoff spot. For the latest football news and information, visit http://www.nfl.com ------------ About the author: Claxton Graham has written a number of articles for Useless Knowledge. He works as a business systems analyst. Email: scifiwriter8502@email.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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