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Dec. 13, 2005 In the first thirty-nine Super Bowls, only one team that played its home games indoors, the Atlanta Falcons, played in pro football’s showcase game. They had the misfortune of running into a Denver Broncos team that was incredibly hot and determined to give their beloved leader, John Elway, a proper sendoff to retirement, way back in Super Bowl XXXIII. Thanks to their 26-18 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 14, the Indianapolis Colts will play their last game outdoors this season in Week 16 at Seattle. And if the Colts continue their stellar play, they’ll make the easy transition from their home dome, the RCA Dome, to Ford Field, the site of Super Bowl XL. The only two teams coming into Week 14 that could clinch playoff spots, the Cincinnati Bengals and the New England Patriots, failed to do so. Though Cincinnati defeated AFC North rival Cleveland 23-20 on a last-second field goal, the Pittsburgh Steelers kept their playoff chances alive by beating Chicago 21-9. The Patriots, meanwhile, couldn’t wrap up the AFC East, despite a 35-7 thrashing of Buffalo, because Miami stunned San Diego on the road 23-21. Five more teams were eliminated from playoff contention after Week 14: · Arizona, which fell to Washington at home 17-13. · Buffalo, which fell to New England at home 35-7. · Detroit, which fell to Green Bay 16-13 in overtime. · Philadelphia, which fell to the New York Giants at home 26-23 in overtime. · St Louis, which fell to Minnesota 27-13. Week 15 promises to be a doozy, as teams continue to fight for their playoff lives and the playoff scenarios become a little more complex. New England will try again to clinch the AFC East. They will do so if they win their home tilt against Tampa Bay on Saturday afternoon. If they don’t win, they can still clinch the division if the Dolphins lose at home Sunday to the New York Jets. The Patriots also clinch the division in the unlikely event that both they and Miami end their games in a tie. Cincinnati clinches the AFC North with a win at Detroit on Sunday OR if Pittsburgh loses on the road against the hot Vikings. The Bengals can also clinch if both they and the Steelers end their games in a tie. Cincinnati will clinch a playoff berth if they end up in a tie AND Kansas City loses on the road to the Giants Saturday afternoon and San Diego loses at Indianapolis on Sunday. Jacksonville is in the playoffs if they win their home game against San Francisco on Sunday, Pittsburgh loses at Minnesota, Denver beats or ties Buffalo on Saturday night, AND Kansas City and San Diego both lose. They will be a wild card if they get in, as Indianapolis has already wrapped up the AFC South. The Broncos are in the playoffs if they beat the Bills. They can also get in if they lose, provided Kansas City, Pittsburgh and San Diego all lose. They clinch the AFC West with a win AND the Chiefs and Chargers either lose or tie OR if they tie Buffalo AND Kansas City and San Diego both lose. The Chicago Bears can clinch a playoff berth with a win at home Sunday night against Atlanta, provided that the Giants lose against the Chiefs on Saturday AND the Cowboys lose against the Redskins on the road Sunday. Minnesota is only one game behind Chicago, so the NFC North cannot be clinched in Week 15. The Seattle Seahawks, who have already clinched the NFC West, can get a first-round bye under five different scenarios—the easiest of which is simply beating Tennessee on the road. They clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs under two scenarios—the easiest being if they win AND the Bears lose or tie. The NFC East is still up for grabs. The Giants are a game ahead of Dallas and two ahead of Washington. None of the three teams can clinch a playoff berth in Week 15, but their play this week will go a long way to determine who does get in. New York hosts Kansas City on Saturday afternoon, while the Cowboys and Redskins slug it out Sunday afternoon. The NFC South is also a three-team race, with Atlanta just a game back of both Carolina and Tampa Bay. Had the Panthers beaten the Bucs in Week 14, they’d be in the driver’s seat, but that 20-10 loss at home dropped them into a first-place tie with Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay owns the second tiebreaker, with a better divisional record (3-1 vs. 2-2). None of these three teams can clinch a playoff berth, either, but they all have critical games in Week 15. The Bucs go north, where they have not fared well historically in the cold, to take on the Patriots in a key interconference matchup. The Falcons also head north to face the Bears. The Panthers, meanwhile, head south to Baton Rouge to take on the Saints, who beat them in an emotional Week 1 tilt in Charlotte. A complete rundown of the playoff scenarios, as well as the latest news and information, can always be found at 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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