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Dec. 28, 2005 It’s crunch time. There are four playoff spots still up for grabs, with eight teams still in the hunt. Two of those spots are for division champions who will get to play at least one game at home. Some of those teams control their own fate, while others have to get some help. Here’s what we know going into Week 17: Indianapolis (AFC South champion) and Denver (AFC West champion) are the top two seeds in the AFC. They get the byes in the first round. Indianapolis has home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, as the number-one seed. Cincinnati (AFC North champion) and New England (AFC East champion) will host games during Wild Card Weekend. More on these two in a few moments. Jacksonville clinched one of those wild-card spots with their win at Houston in Week 16. They are the number-five seed in the AFC. Pittsburgh (10-5) and Kansas City (9-6) are fighting for the last wild-card spot in the AFC. Seattle (NFC West champion) and Chicago (NFC North champion) are the top two seeds in the NFC. They get the byes in the first round. Seattle has home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, as the number-one seed. The New York Giants clinched a playoff berth because Minnesota lost at Baltimore on Christmas Day. They currently hold a one-game lead over both Dallas and Washington in the NFC East. Carolina and Tampa Bay have the same record (10-5), but Tampa Bay holds the NFC South lead because they have a better record against the teams in their division. More about them a little later. It is entirely possible that the very last game will determine the very last playoff spot. And the fans won’t be the only watching the scoreboard. In the AFC, the playoff picture is pretty clear. Pittsburgh clinches the last playoff spot with a win or a tie at home against Detroit on New Year’s Day, regardless of how Kansas City fares at home against Cincinnati. If the Steelers lose, they can also get into the playoffs if the Chiefs lose or tie OR if San Diego beats Denver on Saturday afternoon. Kansas City clinches a the last playoff spot if they win AND both Pittsburgh and San Diego lose. Cincinnati currently holds the number-three seed in the AFC. If the Bengals lose at Kansas City and New England wins their home finale against Miami, then the Patriots would hold the number-three seed. Whoever holds the number-three seed will host either the Chiefs or the Steelers on Wild Card Weekend. The number-four seed will host Jacksonville. Things get a bit more complex in the NFC. The Giants clinch the NFC East with a win at Oakland on New Year’s Eve. If they lose, they can still clinch the division if Philadelphia beats Washington on Sunday. If the Giants lose and the Redskins win, then Washington clinches the NFC East because they will have a better record against division opponents. The Redskins still get in the playoffs with a win, regardless of what the Giants do. They can also get in if they lose or tie AND Dallas loses or ties against St Louis on Sunday night. Carolina clinches the NFC South with a win on the road against Atlanta AND a Tampa Bay loss or tie at home against the Saints. The Panthers would probably rather face a firing squad than play in the Georgia Dome. In the regular-season series, which dates back to 1995, the Panthers have logged one win in ten trips to Atlanta, a 9-6 slugfest way back in 1997. If the Panthers tie, they can still win the division if the Buccaneers lose. Carolina clinches a playoff berth if they win OR if either Dallas or Washington loses or ties. Tampa Bay clinches the NFC South with a win at home against New Orleans, regardless of what Carolina does on the road against Atlanta. The Buccaneers can still win the division if they both they and the Panthers end up losing or tying in their respective games. They get a playoff berth if they tie the Saints, regardless of what they Panthers do, OR if Dallas, the Giants or Washington lose, OR if they win the strength-of-victory tiebreaker over either Dallas or the Giants. (Yes, there is such a tiebreaker as strength of victory. That is determined by the final regular-season records of the opponents that a team has defeated. The better your opposition played during the season, the better a team’s strength of victory.) The Cowboys will be pulling for their hated NFC East rival Philadelphia on Sunday. The easiest scenario for them to make the playoffs is for them to win AND for Washington to lose or tie. Here are three others: 1) Dallas wins AND the Panthers lose at Atlanta. 2) Dallas wins AND the Buccaneers and the Giants both lose AND both the Giants and Dallas win the strength of victory tiebreaker over Tampa Bay. 3) Dallas ties the Rams AND Washington loses. It can’t get much clearer than that, right? Depending on how things shake out on Saturday and Sunday, the Cowboys will know exactly what they’re playing for when they take the field on Sunday night. They could be playing out the string as an also-ran, or fighting for the final wild-card spot in the NFC. It’s crunch time, y’all. Let the fun begin. For the latest team 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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