Playoff Picture: Week 16
Let's start with the AFC:
1st seed: Baltimore Ravens (12-2) (clinched AFC North)
2nd seed: New England Patriots (11-3) (clinched playoff berth)
3rd seed: Kansas City Chiefs (10-4) (clinched AFC West)
4th seed: Houston Texans (9-5)
5th seed: Buffalo Bills (10-4) (clinched playoff berth)
6th seed: Pittsburgh Steelers (8-6)
Wild card matchups:
Pittsburgh @ Kansas City
Buffalo @ Houston
Still alive:
Tennessee (8-6), Cleveland (6-8), Oakland (6-8)
Eliminated:
Everyone else not mentioned... I'm lazy
Baltimore can clinch the first-round bye with a win or tie or Chiefs loss or tie, or Patriots loss. New England can clinch the AFC East with a win vs Buffalo on Saturday. Houston can clinch the AFC South with a win or Texans tie + Titans tie or Titans loss. Essentially, you win and you're in (are you listening Houston?).
NFC:
1st seed: Seattle Seahawks (11-3) (clinched playoff berth)
2nd seed: Green Bay Packers (11-3) (clinched playoff berth)
3rd seed: New Orleans Saints (11-3) (clinched NFC South)
4th seed: Dallas Cowboys (7-7)
5th seed: San Francisco 49ers (11-3) (clinched playoff berth)
6th seed: Minnesota Vikings (10-4)
Wild card matchups:
Minnesota @ New Orleans
San Francisco @ Dallas
Still alive:
Los Angeles Rams (8-6), Philadelphia Eagles (7-7)
Eliminated:
Everyone else not mentioned.
Green bay can win the NFC North with a win or tie. Dallas can clinch the NFC East with a win. Minnesota can clinch a playoff berth with a win or tie or a Rams loss or tie. Win and you're in.
NFL 100: A Spotlight
I had planned on doing something totally different for the spotlight then I found out that today marks the 9th anniversary of the "Miracle At the New Meadowlands" or "Miracle At The Meadowlands IV" on December 19th, 2010. I remembered this game very well as the Packers were in the hunt for the wild card. If the Giants won, the Packers hopes would've greatly diminish but nonetheless as you will see, this was not the case.
Gone were the days of Donovan McNabb captaining the Eagles offense as the passer would get moved to Washington in the offseason. Michael Vick would get most of the starts in the 2010 season with Kevin Kolb in the wing. The Eagles were stacked on offense with LeSean McCoy, DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin.
The New York Giants still had a solid offense, ranking 7th in points for in 2010. Their problem was that they couldn't keep opponents out of the endzone. Thus the Giants would have to rely on the arm of Eli Manning to get them back into the playoffs and to a championship. They had some nice pieces with Mario Manningham, Ahmad Bradshaw, Hakeem Nicks, and Steve Smith.
The aftermath was devastating for New York as they had the same record as the Eagles with 10-6 but Philly held the tiebreaker in terms of head-to-head (Eagles won both matchups). They would find a spark on defense and a new weapon for Eli Manning in Victor Cruz for the 2011 championship run. They would beat the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI.
For Philly the win would give them the 3rd seed in the playoffs as they would play host to the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card matchup. They would lose to the eventual Super Bowl champion. The game would be Andy Reid's last playoff game as head coach. He would be fired after the 2012 season.
I would normally break down the scoring in the game but when it comes to miracles, it's best to let the video speak for itself. Take it away Joe Buck and Troy Aikman.
Week 16 Picks
Week 16 in the National Football League's regular season will start in Tampa, Florida and finish in Minneapolis, Minnesota. There will be 16 games on the slate this week. The week includes three Saturday games, seven early games, four late games, a Sunday night game, and a Monday night game. FOX will have the double-header and CBS will show the single, regional game. Let's get to the picks!
Houston (9-5) @ Tampa Bay (7-7) (NFL Network): TW: Buccaneers; CV: Texans
Both teams got wins last week as the Texans beat the Titans and the Buccaneers beat the Lions. This game has shootout written all over it. The Bucs defense has been decent this season and the loss of JJ Watt for Houston will make this difficult to pick in terms of defense. I'm somewhat going to ride on Tampa's momentum as they have four straight wins. That and the AFC South is horribly unpredictable. I can't trust Houston to do something right.
Buffalo (10-4) @ New England (11-3) (NFL Network): TW: Patriots; CV: Bills
Both teams got wins as the Bills beat the Steelers and the Patriots beat the Bengals. The game has some interesting storylines for it. Can the underdog Bills get the rare win on the road. New England could clinch their 10th straight division title with a win. Buffalo is a nice story but ultimately this late in the season, I can't see the Patriots losing in a game they need to win if they want that 1st round bye.
LA Rams (8-6) @ San Francisco (11-3) (NFL Network): TW: 49ers; CV: 49ers
Both teams lost last week as the Rams lost to the Cowboys and the 49ers lost to the Falcons. Atlanta exposed the 49ers defense badly on Sunday with missing pieces like Dee Ford or Kwon Alexander. Their opponents have found success with the ground game and the Rams have a talented backfield. I still like the 49ers in the match-up but this could be a shootout.
Jacksonville (5-9) @ Atlanta (5-9) (FOX): TW: Falcons; CV: Falcons
Both teams got wins last week as the Jaguars beat the Raiders and the Falcons beat the 49ers. It's in general a meaningless game but the game does feature some decent running backs with Leonard Fournette in Jacksonville and Devonta Freeman for Atlanta. Ultimately, the Falcons offense has a few more highly-touted weapons than Jacksonville.
New Orleans (11-3) @ Tennessee (8-6) (FOX): TW: Saints; CV: Saints
The Saints beat the Colts and the Titans lost to the Texans last week. Ultimately, the game will come down to which offense stays on the field longer as both teams have great offenses, particularly in running back. Tennessee has had a nice turnaround with Ryan Tannehill at quarterback and they could win this game with Derrick Henry having a great day. I just feel New Orleans is a bit more talented.
NY Giants (3-11) @ Washington (3-11) (FOX): TW: Giants; CV: Giants
The Giants beat the Dolphins and the Redskins lost to the Eagles last week. It wasn't a pretty sight for the Redskins last time these two teams met. Dwayne Haskins was a different quarterback then but how much of a difference is he then to he is now? I like the Giants in the match-up as they do have a few more weapons on offense with Saquon Barkley at running back. It feels like a safe pick even though the Redskins are the favorite but not by much.
Pittsburgh (8-6) @ NY Jets (5-9) (CBS): TW: Steelers; CV: Steelers
Both teams lost last week as the Steelers lost to the Bills and the Jets lost to the Ravens. Pittsburgh is still in the driver's seat in terms of playoffs. Win this week and next week and they're in. Fortunately they have a somewhat interesting match-up with a Jets team that wants to play spoiler. Pittsburgh's defense needs to take advantage of turnovers and make the best of them. Devlin Hodges needs to play smarter and not take risks. He has a running game that is ready to lend a hand. I'll take the Steelers.
Cincinnati (1-13) @ Miami (3-11) (CBS): TW: Dolphins; CV: Dolphins
Both teams took losses last week as the Bengals lost to the Patriots and the Dolphins lost to the Giants. Even if the Bengals do find a way to win, they're still likely to end up being with the #1 pick in next spring's draft. Ryan Fitzpatrick has been playing fairly well the last few weeks despite not getting a lot of wins. Miami's run offense needs to find a way to get past the Bengals rush defense. At least you'll be #1 at something Cincinnati.
Carolina (5-9) @ Indianapolis (6-8) (FOX): TW: Colts; CV: Panthers
Both teams lost last week as the Panthers lost to the Seahawks and the Colts lost to the Saints. Kyle Allen for Carolina started off well enough but it hasn't been the same for quite a while. I like the Colts in the game with their running game of Marlon Mack and company. Mack needs to get more than just the 19 yards in the loss to the Saints. Christian McCaffrey was a nice story but it will take a miracle for him to get the MVP.
Baltimore (12-2) @ Cleveland (6-8) (CBS): TW: Ravens; CV: Ravens
The Ravens beat the Jets and the Browns lost to the Cardinals last week. Here's an interesting stat: the Baltimore Orioles have lost more recently than the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens lost on September 29th, and haven't lost since that date (as of 12/19/19). Both teams have changed since that Week 4 match-up. I like the Ravens in the game based on what has gotten them there. Sorry Cleveland but your playoff hopes die this week.
Oakland (6-8) @ LA Chargers (5-9) (CBS): TW: Raiders; CV: Raiders
Both teams lost last week as the Raiders lost to the Jaguars and the Chargers lost to the Vikings. The Chargers will play their last game in Carson City and will move into the new stadium with the Rams next season. Other than that, I have no reason to pick the Chargers in this game as they have played terrible despite all the talent they have. Both teams have offenses that can put up yards but a lot of turnovers too. I don't trust either team but I'll take the Raiders in spoiling the farewell.
Detroit (3-10-1) @ Denver (5-9) (CBS): TW: Broncos; CV: Broncos
Both teams lost last week as the Lions lost to the Buccaneers and the Broncos lost to the Chiefs. Drew Lock's overall grade has been a C to C- at times throughout this season. How well he can play against the Lions defense has yet to be seen. I like the Broncos in the game as they do have a better running game with Philip Lindsay and Royce Freeman with some okay wide outs. David Blough hasn't been solid as Detroit's starter since he played on Thanksgiving. I'll take the high altitude in Denver.
Arizona (4-9-1) @ Seattle (11-3) (FOX): TW: Seahawks; CV: Seahawks
Both teams got wins last week as the Cardinals beat the Browns and the Seahawks beat the Panthers. The previous meeting resulted in a Seahawks 27-10 win. I feel the same result will happen. I feel the Seahawks offense will carve up the Cards defense quite a bit in the game. With the crowd noise in Seattle, I feel the Seahawks will take this one.
Dallas (7-7) @ Philadelphia (7-7) (FOX): TW: Eagles; CV: Eagles
Both teams got wins last week as the Cowboys beat the Rams and the Eagles beat the Redskins. Dak Prescott's health will matter in this game and Jerry Jones seems to think that he will play. So I guess you have to feel that Prescott will play. The Eagles have a tough task ahead in trying to slow down the Cowboys passing attack and running game. Fortunately for Philadelphia, they have the quarterback and running game to match. Miles Sanders needs to have a great day if the Eagles want to have a chance to win. Go Wentz!
Kansas City (10-4) @ Chicago (7-7) (NBC): TW: Chiefs; CV: Chiefs
The Chiefs got a win against the Broncos and the Bears lost to the Packers last week. The match-up will depend on how well the Chiefs running game will fare against the Bears run defense. Chicago does have a formidable run defense. It will be a fun challenge how well the Chiefs offense can play against the Bears. I don't trust the Bears offense to really put up points in this one so I'll take the Chiefs.
Green Bay (11-3) @ Minnesota (10-4) (ESPN): TW: Vikings; CV: Vikings
Alright, I know what you're thinking. WTF TOM! It's more of a personal reason. The margin between me and Cardinal Viking is very narrow. I feel its a win-win for me either way. If Green Bay loses, I stay ahead despite me being a Packer fan. If Green Bay wins, I'll take the loss with some pride in knowing that the Packers won against the Vikings on the road for the first time since 2015. It should be a fun game to finish up the Monday night slate.
Local TV Schedule (courtesy of 506sports.com, subject to change):
CBS Single
Baltimore @ Cleveland
Jim Nantz, Tony Romo
FOX Early
New Orleans @ Tennessee
Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber
FOX Late
Dallas @ Philadelphia
Joe Buck, Troy Aikman
For more information on which game is being played in your area, check out: NFL 2019: Week 16 Maps
The Records (By Week & Year):
Cardinal Viking:
2017: 167-89
2018: 156-98-2
2019:
Week 1: 11-4-1
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 10-6
Week 4: 7-8
Week 5: 9-6
Week 6: 7-7
Week 7: 10-4
Week 8: 11-4
Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 2-11
Week 11: 12-2
Week 12: 9-5
Week 13: 8-8
Week 14: 9-7
Week 15: 10-6
Overall: 135-90-1
My record:
2012: 164-90-2
2013: 162-92-1
2014: 172-83-1
2017: 164-92
2018: 156-98-2
2019:
Week 1: 12-3-1
Week 2: 10-6
Week 3: 11-5
Week 4: 8-7
Week 5: 5-10
Week 6: 9-5
Week 7: 7-7
Week 8: 14-1
Week 9: 8-6
Week 10: 5-8
Week 11: 10-4
Week 12: 10-4
Week 13: 10-6
Week 14: 9-7
Week 15: 10-6
Overall: 138-85-1
See you guys after the Monday night game for the Week 16 Recap post!
-Tom
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