- Mar 19, 2006
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NFL playoff picture: Vikings jump Eagles, Seahawks fly up to No. 5
Sporting News Vinnie Iyer
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nf...y-up-to-no-5/ar-BBG9afl?li=BBnba9I&ocid=HPDHP
Which NFL teams are positioned to make the playoffs coming out of the Thursday and Sunday games of Week 13? How are the seeds looking for the current division leaders and wild-card hopefuls?
Based on the standings and taking into account tiebreakers, here are how things are looking in the AFC and NFC.
NFL playoff picture
AFC
No. 1 seed ? Patriots (10-2): First place, AFC East. New England ran all over Buffalo to move here for now. Pittsburgh can jump back up with a win at Cincinnati on Monday. The top two AFC teams will likely decide the top seed in Week 15 at Heinz Field. What's left: at MIA, at PIT, vs. BUF, vs. NYJ
No. 2 seed ? Steelers (9-2): First place, AFC North. Pittsburgh wants to keep pace with New England so that it still has full control of home-field advantage. What's left: at CIN, vs. BAL, vs. NE, at HOU, vs. CLE
No. 3 seed ? Titans (8-4): First place, AFC South. Tennessee knocked off Houston at home to stay in first place over Jacksonville thanks to an early head-to-head win. The division is still headed to a Week 17 de facto title game. What's left: at ARI, at SF, vs. LAR, vs. JAX
No. 4 seed ? Chiefs (6-6): First place, AFC West. Kansas City lost to the other New York team to continue its free fall to .500. The Chiefs have the three-way tiebreaker between them , the Chargers and the Raiders to barely stay here before playing both teams in the next two weeks. What's left: vs. OAK, vs. LAC, vs. MIA, at DEN
No. 5 seed ? Jaguars (8-4): First place, AFC South. Jacksonville kept pace with Tennessee in the division by doing what was expected against Indianapolis. What's left: vs. SEA, vs. HOU, at SF, at TEN
No. 6 seed ? Ravens (7-5): Second place, AFC North. Baltimore dispatched Detroit to add to its lead for the second wild card. It has only an outside shot at catching Pittsburgh in the division, but the teams do play next week. What's left: at PIT, at CLE, vs. IND, vs. CIN
Who's right behind:7. Chargers (6-6) 8. Bills (6-6), 9. Raiders (6-6), 10. Bengals (5-6). The Chargers are very close to a playoff spot, either as a wild card or AFC West leader, thanks to beating both the Bills and Raiders following their 0-4 start.
Who's barely alive: 11. Jets (5-7), 12. Dolphins (5-7), 13. Texans (4-8), 14. Colts (3-9), 15. Broncos (3-9). The Jets and Dolphins showed more life but are running out of lives. Houston, Indianapolis and Denver are barely hanging on.
Who's out: 16. Browns (0-12). They won't be down here by themselves much longer.
NFC
No. 1 seed ? Vikings (10-2): First place, NFC North. Minnesota kept rolling with a strong defensive effort in Atlanta and put itself on the verge of winning the division. It also jumped over Philiadelphia with a better strength of victory. What's left: at CAR, vs. CIN, at GB, vs. CHI
No. 2 seed ? Eagles (10-2): First place, NFC East. Philadelphia finally saw its losing streak end in Seattle and dropped here in the process. It also kept victorious Dallas barely alive in the division race. It doesn't gets any easier with another West Coast date with the Rams. What's left: at LAR, at NYG, vs. OAK, vs. DAL
No. 3 seed ? Rams (9-3): First place, NFC West. They will stay at least one game ahead of the Seahawks in the division. They get a straight shot at the Eagles in Week 14. What's left: vs. PHI, at SEA, at TEN, vs. SF
No. 4 seed ? Saints (9-3): First place, NFC South. They beat the Panthers to regain sole possession of first place and also go up two games on the losing Falcons, whom they play Thursday night. What's left: at ATL, vs. NYJ, vs. ATL, at TB
No. 5 seed ? Seahawks (8-4): Second place, NFC West. Seattle's win over Philadelphia was huge, because it kept pace with Los Angeles in the division and also strengthened its wild-card position over both losing Carolina and Atlanta. What's left: at JAX, vs. LAR, at DAL, vs. ARI
No. 6 seed ? Panthers (8-4): Second place, NFC South. Carolina's loss at New Orleans makes it tough to win the division now. With No. 1, No. 9 and No. 7 still on the schedule, falling back on this wild card is far from a given. What's left: vs. MIN, vs. GB, vs. TB, at ATL
Who's right behind: 7. Falcons (7-5), 8. Lions (6-6), 9. Packers (6-6), 10. Cowboys (6-6). Atlanta fell to a full game behind Seattle and stayed there in relation to Carolina. Green Bay and Dallas both stayed alive and well with big home wins.
Who's barely alive: 11. Redskins (5-7), 12. Cardinals (5-7), 13. Buccaneers (4-8). Washington and Tampa Bay blew their big chances against aforementioned Dallas and Green Bay, respectively. Arizona fell in between with its latest loss.
Who's out: 14. Bears (3-9), 15. 49ers (2-10), 16. Giants (2-10). San Francisco beat Chicago to drag it down to its level and also jump ahead of New York.
Sporting News Vinnie Iyer
https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nf...y-up-to-no-5/ar-BBG9afl?li=BBnba9I&ocid=HPDHP
Which NFL teams are positioned to make the playoffs coming out of the Thursday and Sunday games of Week 13? How are the seeds looking for the current division leaders and wild-card hopefuls?
Based on the standings and taking into account tiebreakers, here are how things are looking in the AFC and NFC.
NFL playoff picture
AFC
No. 1 seed ? Patriots (10-2): First place, AFC East. New England ran all over Buffalo to move here for now. Pittsburgh can jump back up with a win at Cincinnati on Monday. The top two AFC teams will likely decide the top seed in Week 15 at Heinz Field. What's left: at MIA, at PIT, vs. BUF, vs. NYJ
No. 2 seed ? Steelers (9-2): First place, AFC North. Pittsburgh wants to keep pace with New England so that it still has full control of home-field advantage. What's left: at CIN, vs. BAL, vs. NE, at HOU, vs. CLE
No. 3 seed ? Titans (8-4): First place, AFC South. Tennessee knocked off Houston at home to stay in first place over Jacksonville thanks to an early head-to-head win. The division is still headed to a Week 17 de facto title game. What's left: at ARI, at SF, vs. LAR, vs. JAX
No. 4 seed ? Chiefs (6-6): First place, AFC West. Kansas City lost to the other New York team to continue its free fall to .500. The Chiefs have the three-way tiebreaker between them , the Chargers and the Raiders to barely stay here before playing both teams in the next two weeks. What's left: vs. OAK, vs. LAC, vs. MIA, at DEN
No. 5 seed ? Jaguars (8-4): First place, AFC South. Jacksonville kept pace with Tennessee in the division by doing what was expected against Indianapolis. What's left: vs. SEA, vs. HOU, at SF, at TEN
No. 6 seed ? Ravens (7-5): Second place, AFC North. Baltimore dispatched Detroit to add to its lead for the second wild card. It has only an outside shot at catching Pittsburgh in the division, but the teams do play next week. What's left: at PIT, at CLE, vs. IND, vs. CIN
Who's right behind:7. Chargers (6-6) 8. Bills (6-6), 9. Raiders (6-6), 10. Bengals (5-6). The Chargers are very close to a playoff spot, either as a wild card or AFC West leader, thanks to beating both the Bills and Raiders following their 0-4 start.
Who's barely alive: 11. Jets (5-7), 12. Dolphins (5-7), 13. Texans (4-8), 14. Colts (3-9), 15. Broncos (3-9). The Jets and Dolphins showed more life but are running out of lives. Houston, Indianapolis and Denver are barely hanging on.
Who's out: 16. Browns (0-12). They won't be down here by themselves much longer.
NFC
No. 1 seed ? Vikings (10-2): First place, NFC North. Minnesota kept rolling with a strong defensive effort in Atlanta and put itself on the verge of winning the division. It also jumped over Philiadelphia with a better strength of victory. What's left: at CAR, vs. CIN, at GB, vs. CHI
No. 2 seed ? Eagles (10-2): First place, NFC East. Philadelphia finally saw its losing streak end in Seattle and dropped here in the process. It also kept victorious Dallas barely alive in the division race. It doesn't gets any easier with another West Coast date with the Rams. What's left: at LAR, at NYG, vs. OAK, vs. DAL
No. 3 seed ? Rams (9-3): First place, NFC West. They will stay at least one game ahead of the Seahawks in the division. They get a straight shot at the Eagles in Week 14. What's left: vs. PHI, at SEA, at TEN, vs. SF
No. 4 seed ? Saints (9-3): First place, NFC South. They beat the Panthers to regain sole possession of first place and also go up two games on the losing Falcons, whom they play Thursday night. What's left: at ATL, vs. NYJ, vs. ATL, at TB
No. 5 seed ? Seahawks (8-4): Second place, NFC West. Seattle's win over Philadelphia was huge, because it kept pace with Los Angeles in the division and also strengthened its wild-card position over both losing Carolina and Atlanta. What's left: at JAX, vs. LAR, at DAL, vs. ARI
No. 6 seed ? Panthers (8-4): Second place, NFC South. Carolina's loss at New Orleans makes it tough to win the division now. With No. 1, No. 9 and No. 7 still on the schedule, falling back on this wild card is far from a given. What's left: vs. MIN, vs. GB, vs. TB, at ATL
Who's right behind: 7. Falcons (7-5), 8. Lions (6-6), 9. Packers (6-6), 10. Cowboys (6-6). Atlanta fell to a full game behind Seattle and stayed there in relation to Carolina. Green Bay and Dallas both stayed alive and well with big home wins.
Who's barely alive: 11. Redskins (5-7), 12. Cardinals (5-7), 13. Buccaneers (4-8). Washington and Tampa Bay blew their big chances against aforementioned Dallas and Green Bay, respectively. Arizona fell in between with its latest loss.
Who's out: 14. Bears (3-9), 15. 49ers (2-10), 16. Giants (2-10). San Francisco beat Chicago to drag it down to its level and also jump ahead of New York.
