2012 NFL playoff picture: Sputtering Bears, Steelers face must-win games

[Senor Capper]

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears went into Week 15 with tenuous holds on the second wild-card spots and No. 6 seeds in their respective conferences. After each lost tight games on Sunday, they're both faced with must-win situations in Week 16.

AFC

1. Houston Texans (12-2)

The Texans took care of the AFC South title by defeating the Colts, 29-17, at home. They got a break with the Patriots losing, and can lock up the No. 1 seed with one more win.

What's left: vs. Minnesota, at Indianapolis



2. Denver Broncos (11-3)

They likely won't catch the Texans, who hold the tiebreaker with their win over the Broncos in Denver. But based on their remaining opponents, they should easily take the No. 2 seed in the AFC.

What's left: vs. Cleveland, vs. Kansas City



3. New England Patriots (10-4)

Their slip-up against San Francisco not only cost them a shot at the No. 1 seed, but also gave the Broncos control of the No. 2. The Patriots probably will need to go through Denver and Houston to get back to the Super Bowl.

What's left: at Jacksonville, vs. Miami


4. Baltimore Ravens (9-5)

The Ravens will need to work hard just to keep this seed as AFC North leaders. If they lose to the Giants next week and the Bengals beat the Steelers, they'll be facing a rematch in Cincinnati with the division title on the line in Week 17.

What's left: vs. New York Giants, at Cincinnati



5. Indianapolis Colts (9-5)

The Colts can forget about the AFC South crown and focus on nailing down the top wild-card spot. At the least, they should do that by beating the woeful Chiefs next week.

What's left: at Kansas City, vs. Houston



6. Cincinnati Bengals (8-6)

If they're going to keep this spot and return to the playoffs, they must beat the Steelers in Week 16. If not, Pittsburgh would displace them as the No. 6 seed because of a season sweep.

What's left: at Pittsburgh, vs. Baltimore


In the hunt: Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7), New York Jets (6-7), Miami Dolphins (6-8)

NFL playoff picture: Ben Roethlisberger's Steelers will try to pick themselves up next week against Cincinnati. (AP Photo)The Steelers didn?t hurt themselves too much with their loss to the Cowboys, because they will look to sweep the Bengals next week. For that to happen, however, their defense will need to turn in a much better effort than what it has put forth the past two weeks. The Jets need to win at Tennessee on Monday to keep maintain pressure on the Bengals and Steelers.

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NFC

1. Atlanta Falcons (12-2)

The Falcons made a great statement in advance of the playoffs with their 34-0 rout of the Giants, the team that knocked them out of last season's playoffs. They are still unbeaten at home this season, and all they need to do is win one game to lock up home-field advantage.

What's left: at Detroit, vs. Tampa Bay



2. San Francisco 49ers (10-3-1)

The Niners can still catch the Falcons, but they would need a lot of help. They need to worry instead about taking care of the NFC West and locking up the No. 2 seed. Even if they lose at Seattle next week, they can still win the division by beating Arizona in the finale. A loss to the Seahawks could cost them the No. 2 seed, though, as Green Bay could sneak past them.

What's left: at Seattle, vs. Arizona



3. Green Bay Packers (10-4)

The Packers have taken the NFC North after finishing a sweep of the Bears. They have already lost to the 49ers and Seahawks but will be rooting for Seattle?which trails the Packers by one game?next week against the Niners. That would give Green Bay a shot at the No. 2 if the Packers can win their final two games. Green Bay's ultimate goal should simply be to keep up the momentum into the playoffs.

What's left: vs. Tennessee, at Minnesota



4. Washington Redskins (8-6)

The Redskins lead the NFC East because they have a better division record than the Giants and Cowboys. If they can avoid a trap game against the last-place Eagles next week, they'll play for the East title against the Cowboys in Week 17.

What's left: at Philadelphia, vs. Dallas.

Checkdown: Suddenly, Redskins are best bet to win NFC East



5. Seattle Seahawks (9-5)

The Seahawks won't get the winner-take-all home matchup against San Francisco that they had hoped for. Still, they want to sustain their considerable momentum, regardless of whether they have to start off as a road wild card.



6. Minnesota Vikings (8-6)

There are five teams with this record in the NFC, and the Vikings are fortunate that the Redskins, who beat them earlier, have been elevated into the NFC East lead. They are not fortunate, however, with having the Texans and Packers to close out their schedule.

What's left: at Houston, vs. Green Bay



In the hunt: Chicago Bears (8-6), Dallas Cowboys (8-6), New York Giants (8-6) T

hat's a trio of marquee teams on the outside right now. The biggest collapse belongs to the Bears. After starting 7-1, they have lost five of their past six games, and now the question has gone from "Are they the best team in the NFC?" to "Will Lovie Smith keep his job?"

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[Senor Capper]

NFL Week 15 Checkdown: Redskins are suddenly best bet to win NFC East

NFL Week 15 Checkdown: Redskins are suddenly best bet to win NFC East

The NFC East is a three-team race with two games remaining in the regular season. With the New York Giants getting shut down, 34-0, in Atlanta on Sunday, the door opened for both the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys?and they walked right through to pull even with New York at 8-6.

Based on having the best division record (3-1), the Redskins are the new first-place team and control their destiny. Rookie backup quarterback Kirk Cousins, subbing for Robert Griffin III, led them to an impressive 38-21 road rout of Cleveland. The Cowboys (3-2 in the NFC East) were able to keep pace by fighting hard to outlast Pittsburgh at home, 27-24, in overtime.


The Giants (2-3 in the division) now know that even if they win their final two?a tricky trip to Baltimore and a home game against free-falling Philadelphia?they will need help to take back the East. The Cowboys and Redskins will face off in a huge game in Landover, Md., in Week 17. Before then, the Cowboys (home vs. New Orleans) and Redskins (at Philadelphia) have favorable matchups in Week 16.


The Redskins are in the driver's seat now, given they have the confidence to keep rolling on offense even if Griffin must miss more time with a knee injury. They know they can count on rookie Alfred Morris and the traditional running game. With hungry, ageless linebacker London Fletcher leading the way, Washington's defense is playing the run very well at the ideal time and has become a little more respectable against the pass. They also know they've beaten the Eagles and Cowboys before.


The Cowboys have become a different offense with a healthy DeMarco Murray in the backfield. Murray's hard, quick running is taking a lot of pressure off quarterback Tony Romo. Although Murray had a costly red zone fumble, his overall work against the Steelers (14 carries, 81 yards, one TD) allowed Romo to spread the field efficiently in the passing game. Nine receivers were included in his 30 completions for 341 yards. Even though Dallas is beaten up in the middle of the defense, its talented edge pass rushers and defensive backs create strength against the pass.



The Redskins and Cowboys may be late to the party in figuring out their identity, but now that they've crashed it, the one that wins the season finale should grab an invitation to the playoffs. If Griffin is healthy for the rematch, it's hard to pick against Washington, given how he feasted on the Cowboys on Thanksgiving.


The Giants are used to bailing themselves out down the stretch, but this time their injuries and other issues will be harder to overcome. With Hakeem Nicks and Ahmad Bradshaw banged up, Eli Manning hasn't been quite up to the task of carrying the offense. The pass rush hasn't been able to get going, which in turn has exposed major problems in the secondary. It's a stunning turn of events, and the Giants may not survive a challenging schedule as they did in 2011.

Forget about getting hot and going on a run like last season. The Super Bowl champs are facing a technical knockout on the road against an angry Ravens team next Sunday.

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Linemakers: Early Week 16 point spreads


Beware the Seahawks


The Seattle Seahawks (9-5) followed up their 58-0 rout of Arizona in Week 14 by bashing the Bills in Toronto, 50-17. Those scores should indicate that they are pretty much doing everything right in all three phases of the game, before their biggest game of the season?at home against NFC West-leading San Francisco on Sunday night.

The running game and the defense, with big, strong physical playmakers on every level, have been constants all season. But what has made them very to the rest of the conference is rookie Russell Wilson.

In the NFC, teams need an elite quarterback to get to the Super Bowl. That was the case with the last three winners?Drew Brees' Saints, Aaron Rodgers' Packers and Manning's Giants. This year, Wilson has already won head-to-head against Rodgers and the Patriots' Tom Brady.

While it could be argued that he was more of a game manager early, he's proving he's a well-rounded threat with growing confidence?to the point he can be likened to a heady veteran. Wilson remained efficient as a passer in Toronto against the Buffalo Bills (14-for-23, 205 yards, one TD), and Seattle used more read option plays to unleash him as a runner (nine rushes, 93 yards, three TDs).

The Seahawks would be lethal if they could finish ahead of the 49ers (10-3-1) and start the playoffs at home, but that doesn?t seem likely considering the Niners? final game is against Arizona at Candlestick Park. But Seattle will still be dangerous considering Wilson has now proved he can't be rattled on the road.



Peterson story keeps getting better

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson will win some kind of hardware this season, whether it's for Offensive Player of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year or Most Valuable Player. He's also doing his best to run himself into the history books a year after suffering a devastating knee injury.

Peterson, with 212 more rushing yards against the Rams, has 1,812, putting him 294 away from breaking the single-season record of 2,105 yards held by Eric Dickerson. But he should be more proud of the fact that he's carried Minnesota (8-6) on his back, to the point where the team is in position to earn the NFC's No. 6 seed.

The Vikings all but eliminated the Rams (6-7-1), but it will be difficult to stay ahead of the Bears, Cowboys and Giants and punch a postseason ticket. They draw the toughest remaining 1-2 punch of a schedule, with a game at Houston and then a home matchup against the Packers. It will be tough for Peterson to pass Dickerson against those defenses, but considering Christian Ponder and the passing game continue to provide little help, you can bet the Vikings will keep giving him the ball and hope to ride him into the playoffs.



Injury update

Ryan Mathews, RB, Chargers (broken left collarbone). You will recall that Mathews fractured his right collarbone in the preseason, and the injury contributed to his slow start in 2012. He hurt the other collarbone in the Chargers' embarrassing 31-7 home loss to Carolina on Sunday. Now he's finished after a forgettable season that had him in and out of coach Norv Turner's doghouse. San Diego will need to turn to the likes of Curtis Brinkley and Jackie Battle in the running game as it plays out the string.

Torrey Smith, WR, Ravens (concussion). The Ravens didn't have Smith available when they were in pass-happy comeback mode against the Broncos, though it probably wouldn?t have mattered much in a 34-17 defeat. With their grip on the AFC North slipping, the Ravens have to hope Smith will be cleared in time to take advantage of the Giants' shaky secondary next Sunday.

 

[Senor Capper]

NFL Power Rankings: 3 Teams Peaking at the Perfect Time

NFL Power Rankings: 3 Teams Peaking at the Perfect Time

Three NFC teams that are peaking at the right time have made big jumps in our Week 16 NFL power rankings.

The Seattle Seahawks, Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys have combined to win 11 straight games, and each team now controls its destiny for a playoff spot in the NFC.

The Seahawks can still win the NFC West, the Redskins are in the driver's seat in the NFC East and the Cowboys can win out and clinch a postseason bid.

In the following slides, we'll present our newest power rankings and break down the three teams that are peaking at the right time.




WASHINGTON

While the New York Giants have suffered through a 2-4 stretch over the last six games, Washington has rescued what looked like a lost season early on. The Redskins have won five straight games after starting 3-6, and now sit atop the NFC East.

Two wins to finish the season (at Philadelphia, vs. Dallas) guarantees a playoff spot for the Redskins. Washington figures to have Robert Griffin III (knee) back for the last stretch, too.



SEATTLE

The Arizona Cardinals and Buffalo Bills are obviously not the cream of the crop in the NFL, but scoring 50 or more points in back-to-back games is a rare feat that highlights just how well Seattle is playing right now.

The Seahawks have outscored their last two opponents 108-17.

But maybe the scariest part of playing the Seahawks right now is the recent play of Russell Wilson, who is probably the new front-runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Wilson has thrown exactly one interception over the last six games, while also scoring a total of 14 touchdowns and compiling a passer rating over 110.0.



DALLAS

When the Cowboys lost in Atlanta in Week 9 to drop to 3-5, most people wrote off this team as just another Dallas disappointment. A hyped team with no results to show for it, the Cowboys had earned that title.

Since then, however, Dallas has finally made good on some of the hype.

The Cowboys have won five of six games, including Sunday's 27-24 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now, Dallas can win its last two games and lock itself into a playoff spot.

Games with New Orleans and at Washington will test that opportunity, but at least the Cowboys have given themselves a chance to be relevant in January



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[Senor Capper]

Breaking Down NFL Playoff Scenarios for Every Team

Breaking Down NFL Playoff Scenarios for Every Team

Jacksonville Jaguars (2-12)

Kansas City Chiefs (2-12)

Philadelphia Eagles (4-10)

Detroit Lions (4-10)

Oakland Raiders (4-10)

Tennessee Titans (4-9)

Buffalo Bills (5-9)

Arizona Cardinals (5-9)

Carolina Panthers (5-9)

San Diego Chargers (5-9)

Cleveland Browns (5-9)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-8)




These are the 12 teams that are officially eliminated from the 2012 postseason. However, each one of them will have the chance to play the spoiler in Week 16 with the exception of the Oakland Raiders and Carolina Panthers, who play each other.

The Titans could actually play a role in the playoff chase as early as Monday night, when they host the New York Jets.


Miami Dolphins (6-8)

For Miami to get into the postseason, it will obviously need to win out and finish 8-8.
That guarantees nothing, though, unless the Jets lose two out of their last three games, the Bengals have to lose their last two and the Steelers will have to lose in Week 17 to Cleveland. The reason they would get in under these circumstances will be the tiebreakers.
If the Dolphins win out, not only do they finish 8-8, but they will finish with a conference record of 6-6. They own the tiebreaker over Cincinnati, so if there's a tie between the Bengals and Dolphins, Miami gets in.


If Pittsburgh finishes 8-8 with a win over Cincinnati and a loss against the Browns, the Dolphins will own the conference record tiebreaker, as Pittsburgh will finish 5-7 within the AFC.
It's a lot to ask, but Miami can still get in.
Final Two Games: Home vs. Buffalo (Dec. 23), at New England (Dec. 30).

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New Orleans Saints (6-8)

For New Orleans to get into the playoffs, they will need to win their final two games (at Dallas, vs. Carolina), with the Minnesota Vikings losing their last two games.
Even then, the Saints are at a huge disadvantage because the Washington Redskins and New York Giants hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over them and both are also two games up on the Saints.
Final Two Games: At Dallas (Dec. 23), Home vs. Carolina (Dec. 30).

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New York Jets (6-7)

For the Jets, it starts on Monday night against Tennessee. If they win that game, that puts them in a tie with the Steelers, who own the tiebreaker over the Jets. If the Jets win out, they'll have a fighting chance. They will still need Cincinnati to beat the Steelers in Week 16 and then lose to Baltimore in Week 17.
However, even if the Steelers beat the Bengals, the Jets will still have a shot if they continue to win, provided that Pittsburgh loses to Cleveland in Week 17.
The Jets have the advantage of finishing the season against the Titans, Chargers and Bills. Those games should be won by the Jets, which would put them at 9-7.
If that happens, Rex Ryan should win Coach of the Year. I'm being dead serious. Considering the circus surrounding the Jets all season long, a playoff berth would be a miraculous ending to the season.
Considering this team's recent history, I probably wouldn't want to face them come playoff time.
Final Two Games: Home vs. San Diego (Dec. 23), at Buffalo (Dec. 30)

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St. Louis Rams (6-7-1) J

St. Louis' tie against the San Francisco 49ers still helps the Rams out, as it's possible that they can finish 8-7-1 and half a game ahead of any team that finishes 8-8.
The Rams also have the tiebreaker over the Washington Redskins, but they are on the wrong side of the tiebreaker with the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings.
If St. Louis does win out while the Redskins, Giants, Bears and Vikings lose out, then the Rams will sneak into the final playoff spot by a slim half-game margin.
Final Two Games: At Tampa Bay (Dec. 23), at Seattle (Dec. 30)

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Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7)

Despite a 7-7 record, the Pittsburgh Steelers still control their own destiny.
If the Steelers win their final two games, they're in the playoffs. And a loss by the Indianapolis Colts would put Pittsburgh in the fifth seed as opposed to the sixth seed.
However, if the Steelers win their last two games while the Ravens lose their last two, the two teams would be tied.
But Baltimore would win via tiebreaker as it would have the better record within the AFC North (the Steelers already have six losses within the conference, while the Ravens at most would have five losses within the conference).
Final Two Games: Home vs. Cincinnati (Dec. 23), home vs. Cleveland (Dec. 30)

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Minnesota Vikings (8-6)

The Vikings don't control their own destiny, but winning their last two games of the regular season would likely put them in good shape to sneak into the playoffs.
The bad news: Their last two games are against the Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers.
Final Two Games: At Houston (Dec. 23), home vs. Green Bay (Dec. 30)

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Chicago Bears (8-6)

Chicago can still get to the playoffs by winning out, but it will still need some help.
The Bears own the head-to-head tiebreaker over Dallas, so if they finish tied for the final playoff spot, Chicago would get in.
However, the Bears will have to become Packers fans in Week 17, because Minnesota holds the tiebreaker over the Bears within the NFC North.
Seattle and San Francisco both own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bears, which puts Chicago at an even bigger disadvantage.
Final Two Games: At Arizona (Dec. 23), at Detroit (Dec. 30)


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New York Giants (8-6)

The Giants are now in a three-way tie for first place in the NFC East, but they will have to win out in order to win the division, thanks in part to a 2-3 division record.
Victories for the Redskins and Cowboys in Week 16 will knock the Giants out of the race for the NFC East. While the Giants would still be tied with both teams and will only be one game back of both teams with a loss, Dallas and Washington play each other in Week 17.
If the Redskins and Cowboys are both 9-6 as they face off each other, then the winner of that game will win the East because of their division records.
If the Giants win out, they will have at least the wild-card spot. Their record within the NFC is better than both the Bears' and Vikings' records.
Final Two Games: At Baltimore (Dec. 23), home vs. Philadelphia (Dec. 30)

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Dallas Cowboys (8-6)

The Cowboys control their own destiny. If they win out, they're NFC East champions.
But if they lose one game, they will still have a shot at the postseason. Of course, that is provided that the Giants lose one, the Bears lose both games and Minnesota loses at least once.
Dallas is on the wrong end of the tiebreaker against Chicago and Seattle due to early-season losses against both teams.
Final Two Games: Home vs. New Orleans (Dec. 23), at Washington (Dec. 30)

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Cincinnati Bengals (8-6)

The Bengals' playoffs have officially begun.
With a victory over Pittsburgh in Week 16, the Bengals will move to 9-6. This won't clinch the final wild-card spot unless the Jets lose either against the Titans or Chargers.
It would clinch their second consecutive winning season, eliminate the Steelers and make playoff seeding and home-field advantage in Round 1 an interesting race if Baltimore loses to the Giants.
If that were to happen, then the Bengals and Ravens would play a winner-take-all game for the AFC North. The Ravens have already clinched a playoff spot, so this game would decide playoff seeding more than anything.
Final Two Games: At Pittsburgh (Dec. 23), home vs. Baltimore (Dec. 30)


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Washington Redskins (8-6)

If the season ended today, the Redskins would be the NFC East champions, thanks in part to their 3-1 record within the division.
The 'Skins control their own destiny much like the Cowboys. If they win out, they win the division. But they can technically afford to lose to the Eagles, provided the Giants lose to Baltimore. It would still set up a matchup against Dallas on the last day of the season where the winner would win the NFC East.
This is due to another tiebreaker advantage the Redskins have. If they lose to the Eagles in Week 16 and beat Dallas in Week 17, the Redskins would own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Cowboys.
Washington also holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Vikings, which means if those two teams are tied for the final spot, Washington gets in.
Final Two Games: At Philadelphia (Dec. 23), home vs. Dallas (Dec. 30)

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Indianapolis Colts (9-5)

The Indianapolis Colts had a golden opportunity on Sunday: beat Houston and not only would they clinch a playoff berth, but they would also force a winner-take-all matchup with the Texans for the AFC South title in Indianapolis in Week 17.
This wouldn't come to pass, but the Colts can still clinch a playoff berth if the Jets lose to the Titans on Monday Night Football in Week 15.
However, if the Jets win out while the Colts lose out, New York holds the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Colts could conceivably miss the playoffs.
Final Two Games: At Kansas City (Dec. 23), at home vs. Houston (Dec. 30)

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Seattle Seahawks (9-5)

Seattle clinches a playoff berth with a win against San Francisco next week or a Giants loss, but it still has a punchers' chance at winning the NFC West.
The Seahawks will have to defeat the 49ers in Week 16 at home, then follow that up with a victory over St. Louis. After that, the 49ers would have to lose to the Arizona Cardinals.
This would put Seattle at 11-5 and San Francisco at 10-5-1, which would win the NFC West for the Seahawks.
Final Two Games: home vs. San Francisco (Dec. 23), home vs. St. Louis (Dec. 30)

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Baltimore Ravens (9-5)

The Ravens' free fall has been perplexing, and while it won't keep them out of the playoffs, it could keep them from hosting a playoff game.
A Ravens loss and a Cincinnati victory in Week 16 sets up a Week 17 matchup that decides who will host a wild-card game and who's going on the road. However, if the Ravens defeat the Giants in Week 16, they will clinch the AFC North title.
If the Ravens win out and New England loses out, the Ravens will also clinch the third seed in the AFC.
Final Two Games: home vs. New York Giants (Dec. 23), at Cincinnati (Dec. 30)

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San Francisco 49ers (10-3-1)

The 49ers have already clinched a playoff berth; however, a win over Seattle in Week 16 would clinch their second consecutive NFC West title.
If the 49ers win out, they would clinch a first-round bye. If the Falcons lose their last two games, the 49ers would have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Final Two Games: At Seattle (Dec. 23), home vs. Arizona (Dec. 30)

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Green Bay Packers (10-4) [/B

The Packers have already clinched the NFC North thanks to a victory over the Chicago Bears. Now it's just a matter of where they will be seeded.
Currently, the Packers have the third seed in the NFC. One more Falcons victory will shut Green Bay out of the running for the second seed. But if the Falcons lose out and the 49ers lose at least one game, then Green Bay would claim home-field advantage.
Final Two Games: Home vs. Tennessee (Dec. 23), at Minnesota (Dec. 30)

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New England Patriots (10-4)

New England already won the AFC East. However, the Patriots' attempts at gaining home-field advantage were tripped up by a loss to the 49ers.
The Patriots are now currently the AFC's third seed. They will need to finish with the same record as Denver in order to claim the second seed because they own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Broncos.
In order to claim home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, the Patriots would have to win out while the Texans would have to lose their last two games.
Final Two Games: At Jacksonville (Dec. 23), home vs. Miami (Dec. 30)

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Denver Broncos (11-3)

The Broncos have already clinched the AFC West, but if they win out, they will hold onto the second seed in the AFC.
But in order to get home-field advantage, they will need for Houston to lose its last two games as well.
Final Two Games: Home vs. Cleveland (Dec. 23), home vs. Kansas City (Dec. 30)

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Atlanta Falcons (12-2)

Atlanta has already clinched the NFC South and with one more victory will clinch home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Final Two Games: At Detroit (Dec. 22), home vs. Tampa Bay (Dec. 30)

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Houston Texans (12-2)

The Texans clinched the AFC South with a victory over Indianapolis. One more victory will clinch home-field advantage in the AFC.
Final Two Games: home vs. Minnesota (Dec. 23), at Indianapolis (Dec. 30)

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[Cricket]

Great info,Senor. Thanks for taking the time to share.

 

[Senor Capper]

:0008

 

[Senor Capper]

Chicago Bears

What?s wrong with the Bears? Simple ? the NFL is a pass first league and Chicago has a bottom tier passing game. Jay Cutler doesn?t have time to throw the football. He got leveled three of the first five times he dropped back to pass, and had happy feet in the pocket thereafter.

Cutler spent most of the Green Bay game targeting Brandon Marshall almost exclusively and didn?t complete a pass longer than 20 yards. Forget their 7-1 start. The positive team chemistry from September and October has evaporated.



Denver Broncos

Strong pass rush! I?m not sure there?s a defense in the NFL that has improved more since September. Extraordinarily well coached, the Broncos spend time in the film room and know their opponents tendencies very well.

It wasn?t just the game-turning pick 6 against Baltimore. The Broncos only allowed a single third down conversion all day. Manning gets the hype, but the Broncos are very live to make a run to the Super Bowl because this stop unit is starting to dominate some ballgames.



Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys are missing 6 defensive starters due to injuries. The offense seems to blow good scoring chances on a weekly basis. They consistently get off to slow starts; forced to play from behind which negates the effectiveness of DeMarco Murray and the running game.

The Cowboys rank near the bottom of the league at converting red zone tries into TD?s. I?ll give them credit for being an extremely resilient bunch but this team is a fringe playoff contender, not a serious Super Bowl contender.



Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers made a strong case for being the best quarterback in the NFL. Green Bay faced a ton of adversity. The run defense got gashed early against Chicago, while Rodgers took some nasty hits and was forced to scramble out of the pocket repeatedly. With very little margin for error, all Rodgers did was fit passes into those tight windows, again and again; one perfectly thrown ball after the next. It was truly an A+ game for an elite level QB.

Kicker Mason Crosby is becoming a lingering problem, having missed at least one field goal attempt in each of the Packers last eight games. Boy, is this stop unit better with Clay Matthews in the lineup! He returned from injury for his first playing time in six weeks and basically dominated with a pair of sacks and four tackles for loss.



St. Louis Rams

Some of Sam Bradford?s struggles must be placed at the hands of this weak offensive line. Bradford never seems to have a clean pocket, and he?s forced to settle for check down routes on a consistent basis. Bradford couldn?t hit any big throws against Minnesota until the game was already out of reach.

Bradford just isn?t making clutch throws, bad OL or not. And that?s one major reason why the Rams playoff drought that dates back to the Mike Martz era in will continue for at least another year.



Baltimore Ravens

New offensive coordinator Jim Caldwell sure didn?t help much! The O-line got beat up, unable to run block or pass block effectively. Starting receivers Torrey Smith and Anquan Boldin combined for one catch. Joe Flacco seems to be getting worse by the week ? his pick 6 was simply inexcusable, but both before and after that play, he was not effectively throwing downfield.

The Ravens defense isn?t fast anymore. Baltimore?s linebackers are struggling to chase down running backs. You can get tough yards up the middle against this stop unit, something you wouldn?t even consider to be a possibility during their heyday. Ravens have lost their mojo.



Pittsburgh Steelers

Losers in 4 of the last 5, the Steelers were complete no-shows on both sides of the ball at home against the Chargers last week. Then at Dallas, it was more about defensive deficiencies. Remember, Pittsburgh came into the game with the No. 1 overall defense (both total yards and yards per play allowed), #1 run defense and #5 pass defense.

But this stop unit hasn?t forced turnovers in bunches all year. They don?t have much of a pass rush. And they?ve faced a litany of struggling offenses or ?right team at the right time? games. Here, against a strong balanced attack, this defense got gashed by the run, picked apart by the pass, and ran out of gas with the game on the line in the fourth quarter. Big Ben?s interception in OT was the straw that broke the camel?s back in the loss, but it was an underperforming defense that led them to that point.



Minnesota Vikings

Even against a strong run defense without the threat of a deep passing game, Adrian Peterson is grinding out tough yards on the ground, carry after carry. There aren?t many running backs that are actually worth something to the point spread; eminently replaceable as a group. Peterson is worth more to the spread than any other player on the team, by a wide margin. Eight men in the box, nine men in the box ? it doesn?t seem to matter ? AP finds holes.

Christian Ponder has not shown any major signs of improvement and this passing game lacks any sort of a vertical weapon. Minnesota didn?t have a completion of longer than 14 yards against St. Louis. That makes what Peterson is doing even more incredible.

 

[Senor Capper]

Now it?s Cowboys looking better than Giants

Now it?s Cowboys looking better than Giants

There is two weeks left in the NFL season and I have no idea who is going to win this thing.

There were big matchups with contending teams that were supposed to define our journey into the postseason. If it cleared things up for you, congratulations. I have a better chance of predicting the plot lines to next season?s Homeland.

A month ago the New York Giants looked like they were cruising to the division title. They were also seen as the modest favorite to win it all this season, defending last year?s championship. This past Sunday they were shut out by yearly playoff disappointment Atlanta.

Now they are tied for first through third in their own division and would need some tiebreakers to get into the playoffs. Don?t count them out, though. They didn?t look any better last year when they were a Cowboys? first down from staying home for the playoffs.

Speaking of the Cowboys, I wrote a few weeks ago how they were most likely to be the surprise team this year, ala the Giants. They lost their next outing to division rival Washington and looked to be on their way to frustrating the followers of what once was America?s team. This week they beat the Steelers in overtime to be right back in the thick of the race, only tiebreakers away from the division lead.

Five weeks ago Redskins coach Mike Shanahan announced the players were going to be on trial for a shot to be on the team next year. Naturally they haven?t lost since and are now the Eastern Division leaders. Sunday they won with star rookie quarterback RGIII in street clothes and fellow rookie Kirk Cousins leading the way. Honestly, they didn?t miss a beat.

That?s only one division. Around the rest of the NFC the Packers came off the mat from the Fail Mary, which threatened to keep them out of playoffs, to secure the division title. Atlanta had once been the most disrespected undefeated team of all time.

As mentioned above they shutout and embarrassed the Giants to gain a rash of support for their current chances to at least advance in the playoffs for the first time during this current team?s run.

The Seahawks put up 50 points for the second consecutive week and still have a chance to unseat the 49ers in the NFC West. The 49ers led the Patriots by 28 points before allowing them to tie the game. Second year quarterback Colin Kaepernick quickly responded with another touchdown drive to seal the 49er win in a game that was a botched punt away from being last season?s Super Bowl matchup.

In the AFC the Patriots, Broncos and Texans will be the top three seeds in some order. The Ravens will be in there somewhere, but who knows where? The other two spots will come down to the Colts, Bengals, Steelers and yes, the New York Jets.

This has been one crazy season.

The running game has been declared dead, or at least meaningless. Now Adrian Peterson is threatening to break Eric Dickerson?s all-time rushing record. A few months after major reconstructive knee surgery, by the way. He also has his Vikings team in contention for a wild card spot.

You know about all the rookie quarterbacks, but how about the two old warhorses, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady who are having two of the finest seasons of their Hall of Fame careers? No one would be surprised to see them playing in February.

Forget that this has been one of the highest scoring seasons on record, this past Sunday three teams pitched shutouts. I mentioned the defending champions getting whitewashed, in what is one heck of an aberration.

How about the Saints blanking the Bucs? That?s the Saints. As in the team that is on pace to be the worst defense in history. Those Saints. The third was by the Raiders who are...well, the Raiders. The worst team of the past decade.

In the not so distant past, we?ve seen wild card teams win Super Bowls, a season?s work to earn a home field get squandered in the first quarter, a team with a losing record beat the defending champions in the first round of the playoffs, Eli Manning?s receivers making two of the most amazing catches in Super Bowl history and Mark Sanchez taking the Jets to two AFC championship games.

I might be confused, but also anxious. This has all the makings of one of the greatest post-seasons in NFL history. If this is being played in ten parallel universes we might have ten different winners. I?d like to cash one in this universe but I haven?t a clue who to take at this point.

 

[Senor Capper]

49ers and Colin Kaepernick lift the view of NFC

49ers and Colin Kaepernick lift the view of NFC

On the basis of the 49ers impressive win at New England Sunday night, the LVH Super Book has dropped the AFC Super Bowl line from -3 to -2. William Hill sports books currently have the AFC -2.5.

We just saw the NFL?s No. 1 offense (Patriots) against the No. 1 defense (49ers), at New England and even though it was a high scoring affair, the top defense prevailed, giving us something to think about in a possible rematch among conference favorites in the big game.

The 49ers are currently 3-to-1 at the LVH to win the Super Bowl and the Patriots 4-1. The Texans, who appear to have home field in the AFC, are 11-2, but also have that lingering game from two weeks ago when they were torched by the Pats.

While it seems logical the 49ers and Patriots would meet again if their current runs continue, the line gets a little clouded if discussing other teams in the game.

The Broncos would be favored against every team in the NFC other than the 49ers. But the Packers would be favored over every AFC team other than the Patriots or Broncos.

Denver is 4-1 to win the Super Bowl and looks like they?ll have to get through Houston or New England on the road to advance. It?s not improbable, especially after watching them destroy the Ravens in Baltimore last week, but they did lose to both the Patriots and Texans earlier in the season, before Peyton Manning got his groove going.

The Giants find themselves in a similar position with two weeks to go tied with the Redskins and Cowboys in the NFC East.

?The Giants are in a bad spot,? said Golden Nugget sports book director Tony Miller. ?They close out against the Ravens and Eagles, but their loss to the Falcons now makes them not in control of their own destiny.?

The LVH has the Giants 25-1 to win the Super Bowl. Their situation is almost identical to what it was last season at this juncture, odds and standings, before they eventually won it all.

The Giants beat up on the Packers and Saints, but in between, have lost to the Steelers, Bengals, Redskins and Falcons over the last six weeks.

If the season were to end today, the Redskins would be in the playoffs, and they are sitting at 25-1 to win the Super Bowl. The Cowboys are 30-1.

The thing with the Giants is that we have seen them do this before. They seem to play well when their backs are up against a wall.

Miller says his Golden Nugget sports book will have some odds offered this week on who will win the NFC East. The LVH has been offering odds on the divisions all season and will have them reposted on Tuesday.

 

[Senor Capper]

San Francisco 49ers victory ?gold? for books

San Francisco 49ers victory ?gold? for books

The Las Vegas sports books needed the 49ers to cover Sunday night to secure a winning week and they got a gift performance, even though they had to sweat a little at the end of the 49ers eventual 41-34 win.

?Everything we won on the day would have been given back had the Patriots covered the spread,? said South Point sports book director Bert Osborne.

The books still lost their two biggest decisions of the day, but were able to recover thanks to six underdogs winning outright, incuding the 49ers. The favorites went 8-6 against the spread, but a few of those dogs were the key to bucking a seven week losing streak.

?The Lions losing was huge for us,? Osborne said. ?You basically had two teams playing for nothing, both on long losing streaks, but the public all sided with the Lions and their offense. The Cowboys? overtime win against the Steelers was also good for us. It was the last posted event for us and all the major liability from the day made the Steelers a pretty big loss for us.?

The Cardinals had lost nine games in a row after winning their first four. Their offense had been awful, but they put up 38 points on the Lions, a team that made the playoffs last season, but have now lost six in a row. The feeling with most bettors was that Detroit would be able to shake their losing ways against an inept Arizona offense.

The Cowboys have been on a roll lately, but bettors still thought the Steelers laying 1?-points on the road were the play. The Cowboys won in overtime, 27-24.

The sports books have only two Sundays remaining in 2012 to recover all their losses from the last seven weeks.

 

[MadJack]

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Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7)

Despite a 7-7 record, the Pittsburgh Steelers still control their own destiny.
If the Steelers win their final two games, they're in the playoffs. And a loss by the Indianapolis Colts would put Pittsburgh in the fifth seed as opposed to the sixth seed.
However, if the Steelers win their last two games while the Ravens lose their last two, the two teams would be tied.
But Baltimore would win via tiebreaker as it would have the better record within the AFC North (the Steelers already have six losses within the conference, while the Ravens at most would have five losses within the conference).
Final Two Games: Home vs. Cincinnati (Dec. 23), home vs. Cleveland (Dec. 30)

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This is incorrect. If PIT wins out and BAL loses out PIT wins the division. They will not use the tiebreaker listed above because there would be a 3-way tie with CIN and PIT would win the division after that tiebreaker is used.

 

[Senor Capper]

shame on Gaming Today. hmh

 

[snoozer]

This is incorrect. If PIT wins out and BAL loses out PIT wins the division. They will not use the tiebreaker listed above because there would be a 3-way tie with CIN and PIT would win the division after that tiebreaker is used.

That is assuming CIN wins @ philly, right?

Is there any way Indy can miss the playoffs? If they lose out and Balt, Pitt and CIN are also 9-7 who goes?

The reason I ask is because I am thinking about taking INDY in our suicide pool, but I want to make sure they have something to play for this week. I don't want them to look past KC looking ahead to HOU next week

 

[MadJack]

That is assuming CIN wins @ philly, right?

Is there any way Indy can miss the playoffs? If they lose out and Balt, Pitt and CIN are also 9-7 who goes?

The reason I ask is because I am thinking about taking INDY in our suicide pool, but I want to make sure they have something to play for this week. I don't want them to look past KC looking ahead to HOU next week

CIN plays PIT at PIT then BAL at home.

If INDY, PIT, CIN and BAL end in a tie it's only going to be a 3-way tie for the wildcard because PIT would win the AFCN.

INDY can miss. BAL is IN.

Indianapolis can clinch a playoff berth with:

1) IND win or tie OR

2) IND clinches strength of victory tiebreaker over CIN OR

3) PIT loss or tie

I would love to see IND come to Baltimore. :0008