Playoff spots are starting to be set, and more will be established in each week. Some teams who are on the edge stepped up their game this week, while others faltered. Let's see how things exist this week...
Top Ten teams [Last week's position]
1. Seattle Seahawks (11-2) [1] : The Seahawks lost to the 49ers, but they clinched a playoff spot.
2. Denver Bronocs (11-2) [2] : The Broncos destroyed the Titans to maintain their one-game division lead, and they clinched a playoff spot.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (10-3) [6] : Big win over Washington has cost RGIII his starting spot.
4. New Orleans Saints (10-3) [5] : Big win over the Panthers gives them a one-game lead in the division and a playoff spot.
5. San Francisco 49ers (9-4) [4] : They beat Seattle (barely) and put them strongly in the wildcard hunt
6. Carolina Panthers (9-4) [3] : A huge loss cost them the division lead, but they are still strongly in the playoff hunt
7. New England Patriots (10-3) [7] : The Pats barely beat Cleveland, but they lost Rob Gronkowski for the rest of the season, and likely the post-season as well.
8. Cincinnati Bengals (9-4) [8] : They hold a two-game lead over Baltimore and a strong hold on the playoffs.
9. Philadelphia Eagles (8-5) [11] : Impressive game in terrible conditions, the Eagles took a game lead in the NFC East.
10. Arizona Cardinals (8-5) [12] : The Cards leap into the Top Ten with a dominant victory over the Rams
Divisional rankings [Last week's position]
1. NFC West [1] : Three top ten teams, including the best team in the NFL, gives this division a seemingly unbeatable edge
2. AFC West [2] : San Diego won big, Matt McGloin had a good game despite a loss, and the Chiefs and Broncos still dominate the conference.
3. NFC South [3] : With one playoff team and another strongly in the mix, this division has demonstrated some power
4. AFC North [4] : Cleveland nearly beat the Patriots and Cincy won big, but Pittsburgh fell behind Miami and Baltimore needed some last minute heroics.
5. NFC North [5] : Chicago dominated and Green Bay pulled off a win, but Detroit faltered and the Vikings lost Adrian Peterson.
6. AFC East [6] : The Bills looked terrible, but the other teams won. This division is showing some life, but it's a bit too late.
7. NFC East [6] : Only Philly looked good. This division is falling back, and Dallas seems to have recaptured their December blues.
8. AFC South [8] : Tennessee lost big and Houston trails the league. No doubt which division will end in last place.
Playoff races:
AFC East: Pats are in the playoffs, and win the division with a win this week
AFC North: Cincy holds a two-game lead and wins the division with EITHER a win or Baltimore loss
AFC South: The Colts won the division
AFC West: This one will likely be decided in the last week. Denver leads, but KC trails by only a game
AFC seeds: Nobody is set, but the AFC West winner will likely be Number One; the runner-up will definitely be Number Five. New England seems primed for Number Two, unless the loss of Rob Gronkowski sets them back. Right now Cincy would be Number Three, Indy Number Four, and Miami Number Six.
NFC East: Philly holds a single game lead. Dallas holds the tiebreaker, so Philly is really hoping Dallas continues to drop. Washington is out of the hunt, and New York will be gone with a Philly win or Giants loss.
NFC North: Detroit and Chicago are tied, with the Lions holding the tiebreaker. Detroit seems to have the better schedule after this week, so 9-7 seems likely. That means Chicago needs to win out to capture the title. Green Bay has a slim chance, but they need help.
NFC South: New Orleans leads by one and holds the tiebreaker. They can capture the title with a win AND Panthers loss this week.
NFC West: Seattle leads by one and holds the tiebreaker, so they have the same chances as New Orleans.
NFC seeds: Seattle leads for top seeds, but New Orleans trails by only one. Those two will definitely have the first week byes. Carolina and the 49ers lead the wildcard race, but Arizona, Dallas, and Chicago still have chances.
I'm picking lots of visiting teams this week. That always makes me nervous.
Thursday night
San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos: San Diego has had good games, but not within the division. Denver is a force at home, and unbeaten against the AFC West. The Chargers offense is moving, but they cannot win in a shoot-out against Peyton Manning. BRONCOS, 33-27
Sunday early games
Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars: I never thought I'd do this, but I have to favor the Jags. They are looking much better recently, while the Bills are downright atrocious. JAGS, 27-23
Chicago Bears at Cleveland Browns: The Browns scared New England, but the Bears have a stronger offense. The Bears big weakness is their running defense, but the Browns don't have much of a running game. BEARS, 30-20
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts: The Colts have the division title, but seeding is important. They know top seed is out of their reach, but with Gronk's injury, they may hope to capture the second seed. They'll fight hard, and they've been very successful against division opponents. COLTS, 31-20
New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins: This will be a great battle. Tannehill will turn this into a passing duel, knowing Brady is lacking some of this favorite targets. The Pats have been very lucky this year, so I think they'll win, but watch out for Miami. PATS, 23-20
Philadelphia Eagles at Minnesota Vikings: Philly's offense is rolling, while the Vikings' has taken a major hit in the injury to Adrian Peterson. EAGLES, 31-13
San Francisco 49ers at Tampa Bay Bucs: San Fran got their mojo back last week. They're battling for a playoff spot, so expect them to demolish Tampa Bay. 49ERS, 26-13
Seattle Seahawks at New York Giants: What do you get when you combine the weak Giants offense with the powerful Seattle defense? Possibly a shutout, although I won't pick that. SEAHAWKS, 27-10
Washington Redskins at Atlanta Falcons: The Redskins start a new quarterback this week. That can be a tough transition, especially since the receivers weren't going out of their way to catch RGIII's passes. FALCONS, 30-27
Sunday late games
Arizona Cardinals at Tennessee Titans: Carson Palmer has Arizona rolling, and they are battling for a playoff spot. They won't let up on the gas at all. CARDS, 27-20
Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys: It doesn't look like Aaron Rodgers will be back, but I'm sure they'll need him. The Cowboys were atrocious on Monday Night, signifying that their oft annual December collapse is underway. Given that Matt Flynn has looked more and more comfortable every week, I think the Pack will knock Dallas out of the playoff hunt. PACK, 27-20
Kansas City Chiefs at Oakland Raiders: Every single one of KC's losses this season have been to AFC West opponents, so the Raiders might pull off the upset. I'm not sure Matt McGloin is capable of that, though. CHIEFS, 30-16
New Orleans Saints at St Louis Rams: The Saints are in the playoffs, but they want a bye. Regardless of Philly's result, a win here will give them that. SAINTS, 30-20
New York Jets at Carolina Panthers: Another pathetic offense against a strong defense. I still won't pick the shutout. PANTHERS, 28-6
Sunday night
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers: These AFC North battles can be fierce battles, but the Bengals are on a great roll right now. Since they are hoping to leap New England for the second seed, they'll play hard. BENGALS, 27-23
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Baltimore Ravens at Detroit Lions: Both teams are battling for a division title. While Detroit has the advantage in that race, neither team has been the picture of consistency. The Ravens are strongest on the national stage, so Monday Night Football might be an excellent chance for them to win. I've picked so few home teams that I'll favor the Lions, but I don't feel really confident about this pick. LIONS, 27-23
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