NFL: Race on for few available playoff spots
At the end of week 17 of the 2022/23 National Football League (NFL) regular season, the two American Football Conference (AFC) play-off spots that were available entering last weekend are still up for grabs, while two of the three that were available in the National Football Conference (NFC) were filled by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (who won the NFC South division) and the New York Giants, who are in the post-season for the first time since 2016.
The race for play-off spots and play-off positioning was intense last weekend, but it was sadly overshadowed by a frightening scene on Monday night in the game between the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals — Bills’ safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on the field after taking a shoulder to the chest.
It was a very emotional scene and difficult to watch, and a reminder that NFL players are risking their health and safety with every snap of the ball. Hamlin’s heartbeat was (reportedly) restored on the field but he was transported to hospital by ambulance in a critical condition. The game was justifiably called off — and may never be completed — which leaves the AFC final placings in limbo, but the health of Hamlin is the critical storyline arising from the encounter.
The final week of the NFL regular season will decide a few division titles — two in the AFC and one in the NFC — but the three remaining play-off spots will be the primary focus.
In the AFC, the Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8) maintained first place in the AFC South division after beating the Houston Texans last weekend, but the division title will be decided tomorrow (Saturday), when they host the Tennessee Titans (7-9) and the victor wins the division. The Jaguars can also get in as a wild card with a loss, if the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots both lose to the New York Jets and Bills, respectively. However, if the Titans lose, their next game will be next season.
The Titans have decided that Josh Dobbs is going to be their starting quarterback (QB) for their week 18 showdown, having been on the roster for less than three weeks. It can almost be concluded that they will be handing the ball to Derrick Henry 50+ times in hopes of controlling the clock and if they control the clock, that will keep Jacksonville’s offence off the field, which should keep the game close, This should be a really interesting matchup.
For the second-straight year, the Steelers (8-8) are going to need a miracle to get in the play-offs and for the second-straight year, that miracle might actually happen. In 2021, the Steelers needed the 13-point underdog Jaguars to upset the Indianapolis Colts in the final week of the season and that’s exactly what happened. The Steelers kept their play-off hopes alive with a narrow, upset win over the Baltimore Ravens last Sunday night and will make the play-offs with a win over the Browns (7-9) and a Dolphins and Patriots loss this weekend.
The last time the Steelers and Browns played was in week 3 with Cleveland winning 29-17 in a game where the Steelers didn’t have TJ Watt. Watt will be playing this week and the Steelers are 7-2 this season with him in the line-up, plus, while the Steelers defence has got much better since week 3, the Browns offence has been labouring since Deshaun Watson’s return in week 12. A Pittsburgh win is anticipated.
The Dolphins (8-8) needs a win over the Jets (7-9) on Sunday afternoon and a Patriots loss to clinch the final play-off spot in the AFC. The Patriots hold the tie-breaker thanks to having the best win percentage in division games, while the Dolphins hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Steelers. The Dolphins have lost five games in a row and still have a plausible shot of getting into the post-season against a Jets team who have been eliminated from play-off contention, after also losing five straight. Additionally, the Patriots losing to the Bills is almost a gimme at this point of the season.
The single remaining play-off spot in the NFC has three teams entering the weekend with play-off ambitions soaring. There is only one winner-take-all scenario when the Packers (8-8) welcome the Detroit Lions (8-8) into Lambeau Field on Sunday night to close the regular season. If Green Bay wins, they are in. These teams last met in week 9 with Detroit coming away with a 15-9 win, but at the time of their meeting, the Lions were 1-6 and the Packers were 3-5 – The Lions have since gone 7-2 and the Packers 5-3. Fast-track a couple of months and they are facing off with a play-off spot on the line, and this one will be a huge decider. The Packers are at home and must be given the edge.
If the Packers lose (or tie) and the Seattle Seahawks (8-8) defeat the Los Angeles Rams (5-11), OR tie vs. Rams AND Lions-Packers tie AND Washington Commanders (7-8-1) lose/tie vs the Dallas Cowboys (12-4), Seattle gets the final play-off spot. Additionally, if the Seahawks beat the Rams late Sunday afternoon, the Lions get eliminated automatically before the ball is kicked-off on Sunday night, since Seattle holds the head-to-head tie-breaker over Detroit.
The Lions get in with a win over the Packers and a Seahawks loss (or tie) in their game with the Rams, OR tie vs. Packers AND Seahawks loss vs. Rams, OR tie vs Packers AND Rams-Seahawks tie AND Commanders win vs. Cowboys. The action promises to be frantic up to the final whistle on Sunday night — Are you ready for some football?
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