@gftchris said:

The NFL has NEVER taken into consideration scheduling due to the possibility that two teams could "fix" any result. That would never happen here. The NFL will never acknowledge that they would allow one team to fold so that one team could get into the playoffs over another.

In fact, even if something like that were to occurr, they would turn a blind eye or encourage it.

Example....a few years back....2007 I believe, the Colts had wrapped up a playoff spot and were locked into their seating. However, the Browns were in contention for a playoff spot...and would have made it on the last game of the season IF they won their game, and the Colts beat the Titans.

What happened? The Browns did win....but the Colts sat down their best players. Peyton Manning didn't play, somebody named Jim Sorgi played the whole game. Instead of playing Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne they played their backups. Instead of playin Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney they sat them most of the game.....and, of course, the Colts lost and the Tits won...knocking the Browns out of a playoff spot.

The NFL ALLOWS this sort of fixing to go on.

Plus, the in-game permutations are always entertaining.

@tml1138 said:

True....but they will probably air it the same time the Browns play the Steelers. In fact, checking the schedule, for week 17 there is NO Thursday night game.....but also no Sunday Night Game or Monday Night game.

All games that day are scheduled for either 1:00 or 4:25 And all the 4:25 games are on the West Coast: at Seatlle, San Diego, Arizona, Oakland.

Not sure if they are going to flex any games in there.

Not sure why they do that? To not conflict with college bowl games? Hell, on Dec. 29th or 30th what decent bowls would be played? I mean, the Poulan Weedeater Bowl? The Liberty Bowl? The Butterball Turkey Bowl?

(actually, I looked: there is NO college bowl game scheduled for Sunday Dec. 29th....maybe there will be a flex game....still not chosen to go on Sunday Night)

I see three games on the schedule that could be winner take all battles for division titles:

Packers vs. Bears

Ravens vs. Bengals

Eagles vs. Cowboys

They WILL choose Eagles/Cowboys if they can...as it is NFCEast bias for the networks.

The Bengals/Ravens final game will be a great game to watch if they are both fighting for the top of the division.

It wasn't that long ago that the defending Super Bowl champions were written off as toast. Now, after four straight wins, the Baltimore Ravens are right back in the mix.

Can clinch a playoff spot with: The Ravens hold the head-to-head edge over the Dolphins, so a combination of one more Baltimore win coupled with one more Miami loss will get the Ravens back into the playoffs.

Can clinch the AFC North with: If the Ravens beat the Patriots at home in Week 16 and the Cincinnati Bengals on the road in Week 17, they will win the AFC North. They can also win the division with a win over the Bengals if both Baltimore and Cincy lose this week, as the Ravens will have won both head-to-head meetings.

Seeding scenarios: It's possible that if things break just the right way (the Colts and Patriots lose out and the Ravens win the North), Baltimore could vault as high as the second seed or land as low as the sixth.

Is there anyone here that does not believe that the Ravens have made a deal with the devil the way they lucked out last year to win, and the way they have won since the Browns were the last team to beat them?

I figure that Art Modell must have sold not only his soul....which was already damned...but also that of his children and grandchildren.

Yea, I know, Jews don't believe in hell.........but there are a hell of a lot of things I may not believe in that are true nevertheless.

@tml1138 said:

Well, apparently the Steelers can only make the playoffs if somehow the Jets are in the mix as well. If only Miami and Baltimore are in the mix with them, they lose.

Personally, I would like to see the Chargers get in....but they can only get in if they win both and the Ravens and Dolphins lose out.

The Ravens have the toughest schedule with games vs. Pats/Bengals. Dolphins have easiest with Bill/Jets.

Zombo said:

Just beat me to my reply...but yes I'm up for that! I don't think Rodgers is cleared to play...yet.

@the-gipper said:

Yeah long shot to say the least. That's right, I did hear that Jets had to win outright too. Which I don't quite understand either because they are already eliminated from any chance in the playoffs.

So...Browns beating the Jets has significance in that Steelers playoff hopes are done, even if all the other stars are aligned just right.

For the Steelers to make the playoffs, the following needs to happen over the last two weeks of the season: two Pittsburgh wins, two Baltimore losses, two Miami losses, one San Diego loss and two wins by the New York Jets.

So ... we can eliminate them by beating the Jets.

Then we can sit back and watch Aaron Rodgers rip them to shreds.

Then we can pound the living hell out of them ourselves and drag their asses into last place with us.

Zombo

--Who's up for that?

@the-gipper said:

Yes what you're saying matches with what I've read, except supposedly losses of last two games by both Ravens and Dolphins, and one loss for the Chargers and two wins by the Steelers puts them in. But like you said, if that happens and then Dolphins and Steelers are both 8-8, Dolphins beat Steelers head-to-head so would still be favored. Confused now...

@the-gipper said:

Sorry, yes, but the point still stands. The total W/L of both conferences isn't likely to be .500, and so it's not really a completely fair indicator. But then again, you can make the same argument about overall record.

@gftchris said:

You are confusing division with conference. Conference is the entire NFC, not just the NFCW.

XxDaBuckeyexX said:

Not sure I like that. Conference record is very subjective - for example, St Louis are 1-4 in their conference, because they have a dominant conference. They're 6-8, but dead last, with three teams having a winning record. I suppose you're looking to even up conferences, but you're really only making them stronger. After SOS should be point differential, IMO.

@gftchris said:

Point differential is dodgy, since it's related to SOS. In direct head to head between two teams, then result against that team obviously should be first. But when it's between 5 teams, who might not have played each other, it's difficult to do a mini-division scenario to determine pecking order.

XxDaBuckeyexX said:

Point differential is dodgy, since it's related to SOS. In direct head to head between two teams, then result against that team obviously should be first. But when it's between 5 teams, who might not have played each other, it's difficult to do a mini-division scenario to determine pecking order.

@gftchris said:

If we somehow manage to end up picking 3rd, and for some reason it goes

1: Texans - Bridgewater

2: Rams - Matthews

And we end up with a bunch of trade offers for Clowney, how far down would you be willing to go? A scenario you could envisage is the giants trading their 11th pick, plus next year's pick, plus maybe their second rounder for Clowney. Take it and run? Laugh in their ears?

@the-gipper said:

Yea, you would think that the tiebreakers for the draft order would perhaps be somewhat the same as for making the playoffs....but it is not. Example, If Jax and the Browns were tied, you would think the Browns would get the better pick because Jax beat us......but no. Items on how is strength of schedule.....and, to me, even that is questionable. How do you figure strength of schedule? Is it just the overall record or your opponents, or what?

1: Texans - Bridgewater

2: Rams - Matthews

And we end up with a bunch of trade offers for Clowney, how far down would you be willing to go? A scenario you could envisage is the giants trading their 11th pick, plus next year's pick, plus maybe their second rounder for Clowney. Take it and run? Laugh in their ears?

@miktoxic said:

Up until a week ago or so...until our defense decided to take naps in the 4th quarter, at least we could say that the Browns were "in the hunt".

Figure this: If the Browns hold on to those 4th quarter leads they lost the last 3 weeks, they would be 7-7. They should be 7-7 if not better..... and none of these 4th quarter failures can be laid squarely on the hands of the messed up QB situation....but rather on the supposed solid defense, that turned from a brick wall into oat meal.

XxDaBuckeyexX said:

Yea, you would think that the tiebreakers for the draft order would perhaps be somewhat the same as for making the playoffs....but it is not. Example, If Jax and the Browns were tied, you would think the Browns would get the better pick because Jax beat us......but no. It is strength of schedule.....and, to me, even that is questionable. How do you figure strength of schedule? Is it just the overall record or your opponents, or what?

Jax and oakland beat us in the tiebreaker.

If the redskins win we could pass them in sos and possibly oakland. Highest we get is second though. No chance of us picking lower than 5th if we lose out also. Oak and Was sos is easier by one game. Jax has us by 3.