Take this week's power rankings for example. The Chargers are in the top 10, but there is a real possibility they don’t make the playoffs. Yet, the Rams, 49ers and Seahawks have been stationed in the lower-third for the majority of the season, and one of those teams will host a postseason game.
It surely doesn’t get much crazier than this, and the games that take place in the next two weeks will greatly shape a whole host of playoff matchups.
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New England Patriots Head coach Bill Belichick concluded his opening statement Sunday with a point that has to motivate his team from here on out. "I think we need to play better than this," Belichick said, "or our season won’t last much longer." |
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Atlanta Falcons Because the Falcons close the season at home against the Panthers, this week's awesome Monday night showdown against the Saints has minimal meaning in the standings. But as far as measuring-stick games are concerned, this should be one of the season's best. |
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Baltimore Ravens After losing to the Patriots, Falcons and Steelers, the Ravens were in big-time need of their first signature win since an early-October victory in Pittsburgh. |
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New Orleans Saints Sunday's loss in Baltimore moved the Saints one step closer to opening the playoffs on the road against the NFC West champion. The Saints are probably hoping for a short trip to the Rams' dome instead of a longer journey to Seattle, where the weather could play a key role in that game. |
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Philadelphia Eagles There was a very outside chance that Tom Brady could have been a unanimous MVP winner. That went out the window with the Giants' 21-point fourth-quarter lead Sunday. |
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New York Jets Quarterback Mark Sanchez has gotten worse as the game has gone on this season. His passer rating is 81.1 on pass attempts 1-10, 82.3 on pass attempts 11-20 and 62.7 on pass attempts 21-30. Sanchez's fourth-quarter passer rating is 58.7, which is his lowest of any quarter. And when the game is within seven points in the fourth quarter, his rating is 60.5. |
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Pittsburgh Steelers The Steelers called for a halfback draw in a shotgun snap with Ben Roethlisberger and Mewelde Moore lined up in the end zone, and the left guard also pulled around the right tackle. So yeah, they deserved to give up a safety on that play. |
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New York Giants It would be foolish to think punter Matt Dodge single-handedly blew a 21-point fourth-quarter lead, but consider this: Dodge has the NFL's fifth-worst net punting average (35.2 yards) and third-worst punt return average allowed (14.7 yards), and he's only forced seven fair catches, which ranks 30th. Dodge's struggles are something the Giants have lived with all season. |
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Chicago Bears After taking a beating from the Patriots, adjusting their travel schedule and getting duped by Brett Favre's injury shenanigans, the Bears should be proud of the way they handled adversity to beat the Vikings. |
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San Diego Chargers If the Chargers win their last two games and the Chiefs finish 1-1, the Chargers will win the AFC West, either due to a better division record or a superior record against common opponents (based off which team the Chiefs lose against). Also, if the Chargers lose next week to the Bengals but beat the Broncos, and the Chiefs finish 0-2, the Chargers will also win the division. Yet, if the Chargers beat the Bengals but lose to the Broncos, and the Chiefs finish 0-2, tiebreakers will be based off a bunch of complicated mathematical formulas. |
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