SHOW MUST GO ON Legend Van Barneveld vows he will be back for another crack next year
But it is the fight for the final play-off places where things will really hot up.
In the AFC, Baltimore, Tennessee, Buffalo and the LA Chargers are all in contention for the two wildcard spots.
And while there are plenty of permutations that could see any of the four teams make the end-of-season bonanza, the equation is simplest for Baltimore and Tennessee: win and you’re in.
The Ravens – at 9-6 – have more chances to stay in the fold should they lose today at home to Cincinnati, but that is something tight end Benjamin Watson is not contemplating.
“For us, over the last four or five weeks, it’s been that, ‘Win and you’re in’, mentality,” Watson (right) said.
“We’ve understood that it’s important for us to win every single week, especially in December, late in the season.
“Although this is the next opponent and the most important game right now for us this season, it’s kind of the mode we’ve already been in, understanding the urgency of right now.
“Now we’ve got one more game to wrap it up. It’s a big game which will pretty much let us
RAY’S YOUR GAME: Barney RAYMOND VAN BARNEVELD still has the burning desire to win another world darts title despite the heartbreak of losing to fellow Dutchman Michael van Gerwen in a thrilling quarter-final at the Alexandra Palace.
The incredibly popular world No.9 went down 5-4 to the defending champion (right) and now must wait another 12 months for his next chance to land a second PDC World Championship.
He tweeted: “This will hurt for a while but I gave it all I got. I will be back next year because I will never give up.”
Barney stressed how important this event is above all the others.
He said: “The quarter-final is nothing. The semi-final is nothing.
“Losing the final is nothing. Winning the tournament, then you are the man.”
The four-time BDO title winner was so disappointed with himself that he might not even watch tomorrow’s final as he looks to prepare for another busy year.
“No more darts for me this week,” said Van Barneveld, 50, in the moments after his defeat in where he battled back from 3-1 down.
“To fightback for what?” he said.
“Everyone is sitting at home saying, ‘Ray, you are fantastic!’Yeah, I am fantastic. I am going home tomorrow.
“Even if you play Michael when he is not in his best form, what can you do? I VETERAN: Super Bowl 47 champion Terrell Suggs won’t change my schedule. I will still play what I can play. There is only one tournament in the year that is important and it is this one.
“If you fail again what is the point of putting all your energy into the rest of the year?
“Everyone is texting you, everyone is calling you. “Maybe I received 500 text messages so far and today I received maybe 20 because you are a loser.” Van Barneveld last won the title in 2007, with his classic 7-6 defeat of Phil Taylor in what many consider to be the greatest match of all time.
The man from The Hague tasted glory in the BDO in 1998, 1999, 2003 and 2005.