It all comes down to this
Still plenty to sort out in the final week of regular season
If they’re singing anything in Kansas City, Pittsburgh and Seattle, it could be “I Can See Clearly Now.” All three took some big steps Sunday.
As for the appropriate song in the AFC South and NFC East, try “Purple Haze.” Or “Land Of Confusion.”
The postseason picture came into focus in some places and got more muddled elsewhere. The folks at NFL headquarters must love having such big-time quarterbacks as Patrick Mahomes, Ben Roethlisberger, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees already in the field. And they must be thrilled that at least 10 Week 17 matchups will have some playoff significance.
“Cherish these moments,” linebacker K.J. Wright, the longest-tenured Seahawks player, told teammates in the locker room after a 20-9 victory over the Rams. “It’s been a while since we’ve been NFC West champs. And this team, especially our brotherhood, our togetherness, brought us to this moment.”
At this moment, here’s how things stand — and what might be ahead on the first Sunday of 2021:
AFC East: The Bills (11-3 entering Monday’s game) own the division and are in position to get the No. 2 seed behind the Chiefs.
Miami (10-5), with one of the most impressive two-season turnarounds in recent memory, gets a wild-card berth by winning at Buffalo next weekend — a huge challenge. But the Dolphins have met lots of challenges this year.
“I think we have a special team,” Dolphins quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said after engineering a last-minute drive to beat the Raiders on Saturday night. ”I think this team all year long has fought.”
AFC North: The Steelers (12-3) broke a threegame slide with a monstrous second half to beat the Colts. That gave Pittsburgh the division title.
“It’s a fine line between drinking wine and squashing grapes and sometimes it was very subtle,” coach Mike Tomlin said.
The grapes are tasting pretty sweet for the Ravens and rancid for the Browns.
The Ravens (10-5) won a fourth consecutive game, beating the Giants, and will head to the postseason with a victory over the Bengals. The Browns, trying to end the NFL’s longest playoff absence — last appearance 2002 — were severely short-handed by COVID-19 issues and fell to the Jets. They’ll need to defeat the archrival Steelers, and Pittsburgh would enjoy keeping that drought going.
AFC South: The collapse in Pittsburgh spiraled the Colts (10-5) out of a playoff spot. To get back in as a wild card, they must take care of inept Jaguars (1-14, whose win was opening day against Indianapolis) and have either the Ravens, Browns or Dolphins lose. Or if the Titans (10-5 after a loss against the Packers) lose to the woeful Texans next Sunday and the Colts win, they get the division crown and Tennessee likely will be out. Or not.
AFC West: All Chiefs (14-1), despite a tight win over the weak Falcons on Sunday. The reigning league champions own the AFC’s only postseason bye.
“If you look at the history of that bye week, usually it’s a good thing for the teams trying to make a championship run,” Mahomes said. “But at the end of the day, we got to find a way to win a football game whenever we get there.”
NFC West: The Seahawks (11-4) have a shot at the conference bye.
With their loss in Seattle, the Rams (9-6) need a home victory against the Cardinals (8-7) to ensure a wild card. A loss would lift the Cardinals in and, if the Bears beat the Packers, give Chicago a berth, too, sending the Rams packing.
NFC North: Belongs to the Packers, as will the NFC bye with a win at Soldier Field next Sunday. The Packers (12-3) need to avoid a three-way tie with the Seahawks and Saints at 12-4, which would give the bye to New Orleans.
The Bears have gone from 5-1 to 5-7 to 8-7. A victory and the Bears are playoffs-bound.
NFC South: All settled, with the Saints (11-4) on top and the Bucs, with that 43-year-old newcomer quarterback — a guy named Brady — guaranteed a wild card at 10-5.
NFC East: All unsettled — except for the Eagles (4-10-1), which saw their chances disappear by losing to the Cowboys (6-9). Pay attention for this one:
A Washington victory at Philly on Sunday night gives Ron Rivera’s team the division at 7-9 no matter what the visiting Cowboys do against the Giants (5-10) in the afternoon. Washington swept the Cowboys this season. However, an Eagles win then means whoever emerges from the Cowboys-Giants matchup at the Meadowlands — barring a tie — heads to the playoffs.
Yes, a team with a losing record will join the Super Bowl chase, and will host a playoff game on the second weekend of January.