Eagles, Patriots set for early clinchers
Front-runners aim to sustain good play to peak for playoffs.
No NFL coach would ever talk about clinching a division before the task was at hand.
So we’ll make up for that. There’ sa pretty good chance the Patriots, Steelers and Vikings could do the deed in early December, particularly if Minnesota wins at Detroit on Thanksgiving Day. The Eagles have such a big lead in the NFC East, four games with five left after demolishing Dallas, that they are odds-on to be the first team owning a playoff berth.
Ask about the postseason right now, though, and you get the kind of silence usually associated with Marshawn Lynch.
Why do coaches and, by extension, players refuse to look too far ahead? For one, they are trained — some might say brainwashed — into having tunnel vision from the first time they suit up in high school.
There’s also the argument that looking ahead damages preparation for the job at hand; Kansas City’s loss to the Giants on Sunday might prove that theory.
Plus there’s the “control what we can control” mantra, which translates to “all we can do is win one game at a time.”
But don’t believe for a second that those same coaches (and many players) aren’t acutely aware of who’s ahead on their schedule as they head into the stretch drive.
“The first thing you have to do is punch your ticket to the dance and get into the tournament,” Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith says. “Till you do that, you should be focused on every single one of these games. You have to have a sense of urgency.
“Plenty of teams started out hot. You have to continue to grow and get better. Certainly these games get bigger and bigger as the season goes on and we’ve got to find a way to win.”
Kansas City (6-4) remains in control in the AFC West despite its mediocre play since starting 5-0, in large par t bec ause t he re s t of what was projected as the league’s toughest division has fallen apart. That badge of the best now belongs to the NFC South, which just might have a three-team race among New Orleans, Carolina and Atlanta right down to the wire — very refreshing.
If you combined the best of the rosters of the other three AFC East teams, that conglomerate probably couldn’t beat New England (8-2). The Patriots have a three-game lead on fading Buffalo as they cruise toward yet another division crown.
With two matchups with the Dolphins and one with the Bills coming in the next three weeks, Tom Brady can look forward to some rest by Christmas. The only obstacle to that would be a game Dec. 17 at Pittsburgh, which could decide the AFC’s best record. The Steelers don’t figure to have as easy a time securing the AFC North — they lead Baltimore by three games, but the Ravens’ defense can make things interesting — but they still should be ordering playoff tickets well before Christmas.
While New England and Pittsburgh have benefited from weakness around them, Minnesota was playing well enough even before Aaron Rodgers went down with a collarbone injury. That ended Green Bay’s pursuit, and the Vikings did such a number on the NFC West-leading Rams on Sunday that they look vastly superior to second-place Detroit.
A Vikings win on Thursday would provide a threegame cushion.