Hot finishes solidified playoff spots
Wins down the stretch for Ravens, Colts, Eagles, Cowboys and Seahawks key in turnaround seasons
TORONTO — A time-honoured NFL saw we hear rattling every year around this time says the hottest teams down the stretch — that is, in late November and December — not only make the playoffs, but make waves in the post-season come January.
We’ll see about the second half of the prophecy starting this weekend, when four wild-card playoff games kick off the post-season.
But the first portion of it applied this season more than most. Five of 12 playoff teams caught fire after Week 10 to reach the post-season.
After the first week of November, none of these five teams had a winning record:
Baltimore, 4-5, third place in the AFC North.
Indianapolis, 3-5, third place in the AFC South.
Philadelphia, 4-4, second place in the NFC East.
Dallas, 3-5, third place in the NFC East.
Seattle, 4-4, second place in the NFC West.
From there ...
The Ravens went 6-1, with a 3-0 finish, to capture the AFC North.
The Colts went 7-1, with a 4-0 finish, to grab an AFC wild-card.
The Eagles went 5-3, with a 3-0 finish, to grab an NFC wild-card.
The Cowboys went 7-1, with a 2-1 finish, to capture the NFC East.
And the Seahawks went 6-2, with a 2-1 finish, to grab the other NFC wild-card.
Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh is so impressed with how his team came together, especially behind a new starting quarterback in rookie Lamar Jackson in an entirely remodelled offensive attack, he’s calling the 2018 Ravens the best he’s ever coached.
And that includes his 2012 Super Bowl champions.
“It’s the best team — T-EA-M, the best team,” Harbaugh said by way of qualification. “The best bunch of guys who understand what it means to have each other’s backs, to fight through adversity and never be divided by anything, (to) block out all the outside (distractions and criticisms), turn to each other for strength, and be there for one another.
“That, to me, is what makes a team. That’s the best team I’ve been around.”
In early November, with the Ravens’ playoff chances looking bleak, reports claimed Harbaugh’s 11-year tenure was likely reaching its end. He was squarely on the hot seat.
Similarly, Jason Garrett was thought to be a goner in Dallas entering November. And everyone was ridiculing Doug Pederson of the Eagles, the supposed offensive genius from last year who couldn’t conjure anything approaching dangerous offensive football this year.
No one’s snickering now. Especially considering how their records from Week 10 onward compare to those of the fast-starting division leaders.
Kansas City went 4-3 after the first week of November. In fact, going five weeks farther back, since Oct. 1 the Chiefs went 8-0 against teams that finished with losing records, but were only 1-4 against teams with a winning record.
That’s not all. The Patriots went 4-3 from Week 10 onward, going 3-1 against losing teams and 1-2 against winning teams.
The Texans and Rams both went 5-2 down the stretch. The Chargers finished 6-2 and 2-1. That’s good.
Of the 2018 bluebloods, only two finished the season as hot or hotter than they were up to Week 10.
The New Orleans Saints went 6-1 from Week 10 onward until clinching home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs with a week to go. They rested key starters in a meaningless Week 17 loss to Carolina.
The Chicago Bears finished 4-0.
So, the Bears not only own perhaps the NFL’s most dangerous defence — they’ve consistently played at a high level as long, or longer, than any team.
TOMLIN ON BROWN:
Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin held his season-ending news conference Wednesday and insisted that all-time head case receiver Antonio Brown has “lower-body soreness” that prompted him to give Brown the day off Thursday.
When Brown said he still was in pain on Friday, Tomlin said he directed Brown to get an MRI, then go home and rest up. But Brown didn’t get the MRI.
Tomlin said it was at that point that Brown stopped communicating with everybody on the team.
Numerous players said earlier this week they tried to reach him unsuccessfully.
When Brown’s agent reached out to Tomlin before Sunday’s crucial regular-season finale against Cincinnati — with the Steelers needing a win plus either a Baltimore loss or highly unlikely Tennessee-Indianapolis tie to make the playoffs — Tomlin said he told the agent it was too late.
Brown wasn’t going to play. Tomlin said he told Brown he should cheer his team on from the sideline, but couldn’t confirm reports that Brown bolted Heinz Field at halftime.
The head coach made it clear that he’s upset his star player abandoned the team.
“(It’s) something that’s very significant and will be handled appropriately so,” Tomlin said.