UPDATE: With the Colts’ victory over the Texans prior to Denver’s kickoff, the Broncos can clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC with a win of their own.
With one week left in the regular season, plenty is still up in the air in the AFC playoffs.
With that said, all six teams have been decided. In some order, the Houston Texans, Denver Broncos, New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals will make up the AFC’s playoff field.
The Broncos can end up anywhere from the No. 1 to the No. 3 seed. The same can be said for the Houston Texans and New England Patriots.
Here are the scenarios for those three squads:
HOUSTON TEXANS (at Indianapolis)
Houston clinches a first-round bye with:
1) HOU win or tie OR
2) NE loss or tie OR
3) DEN loss
Houston clinches home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with:
1) HOU win OR
2) HOU tie + DEN loss or tie OR
3) NE loss or tie + DEN loss
DENVER BRONCOS (vs. Kansas City)
Denver clinches a first-round bye with:
1) DEN win or tie OR
2) NE loss or tie
Denver clinches home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with:
1) DEN win + HOU loss or tie OR
2) DEN tie + HOU loss
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (vs. Miami)
New England clinches a first-round bye with:
1) NE win + DEN loss OR
2) NE win + HOU loss
New England clinches home-field advantage throughout AFC playoffs with:
1) NE win + DEN loss + HOU loss
As it stands entering Week 17, here is the AFC playoff order:
1) Houston (12-3)
2) Denver (12-3)
3) New England (11-4)
4) Baltimore (10-5)
5) Indianapolis (10-5)
6) Cincinnati (9-6)
If this order stands, it would grant Houston and Denver first-round byes, while Cincinnati would travel to New England and Indianpolis would head to Baltimore in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.
Here’s a look at who the six AFC playoff teams face in their regular-season finales.
HOUSTON:
at Indianapolis (10-5)
DENVER:
vs. Kansas City (2-13)
NEW ENGLAND:
vs. Miami (7-8)
BALTIMORE:
at Cincinnati (9-6)
INDIANAPOLIS:
vs. Houston (12-3)
CINCINNATI:
vs. Baltimore (10-5)
AND!!!! The first half of his season was nothing spectacular for him. RGIII and Luck have been consistently spectacular!!! You don’t win the award because you had nice games in the second half of the season. It’s the whole season I’m looking at. But I am done arguing about it because we just need to agree to disagree about it.
Go Broncos!! Go Colts!!!!!!!!!!
Cat… I don’t want people to agree with me. The point of engaging in any of these discussions is two fold and very simple. I want to be able to see things through other peoples eyes, considering the facts they do and to try to understand what leads them to their conclusions. In return I expect people to simply consider the facts I consider, and to simply see things differently than through stereo-typical and mostly-common place assertions.
I enjoy the fact that people all take different roads to get to their destination/conclusions and the more times I can put myself in a place to see through someone elses thoughts it helps me to expand my own in later instances… I appreciate the time that people take to engage in conversation.
Wilson is playing better than you give him credit for… his threat to run on any play holds defenses in place and helps the overall ground attack (same as RGIII) his accuracy in passing means that Safeties can’t cheat to the line and help shut down the run. He is a complete package and is running his offense as well or better that RGIII or Luck. Either way, it was just a fun topic of conversation, and if I had a vote, it would no doubt go to Wilson
One more game of the regular season. cant believe it went so fast.
What Cat says, about Wilson and Tebow… That’s all I got on that subject…
Ok I appreciate that, BT, but I disagree about Wilson. But remember, so many people expected Luck and RGIII to play well. I get that Wilson’s success is shocking, but I don’t think he’s been as valuable to his team as Luck or RGIII have been and I guess I look at ROY as MVP for a rookie. Wilson has a much better supporting cast than Luck does. He’s doing it on his own with the help of Reggie Wayne, rookie wide receivers and tight ends and some veterans in defense that had to learn a new position because they changed schemes. Remember, Cassius Vaughn starts for the Colts. That’s how badly they need defensive help. I’m not saying what Wilson has done is not impressive. I just don’t find it AS impressive as what Luck has done with a 2-14 team.
In fact if I could give rookie of the year to anybody it would be Alfred Morris because he has been incredibly amazing for the Redskins… But obviously he can’t compete with the talented quarterbacks out of this class, one of whom I hope is Brock when all is said and done.
I’m glad Arian Foster is OK! He had a pretty good scare yesterday.
Strand… Me too, Kubiak said its happened in practice before and they knew what to do.
I agree for the most part cat but I think if for nothing else but comparison Wilson still has to be in the conversation. I liked Wilson’s talent in preseason. He he shredded us. I think it’s more important to imagine what these guys are all going to look like in 5 years. Similar arguments can be made about the MVP award.
Anyway…I had a great time at the game yesterday. I participated in the flag ceremony prior to the game. I ended up on the Browns sideline right next to coach Shurmur and B Weeden…2 feet away. The look in their eyes told the story…they did not want to be there. Our field is primo. What an awesome playing surface. That big flag was hard to control in the wind. What a blast!!!
Cat, the colts have been squeeking by with Defensive touchdowns and rallies etc… I know where your coming from though. I think Wilson is overall the most complete package. Luck’s story is great, and those guys were expected to succeed and they have. Luck plays like a rookie very often, RGIII and Wilson both are looking like very seasoned vets.
Lots of sides to the equation and not really a wrong asnwer. I think Wilson means more to the dominance of his team than Luck or RGIII do to the nature of the style of wins those teams have been coming by. Good Talk!
I ran into the person this morning that I came close to receiving yesterdays tickets to the game. She said it was awesome. She told me that some players came up there way to say hi and sign autographs. Her grandson got gloves from Chris Clark O-lineman. How Cool is that!
That sounds like alot of fun raidr!
I read that also this morning Cat. I like Foster and am a fan of his.
Yep, RGIII and Wilson could look like seasoned vets this year and crash next. Luck could throw 30 INTs this year and 5 next. It’s all about perspective. Raidrhadr, I am not saying Wilson is not impressive, I just list him third behind Luck and RGIII. I’m glad you had lots of fun, I was waving at you.
Great stuff raidrhadr!
BT it was a blast…we had to practice first at 11 then leave the stadium. I went to tailgate. After 2 beers and several jello shots I went back but man did I have to pee. That’s what I get for tailgating so hard in a short time I guess. Wouldn’t trade it for the world.
LOL raidr!!
Or shall I say Rhadr. HaHa!
Got my new Miller jersey today. I don’t known if i like the new Nike look. i wanted us to take Martin 1st round , Wolf 2nd round and Wilson 3rd round. If the Redskins win the NFC East then RG3 if not Wilson for ORY. i hope Miller gets 2.5 sacks cuz 20 sacks would be great! So who will get DRY? So many great offensive players. This must be the best draft class of all time.
I think Wolfe should get DROY. They aren’t talking about that award at all.
lol thanks cat…I was wondering who that was waving.
tnalen I saw several of those yesterday. I’m not sure I like ‘em either. I have last year’s model (Miller) and I like it better.
For me its RG3 over luck … RG3 has like 5 ints … Luck like 18 …. RG3 has been phenomenal with his legs and arm. He is to me, the rookie of the year.
Props to Luck from bringing that team from the brink of death
Props to russel for defying odds.
Props to alfred morris as well (even tho we all know Mike Shanahan can make any RB look good)
But RG3 takes it in my book.
Happy Holidays!
laters days,
TRB
Awesome win by our team yesterday. Didn’t like how Weeden and then McCoy went down the field on our D a few times……but overall we ended up dominating them.
Was so great to see the O start fast and keep the pedal to the metal.
Special teams fumbles were concerning………those types of things are game changers and something we can’t allow to happen in the playoffs.
And the Texans are who I thought they were……..somewhat over-rated like the Ravens. I don’t fear them what-so-ever……even in their house. I predicted the Vikes would win……..but they just didn’t win, they dominated. It was awesome to watch!
Now the Texans have to go into Indy and play a division team who just got their coach back. I smell another loss coming and they’ll drop to the #3 seed. What a way to enter the Cheifs game on Sunday, knowing the Texans lost their game. Either way, we’ll get up on the Cheifs early and often and take the #2 seed at the worst.
GO BRONCOS!
Should be in the points at least for the scoring contest…….predicted 35-13……2 points off.
I like how everyone is now trying to hold this team to perfection. A team gets a few decent drives and people see “holes”. This is currently the most complete team in the NFL folks.
Its strange how espns rankings hold a different team as number one each week and Denver sits at 2 or 3 each week. Apparently being consistent and winning every week means nothing cause we didn’t “wow” John Clayton. lol
Yup RH……..this team has been spoiling us. Def the most complete team in the league right now……and we’re still getting better every game. We’ll peak say………Faebruary 3rd? lol
New blog btw.
We are the most complete team and the hottest team in the NFL right now.
What is going on with NE? They barely pulled out a win yesterday vs a team that nearly everyone expected a dominant win for them. If Henne can put up the nearly 350 yards I have no doubt Manning can this time AND we dont have the same offensive fumble issues we did last time. And our D playing stout. They really dont scare me if we end up playing them again.
Team that scares me is Seattle but we dont have to worry unless we and they end up in the big one. They have two big corners (Both 6-3 I believe) that can hang with out WRs and good at getting pressure.
Also I dont think Wilson is OROY imo. He has been great no doubt. But what Luck and RG3 have done is better. Luck does something that we all know. He just finds a way to win. He can make some bad passes but he has a short memory and comes back hard. Not to mention a 2-14 team last year and to the playoffs. The Colts are a team that besides Wayne is full of rookie offensive weapons. Fleener Allen Hilton Ballard and of course Luck.
Luck reminds me of Elway in the early years. Not great stats with lots of mistakes but consistently winning. We shall see if he creates the body of work which Elway produced in the long term. Meantime, I still say Luck should be MVP due to the huge improvement in his team’s record since last year. Just my opinion.
Excuse me, not MVP just OROY.
Would love to see broncos and colts in semis
It will be a good battle in our backyard vs KC and much motivated after knowing that Texans had lost to the Colts. Here comes 1st Seed
With this win today vs KC does anyone know which day Sat or Sunday. I am flying in and would like to make reservations now!