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Baltimore has a tough test at Miami this Sunday. After that, it's Jacksonville, Houston and Cleveland. Big edge to the Ravens there despite Haloti Ngata's suspension for the rest of the regular season.
Of course, that could make next week's matchup of Broncos at Chargers the decider for this division's outcome.
Neither Miami nor Buffalo will get enough victories to squeeze into the playoffs, which means a 15-year drought for the Bills.
Unlikely. And if these four teams beat up on each other down the stretch, only the division winner will get into the postseason.
This division is over. Main question is if Patriots can win out to ensure not leaving Gillette Stadium in the playoffs.
AFC NORTH: Ah, the mad scramble.
The doomsayers fearing a team with five or six wins taking this division might be disappointed. New Orleans (5-7), if it can rediscover its way at the Superdome,jerseys nfl wholesale, gets Carolina and Atlanta (5-7) at home, goes to Chicago and Tampa Bay. All winnable,Cheap NFL Jerseys, and anything worse than 8-8 would be disappointing even with the Saints' struggles this year.
But Green Bay is peaking and Detroit has too many inconsistencies. The schedule, though, is very favorable for the Lions, who will grab a wild card.
WINNER: Denver. WILD CARD: Kansas City.
WINNER: Green Bay. WILD CARD: Detroit.
WINNER: Philadelphia.
NFC WEST: It's a bit unfair what's happening to the Cardinals,Cheap Jerseys Free Shipping, the NFL's sensation of the first 10 weeks. Injuries didn't slow them during that span, but as more and more players go down, so does Arizona's stock. Believing the Cardinals (9-3), with so many second-stringers on the field, can prosper as they close against Kansas City, St. Louis,Cheap Authentic Jerseys, Seattle and San Francisco seems farfetched.
WINNER: Seattle. WILD CARD: Arizona,NFL Jerseys China.
NFC EAST: It won't come down to a fourth straight year of Dallas (8-4) losing a final-game matchup for the title this time. The Cowboys won't get that far as the Eagles (9-3) finish off a sweep of them in a three-game period on Dec. 14.
It's a little less mad after Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cleveland all lost last week to slip to 7-5, while Cincinnati (8-3-1) got past Tampa Bay. That tie with Carolina could wind up very beneficial for the Bengals.
WINNER: New Orleans.
NFC NORTH: It sure seems as if Green Bay (9-3, top-ranked in the AP Pro32) already has clinched this sector, but it's not true. In fact, Detroit (8-4) has beaten the Packers, and if the Lions can stay close until the finale, they visit Lambeau Field.
San Diego closes with road games at San Francisco and Kansas City, both of whom also could be desperate for wins. Denver gets Cincinnati and Oakland.
WINNER: New England.
But the schedule could work in Pittsburgh's favor because the Steelers face the Bengals twice. Win both and the division flag could wind up in the Steel City.
Instead, it's the Seahawks (8-4) who already seem primed for the postseason as their defense looks fearsome again. But their schedule is no stroll to New Year's Day, either: at Philly, San Francisco, at Arizona, St. Louis.
The Falcons have the edge right now because they beat New Orleans to open the season. Their closing schedule is more challenging, beginning with a trip to Green Bay on Monday night.
It's December, which means every play, every coaching decision, every penalty — everything — will be squarely in the NFL spotlight.
NFC SOUTH: Who cares?
Nor do the 49ers (7-5) have anything easy after crossing the bay to play Oakland: at Seattle, San Diego and Arizona at home.
This time, the tiebreaker the Cowboys would lose is for the final wild card, to Arizona.
AFC SOUTH: Indianapolis (8-4) would clinch this weekend by winning at Cleveland while Houston (6-6) falls at Jacksonville. Even if that doesn't happen, the Colts will find their way into the postseason as division champion, but will be hard-pressed to do anything in January given their issues in the running game and in pass defense.
WINNER: Indianapolis.
AFC WEST: Denver (9-3) is in an odd position this week. It leads San Diego (8-4) by one game,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, yet probably should be rooting for the Chargers to beat New England (9-3), which has the overall AFC edge after beating the Broncos.
OK, we promised some analysis, so ...
AFC EAST: Miami and Buffalo each are two games behind New England. Each gets another shot at the Patriots, but in Foxborough, where Tom Brady's bunch is 6-0.
The Cardinals win over Dallas will be critical for the wild card.
With all but six teams still in the running for postseason berths, here are a few wild guesses on how the division races will play out — barring major injuries that shift the dynamics.
Sure, Philly hosts Seattle on Sunday. But unless it stumbles when it hosts Dallas, it will take the division.
"It gives everybody a chance here, right?" says Kansas City coach Andy Reid, whose Chiefs are among seven teams with a 7-5 record. "It gives everybody a chance and I think that's a good thing. You'd love to be undefeated, but it gives you an opportunity."
WINNER: Cincinnati. WILD CARD: Baltimore. |
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