NFL Playoff Picture

Chargers v Chiefs: Thursday Night Football

Yesterday we saw a true nailbiter of a game when the LA Chargers squeaked by the Kansas City Chiefs with a daring 2 point conversion. A field goal would have sent the game to overtime but Coach Anthony Lynn did not hesitate to go for the outright win with 4 seconds on the clock.

“We didn’t come here to tie, we came here to win. So to me, it was a no-brainer.” –Coach Lynn

The Chargers were trailing by 14 points in the fourth quarter but never gave up, taking the win 29-28 in Kansas City.

So what does this mean for the playoff picture? The Chargers,who were one game back from the Chiefs and the AFC West title, are now sitting tied for first with an 11-3 record. Both the Chargers and the Chiefs have clinched playoff berths and the Chiefs have preference over the tiebreaker with a better divisional record.

 

 

Could this win be the catalyst to push the Chargers to the Super Bowl? If they can keep the momentum going and top the Ravens at home followed by a road game win over the Denver Broncos, they can finish the season in first place. All this depends on the Chiefs of course. They have a difficult game coming up versus the Seahawks in Seattle and will close out the season at home against the lackluster Oakland Raiders.

If both teams keep winning, we could see them playing each other for the third time this year. The Chiefs beat the Chargers 38-28 way back in Week 1. Thursday’s competition saw both teams without key players but a playoff game early next year could give most of those players enough time to get back in the game.

We will definitely keep an eye on the AFC West.

NFC Outlook

If you are looking for an underdog, a Cinderella story in the making – then the Cleveland Browns are your team this year.

The poor Browns have been dead last in the NFC North in 13 of the last 15 years. Since the turn of the century, they’ve only had 2 winning seasons.

Though unlikely, the Browns could make the playoffs this year and come out with a winning season to boot. The Steelers loss against the Raiders and the Ravens loss to Kansas City last week keeps Cleveland mathematically in the hunt. Whether this is physically feasible is another question. It basically involves the Browns winning every game, while the Ravens, Colts, Titans, and Dolphins must all stay under 9 wins on the season.

 

 

Though the Browns are up against a real fight for the postseason, two teams have comfortably secured their playoff spots. The New Orleans Saints locked down the NFC South and are leading the conference as well. The LA Rams have also secured their spot, leading the NFC West.

Both teams are hoping for a first round playoff bye and both teams are relying on the Chicago Bears to help them out.

The Saints will get the bye if:

1. Saints win and Bears lose/tie –OR–
2. Saints tie and Bears lose

The Rams will get the bye if:

1. Rams win and Bears lose/tie –OR–
2. Rams tie and Bears lose

So a lot of fans will be rooting against the 9-4 Bears, who lead the NFC North right now. They go up against the Packers at home for Week 15 followed by the 49ers and the Vikings away for Weeks 16 and 17, respectively.