Tag: NFL Playoffs

NFL playoff picture: Bad week for Dolphins got worse on Sunday, Monday

Calais Campbell thinks 10-7 would get the Dolphins in the playoffs, but even that might not be enough.

Shortly after the Miami Dolphins lost to the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving to fall to 5-7 on the year, defensive lineman Calais Campbell told reporters, “I feel 10-7 gets us in” the playoffs. After Sunday and Monday, even that’s not looking likely.

The Dolphins have no shot at catching the Buffalo Bills, who clinched a fifth consecutive AFC East title. So the only path to the postseason for Miami is to track down at least one of four contenders: the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers, and Denver Broncos.

The problem is that those teams aren’t leaving the door open.

While the Ravens lost a hard fought game against the Philadelphia Eagles, they’re still at eight wins. And both the Chargers and Broncos got their eighth win. The Steelers face several tough teams down the stretch, but improved to 9-3 with a shootout victory against the Bengals.

With only five weeks left, here’s the current state of affairs in the AFC:

  1. (x) Kansas City Chiefs: 11-1
  2. (y) Buffalo Bills: 10-2
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers: 9-3
  4. Houston Texans: 8-5
  5. Los Angeles Chargers: 8-4
  6. Baltimore Ravens: 8-5
  7. Denver Broncos: 8-5
  • Indianapolis Colts: 6-7
  • Miami Dolphins: 5-7
  • Cincinnati Bengals: 4-8

(x – clinched playoff berth; y – clinched division title)

In the hypothetical that the Dolphins won five straight to finish the year 10-7, they’d have an 8-5 record in AFC play. That would likely be enough to win a tiebreaker if any of the teams ahead of them slip up. But Miami will need to be perfect and get some help to get into the postseason.

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What are the Broncos’ chances of making the NFL playoffs?

The Broncos are getting closer and closer to the NFL playoffs. Here’s how Denver can clinch a postseason berth in 2024.

Following a 41-32 win over the Cleveland Browns on Monday Night Football, the Denver Broncos improved to 8-5 and they remain the seventh and final playoff seed in the AFC.

Results elsewhere in Week 13 were mixed. The Miami Dolphins (5-7) lost on Thanksgiving and the Cincinnati Bengals (4-8) lost on Sunday, but the Indianapolis Colts (6-7) and Los Angeles Chargers (8-4) won this week.

The Broncos will play the Colts, Chargers and Bengals right after their bye, so Denver controls its playoff fate. As Andrew Mason of DenverSports.com has pointed out, if the Broncos beat the Colts in Week 15, Denver will need just one more victory and one Dolphins loss to clinch a playoff berth.

Here’s a look at AFC’s playoff picture following Week 13.

AFC Playoff Picture

  1. Kansas City Chiefs (11-1)
  2. Buffalo Bills (10-2)
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3)
  4. Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)
  5. Houston Texans (8-5)
  6. Baltimore Ravens (8-5)
  7. Denver Broncos (8-5)

In the Hunt

  1. Indianapolis Colts (6-7)
  2. Miami Dolphins (5-7)
  3. Cincinnati Bengals (4-8)

So, what are the Broncos’ chances of reaching the postseason?

The Athletic gives Denver a 79% chance of reaching the playoffs. ESPN has given the team a 76% chance. DVOA has the most optimistic outlook, giving the Broncos an 82.5% chance to reach the postseason.

Denver will now have a bye in Week 14 before hosting the Colts in Week 15. The Broncos will then have back-to-back road games against the Chargers and Bengals before hosting the Chiefs in their season finale.

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Jaguars officially eliminated from 2024-25 postseason contention

Jaguars officially eliminated from 2024-25 postseason contention

The Jacksonville Jaguars (2-10) were eliminated from 2024-25 postseason contention Monday night.

Jacksonville’s 23-20 loss to the Houston Texans (8-5) on Sunday was the first of three dominoes to fall in officially knocking the Jaguars out of the running in Week 13.

The Los Angeles Chargers’ (8-4) Sunday evening win over the Atlanta Falcons (6-6) and the Denver Broncos’ (8-5) Monday night victory over the Cleveland Browns (3-9) sealed the Jaguars’ fate.

The Jaguars are tied with the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants for the worst record in the NFL this season, sitting at 2-10 through Week 13. Each team has been eliminated from the playoffs, and so have the New England Patriots (3-10).

With a strength of schedule tiebreaker, Jacksonville currently owns the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft, according to Tankathon.

Jacksonville’s 2024 season will wrap up with alternating away and home matchups over its final five weeks, with matchups against the Tennessee Titans (3-9) in Weeks 14 and 17, the New York Jets (3-9) in Week 15, the Raiders in Week 16 and the Indianapolis Colts (6-7) in Week 18.

Why NFL Week 13 results were so damaging for 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers’ playoff hopes are fading fast.

The San Francisco 49ers‘ playoff hopes are fading fast.

With its 35-10 loss at Buffalo on Sunday night, the 49ers have now dropped three straight to sink to 5-7 on the season.

The blowout loss also marked the first time since 2015 and just the fourth time in franchise history that San Francisco has lost back-to-back games by 25 points or more.

San Francisco entered Week 13 just a game outside first place in the NFC West, but the 49ers exit the week in the division’s cellar.

The Seattle Seahawks used a 92-yard pick-six from defensive end Leonard Williams to flip an early 21-7 deficit into an eventual 26-21 win at the New York Jets. The Seahawks improved to 7-5 with the win.

Seattle has now won three straight dating back to its 20-17 Week 11 win at San Francisco.

Thanks to Minnesota‘s rally over Arizona, Seattle now owns sole possession of first place in the NFC West.

Minnesota quarterback Sam Darnold connected with running back Aaron Jones for a 5-yard score with 1:13 left to play. Then, Vikings cornerback Shaquill Griffin sealed the 23-22 victory with his interception of Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray on the ensuing possession.

The loss drops Arizona to 6-6 on the season and one game out of first place.

The Los Angeles Rams stayed within striking distance thanks to a 21-14 win at the New Orleans Saints. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford tossed a pair of touchdown passes to Demarcus Robinson and Puka Nacua in the fourth quarter to help Los Angeles improve to 6-6.

Sitting in the cellar and now two games out of first place, San Francisco will close its 2024 season with games versus Chicago, versus the Los Angeles Rams, at Miami, versus Detroit and at Arizona.

Updated Seahawks playoff odds heading into Week 13

Updated Seahawks playoff odds heading into Week 13

The Seattle Seahawks captured a massive victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 12. Mike Macdonald’s squad enters Sunday’s Week 13 showdown versus the New York Jets having won back-to-back NFC West divisional games against the Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers. Seattle’s postseason odds have been drastically altered as a result.

The Seahawks now possess approximately a 29% chance to make the playoffs, according to ESPN’s Analytics department. ESPN’s predictive model gives Seattle a ~25% chance to win the NFC West division title, which they currently lead via the tiebreaker. Seattle’s remaining strength of schedule is 10th-hardest in the league, per Brady Henderson.

Prior to Sunday’s victory over the Cardinals, Seattle’s postseason odds stood at 11%, according to The Athletic’s playoff model. It more than doubled following Macdonald’s second straight win. Their odds of winning the NFC West stood at just 8 percent.

The Seahawks possess four remaining road contests (@ NYJ, @ ARZ, @ CHI, @ LAR) and just two home games (GB, MIN). Seattle’s next two matchups are on the road, including a rematch with the Cardinals. They’ll conclude their regular-season campaign with a road divisional game with the Los Angeles Rams. Their home dates are against consecutive NFC North opponents with Green Bay and Minnesota in Weeks 15 and 16.

A victory over the Jets on Sunday would further increase Seattle’s postseason chances.

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Dolphins still clinging to playoff dream: ‘I feel 10-7 gets us in’

The Dolphins’ narrow path to the playoffs got much tighter with their latest loss.

A narrow path to the postseason for the Miami Dolphins got significantly tighter Thursday night with their 30-17 loss to the Green Bay Packers.

Now at 5-7 on the year, the Dolphins’ only realistic shot at the playoffs is to track down and pass at least one of four teams: the 8-3 Pittsburgh Steelers, 8-4 Baltimore Ravens, 7-4 Los Angeles Chargers, or 7-5 Denver Broncos. That’s an uphill climb they still think is possible.

“I told the guys I feel 10-7 gets us in,” Dolphins defensive lineman Calais Campbell told reporters after the loss. “We got to believe that our efforts will matter if we do what we’re suppose to do, I think it gives us a shot. I’ve seen some crazy things happen.”

“I wouldn’t say the dream’s dead for our team just yet, anything can happen in this league,” Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa said.

Getting to 10-7 would mean winning five straight to close out the regular season. Left on the schedule for the Dolphins are home games against the New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers, along with road games against the Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns, and Jets.

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NBA superstar isn’t giving up on Joe Burrow and the Bengals just yet

One major NBA star still thinks the Bengals can make the playoffs.

It says a lot about Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals that they keep being a trendy pick to still make a run despite the 4-7 record.

Adam Schefter recently suggested the Bengals are still a dangerous possible playoff team.

And now NBA superstar Kevin Durant has said something similar during an appearance on the “Up & Adams” show.

“The paper says the Bengals should be in because they got the most talent, experience,” Durant said. “If I had to take anybody, I’m taking the Bengals. I trust Joe Burrow more than anybody else.”

If the Bengals can exit the bye and take down the Pittsburgh Steelers, perhaps this can become a more serious conversation. They do get to play five AFC opponents over their final six games, yet will likely need to win all six just to have a chance at the playoffs.

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Where Bengals stand in playoff picture after Week 12

An updated playoff outlook for the Bengals after the bye week.

With just six weeks left in the regular season, the Cincinnati Bengals are hoping for a major turnaround and quickly if they are to sneak into the playoffs. During the bye week, the Bengals saw the Denver Broncos defeat the Las Vegas Raiders to move to 7-5. We’ll get to more on that in a minute.

First, let’s take a quick look at the AFC North standings, a race that tightened at the top following a Thursday night upset in Cleveland. While that race will likely come down to the wire, the Bengals’ chances are very slim. They are four games back with six to play. The silver lining is they still have two games against the Steelers. The downside is they have already been swept by the Ravens.

AFC North standings

1. Pittsburgh Steelers 8-3
2. Baltimore Ravens 8-4
3. Cincinnati Bengals 4-7
4. Cleveland Browns 3-8

Let’s get back to the wild card race. The Bengals are now 2.5 games out of the playoffs following Denver’s win. The Bengals also have two other teams they have to jump over, the 5-6 Miami Dolphins and the 5-7 Indianapolis Colts. The Bengals host the Broncos in Week 17, either the 28th or 29th of December.

Here’s a look at the remaining schedules for the four teams:

Bengals Broncos Dolphins Colts
vs. Steelers vs. Browns at Packers at Patriots
at Cowboys BYE vs. Jets BYE
at Titans vs. Colts at Texans at Broncos
vs. Browns at Charger vs. 49ers vs. Titans
vs. Broncos at Bengals at Browns at Giants
at Steelers vs. Chiefs at Jets vs. Jaguars

 

Current AFC Playoff standings

1. Kansas City Chiefs 10-1
2. Buffalo Bills 9-2
3. Pittsburgh Steelers 8-3
4. Houston Texans 7-5
5. Baltimore Ravens 8-4
6. Los Angeles Chargers 7-4
7. Denver Broncos 7-5

8. Miami Dolphins 5-6
9. Indianapolis Colts 5-7
10. Cincinnati Bengals 4-7
11. Cleveland Browns 3-8
12. New York Jets 3-8
13. Tennessee Titans 3-8
14. New England Patriots 3-9
15. Jacksonville Jaguars 2-9
16. Las Vegas Raiders 2-9

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Jaguars face first playoff elimination scenarios in Week 13

Jaguars face first playoff elimination scenarios in Week 13

The Jacksonville Jaguars face their first playoff elimination scenarios of the 2024 season in Week 13.

Sitting at 2-9 and in last place in the AFC South, a loss to the Houston Texans (7-5) on Sunday would knock Jacksonville out of its divisional running, per NFLplayoffscenarios.com.

Further, the Jaguars would be eliminated from postseason contention by losing paired with the Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) and Denver Broncos (7-5) both winning or tying their Week 13 matchups, against the Atlanta Falcons (6-5) and Cleveland Browns (3-8), respectively.

The Jaguars were the first team locked out of a No. 1 playoff seed this season, when the final whistle blew in their 52-6 loss to the Detroit Lions (10-1) in Week 11.

The Las Vegas Raiders (2-9), New York Giants (2-9), New England Patriots (3-9), Carolina Panthers (3-8), Tennessee Titans (3-8), New York Jets (3-8) and Browns have since followed suit. Jacksonville is now out of the running for the No. 2 and 3 AFC playoff seeds, too.

The Jaguars and Texans’ Week 13 matchup, at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville, is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Houston beat Jacksonville in the Jaguars’ first AFC South matchup of the year, 24-20 in Week 4.

What are the Broncos’ chances of making the NFL playoffs?

The Denver Broncos’ playoff chances are improving.

Following a 29-19 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, the Denver Broncos remain the seventh and final playoff seed in the AFC.

The Broncos seem unlikely to catch the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West, but securing one of the conference’s three Wild Card seeds is an attainable goal.

Following their big win on Sunday, the Miami Dolphins (5-6) are suddenly Denver’s biggest threat after they leapfrogged the Indianapolis Colts (5-7) and Cincinnati Bengals (4-7). The Broncos will play the Colts (Week 15) and Bengals (Week 17) later this season, but Miami is not on Denver’s schedule.

Here’s a look at AFC’s playoff picture following Week 12.

AFC Playoff Picture

  1. Kansas City Chiefs (10-1)
  2. Buffalo Bills (9-2)
  3. Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3)
  4. Baltimore Ravens (8-4)
  5. Los Angeles Chargers (7-4)
  6. Houston Texans (7-5)
  7. Denver Broncos (7-5)

In the Hunt

  1. Miami Dolphins (5-6)
  2. Indianapolis Colts (5-7)
  3. Cincinnati Bengals (4-7)

So, what are the Broncos’ chances of reaching the postseason?

The Athletic gives Denver a 63% chance of reaching the playoffs. ESPN has also given the team a 63% chance. DVOA has the most optimistic outlook, giving the Broncos a 73.3% chance to reach the postseason.

Up next for Denver is a home game against the Cleveland Browns (3-8) on Monday Night Football in Week 13. The Broncos will then have a bye in Week 14 before returning for the final four games of the season.

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