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How the Colts can clinch a playoff berth in Week 18.
After failing to take care of business in their home finale, the Indianapolis Colts (9-7) have one more chance to clinch a playoff berth in Week 18 when they visit the Jacksonville Jaguars (2-14) at TIAA Bank Field.
With just one week of games left, the final playoff scenarios have been released by the league so now we know the exact paths the Colts need to take in order to get into the playoffs.
Here’s a quick look at all the ways the Colts can clinch a playoff berth in Week 18:
There is only one playoff spot up for grabs in the NFC entering the final week of the regular season.
There is only one spot remaining in the NFC playoffs and the top seed has been determined. The Green Bay Packers clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC, a playoff bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a 37-10 home win over the Minnesota Vikings to improve to 13-3.
The Philadelphia Eagles also clinched a playoff berth. The final spot will come down to the San Francisco 49ers and the New Orleans Saints.
This is what the playoff standings look like entering Week 18.
The New Orleans Saints are still alive in Week 18 at 8-8.
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Cleveland is still “win-and-get-in” entering Week 17 but it’s more complicated
The Cleveland Browns entered Week 16 with their playoff destiny in their own hands. Win against the New York Jets and then against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17 and Cleveland would have finished no worse than the No. 5 seed and top Wild Card.
Alas, that did not happen. The dilapidated Browns fell to the Jets, 23-16. And while they can still control their own fate with a win in Week 17, the outlook is a lot less rosy after the weekend’s action.
Miami kicked off the AFC weekend with a stirring comeback win over the Raiders that eliminated Las Vegas. After rookie Tua Tagovailoa was benched, veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick took over at quarterback for Miami and authored an improbable final drive to set up the game-winning field goal.
The Dolphins improved to 10-5 with the win. Miami does own the multi-team tiebreaker over all the other 10-5 teams, of which the Browns find themselves as well.
The Colts are also 10-5 after blowing a big lead against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh’s comeback win cemented the AFC North title and made their Week 17 game in Cleveland inconsequential for the division crown. The Colts fell out of the playoff picture due to the tie-breakers, behind the Browns and the Ravens.
Baltimore jumped in from the outside by thumping the New York Giants, 27-13. The Ravens have won four in a row and seized the No. 6 seed with the win. The Browns, who lost both games to Baltimore during the season, are the No. 7 seed right now.
Cleveland clinches a berth with a win over the Steelers. No matter what else happens in Week 17, the Browns are still “win and they’re in”. The seeding is complicated, but that’s for next week.
The Browns can also sneak in the back door if the Colts lose to the Jaguars. Jacksonville clinched the No. 1 overall pick when the Jets beat the Browns, so there is no reason for the Jaguars to tank.
Another possibility still in play: if the Titans lose in both Week 16 and Week 17, the Browns are in, win or lose, next week. Tennessee plays Green Bay on Sunday night and is on the road for 4-11 Houston in Week 17.
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The Packers have many different pathways to clinching a playoff spot in Week 14.
The Green Bay Packers can clinch a playoff spot several different ways and win the NFC North in a couple of specific ways during Week 14.
Matt LaFleur’s team, now 9-3, goes on the road to play the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
First, let’s talk about the division title race.
The Packers can clinch the NFC North title for the second consecutive season with a win over the Lions and a Minnesota Vikings loss or tie, or with a tie with the Lions and Vikings loss. The Vikings (6-6) play the Buccaneers (7-5) in Tampa Bay.
1. GB win + MIN loss/tie
2. GB tie + MIN loss
The Packers also have six different ways to clinch a playoff berth in Week 14. They all involve the NFC West, particularly the Arizona Cardinals (6-6), Seattle Seahawks (8-4) and Los Angeles Rams (8-4).
The Cardinals play the Giants (5-7) in New York, the Seahawks play the New York Jets (0-12) in Seattle, and the Rams play the Patriots (6-6) in Los Angeles.
1. GB win + ARI loss or tie
2. GB win + LAR loss or tie
3. GB win + SEA win or tie
4. GB tie + ARI loss
5. GB tie + LAR loss + ARI tie
6. GB tie + SEA win or tie + ARI tie
To simplify: The Packers want to beat the Lions, and root for the Buccaneers against the Vikings, the Giants against the Cardinals, the Patriots against the Rams, and the Seahawks against the Jets. Easy enough, right?
Another game to watch: The New Orleans Saints (10-2) against the Philadelphia Eagles (3-8-1). The Packers are one game back of the Saints for the top seed in the NFC but have a head-to-head tiebreaker.
The Saints already clinched a playoff spot and can clinch the NFC South title in a few ways this week.
In the AFC, the Buffalo Bills, Kansas City Chiefs and Pittsburgh Steelers can all clinch playoff berths week.
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Watch Eagles vs. Giants Live Online.
Both the Philadelphia Eagles (8-7) and New York Giants (4-11) enter their Week 17 matchup having scored victories over other divisional opponents last weekend. One of those wins was much more significant than the other, though, with the Eagles taking control of the NFC East with their win over the Dallas Cowboys. And while the Giants look to continue to develop rookie quarterback Daniel Jones, the Eagles will try to lock up a playoff berth.
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The Eagles scored their third straight division win when they beat the Dallas Cowboys 17-9 to make this week’s game vs. Giants a win-and-in scenario. Carson Wentz completed 31 of his 40 pass attempts for 319 yards and a touchdown in spite of a depleted receiving corps. He linked up with tight end Dallas Goedert for 91 yards and a score, as the Eagles defense kept the Cowboys out of the end zone for the entire game.
New York picked up its second consecutive win in a 41-35 overtime thriller against the Washington Redskins. The story of this game for the Giants was the play of Jones. He threw for 352 yards and five touchdowns to get their offense going in a big way. Running back Saquon Barkley added 189 yards and a touchdown on the ground, showing that the offense appears to be headed in the right direction as the end of the season nears.
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The New Orleans Saints won’t rest their starters, but they may watch the scoreboard, during their Week 17 game with the Carolina Panthers.
The New Orleans Saints have plenty to play for in their regular season finale with the Carolina Panthers. The NFC playoff picture is far from set in stone, and the Saints can still clinch one of the top two seeds. But there’s an argument to be made for resting key players against a team missing its own franchise cornerstones, with quarterback Cam Newton on injured reserve and former head coach Ron Rivera on the free agent market.
Those who would rather the Saints take this one cautiously point to the NFC playoff standings. New Orleans has guaranteed that they will finish with a seed no lower than third, getting the privilege to host a playoff game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. While the Saints would have to go on the road if they advance further in the playoffs, none of the teams ranked higher (the Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, and maybe the Seattle Seahawks) are very intimidating.
The Saints have the best record on the road over the last three years among all teams currently in the playoff race. And with injuries to key starters like guards Andrus Peat and Larry Warford, safeties Vonn Bell and Marcus Williams, and cornerback Eli Apple, New Orleans could probably afford to let off the gas.
But you can count Saints coach Sean Payton out of the camp advocating for starters to be rested, and for the team to phone in this performance.
“No, no, no, no, no, no. Absolutely no,” Payton told ESPN’s Mike Triplett. “We’re still playing for the one, two or three seed.”
Payton’s been here before, or at least a similar situation. Back in 2010, when the Saints were defending Super Bowl champions, they needed a number of different games to break just right so that they could clinch a higher playoff seed. That hinged on the Saints winning their Week 17 matchup, but a rash of injuries struck at the worst possible time.
Breakout rookie tight end Jimmy Graham went down. So did the team’s leading rusher, Chris Ivory. And Malcolm Jenkins, a leader of the defense, also exited with an injury. On top of it all, the Saints didn’t get the combination they needed from other games, and were condemned to a wild-card spot. All of those injuries combined for the humiliating “Beast Quake” road loss to Marshawn Lynch and the 7-9 Seahawks.
Fortunately, the Saints don’t need as much help to clinch a higher seed, and the first-round bye week that comes with it. Not to minimize the situation — either the lowly Detroit Lions or the beaten-up Seahawks must upset the Packers or 49ers, respectively, for New Orleans to climb the standings.
But Payton isn’t discouraged. He’s moved on to Carolina, and rounded up his thoughts on the matter with, “I don’t think this is a long shot, what we need this week.”
With the Packers-Lions game set to kick off at the same time as the Saints-Panthers contest, it won’t be surprising if the Saints sideline is watching the scoreboard closely for updates, even if the odds are not in their favor. The real show will be highlighted on Sunday night, when the 49ers visit CenturyLink Stadium for a rematch with those Seahawks — and Lynch, who ended his unofficial retirement for one last hurrah with the team that put him on the map. It’s just a shame he did so against the Saints. Maybe now he can make up for it.
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Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid grew up a fan of the New Orleans Saints, but he’s going to do his best to hurt their Super Bowl odds.
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The New Orleans Saints are a game away from the playoffs, with a regular season finale on the road with the Carolina Panthers up next. Those Panthers will be led by none other than safety Eric Reid, a former All-American for the LSU Tigers and Baton Rouge, La. native. But the Saints won’t be receiving any help from the Panthers, if Reid has a say in it.
“They’re a divisional opponent. If we can take homefield advantage away from them, why not?,” Reid told The Athletic’s Joe Person. “I know my family in Louisiana wouldn’t be happy with me. I can be a Saints fan, but on Sunday, I’m a Saints opponent.”
Reid has played against the Saints six times in his NFL career, including three matchups since the Panthers signed him last season. He led the Panthers with 15 combined tackles (11 solo) against New Orleans in their meeting earlier this season, and figures to see plenty of action again in Sunday’s game.
While the Saints are guaranteed to finish no worse than third in the NFC playoff standings, they have a few paths to reaching a higher seed and earning a a first-round playoff bye, or even homefield advantage throughout the postseason. But it’ll be incredibly difficult for them to pull that off with a loss at Carolina this week. And Reid wants to do all he can to hurt his division rivals’ chances of bringing home another Super Bowl, even if the Saints fans in his family might hold it against him.
Eric Reid on playing spoiler to Saints’ home-field advantage hopes. pic.twitter.com/F761Apii70
— Joe Person (@josephperson) December 24, 2019
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