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Here’s what I know with four weeks left in the 2021 NFL season – this final push to the playoffs is going to be absolutely wild and I can’t wait to see how it plays out.
It’s going to be unlike anything we’ve seen in a while.
The fight for the No. 1 spot and a bye in each conference may not be decided until the final week.
The teams that are barely out of it this morning are still very much in it.
Three teams – the Cardinals, Bucs, and Packers – entered Week 14 with a chance to clinch a spot in the playoffs. None of them did.
No teams in the AFC entered Week 14 with a chance to clinch a spot in the playoffs.
The Cardinals’ loss to the Rams last night means that every team in the NFL has three or more losses after Week 14 for the first time since the 2017 season.
Oh, and also for the first time since 2017 no team has clinched a playoff spot with four weeks left in the season.
Total. Chaos.
The AFC playoff picture is particularly bananas. The Patriots are the No. 1 seed right now at 9-4 but the 10th team in the race is just two games back at 7-6. The Patriots face the Colts this week and the Bills next week in two large games that could drastically change the AFC’s playoff picture.
The Chiefs (9-4) have won six straight games and travel to Los Angeles on Thursday to face the Chargers (8-5) in a pivotal show down.
The Ravens were the top team in the AFC just a few weeks ago but are now hoping that Lamar Jackson doesn’t miss any time after leaving Sunday’s loss in Cleveland with an ankle sprain.
The Bills once looked like the top team in the conference but are now 7-6 after losing two straight games.
The NFC has three teams – the Packers, Bucs, and Cardinals – who are 10-3 and fighting for the top seed, which currently belongs to Green Bay.
The Cowboys (9-4) and Rams (9-4) are still very much right there, too.
The Washington Football team currently holds the last spot in the NFC with a 6-7 record but there are four other teams below them with the same 6-7 record.
Some might say this is parity and it’s not good for the game and I’d usually agree. I hate parity and think it generally stinks.
But this year we have some villains in play, like the Patriots and Cowboys, and that’s always good for the game.
Also, there are just a bunch of really good teams that will be battling it out for playoff spots and, ultimately, a trip to Los Angeles for Super Bowl 56.
It’s going to be a fun and intense ride to get there, though.
In the immortal words of Tom Brady: Let’s goooooooooooooooo!
Quick hits: Special moment for Cardinals’ WR coach and son… Titans safety laughs at Jaguars… 10 worst Christmas songs… and more.
– Cardinals WR coach Shawn Jefferson had a great reaction to seeing his son, Van Jefferson, making a stellar TD catch for the Rams last night.
– Titans safety Kevin Byard could only laugh at the two Jaguars WRs who ran into each other during Sunday’s game.
– Mary Clarke does a great job of ranking the 10 worst Christmas songs of all time.
– Here’s the 2022 NFL Draft order after Week 14.
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