Week 17 Headlines:
1.) Who would have thought that the final game of the season between Atlanta and Carolina (both with losing records) would be for the Division Title.
It kind of reminds me of the NCAA Basketball Tournament where the two teams need to play a game just to be the final 16-seed.
2.) The remaining AFC slot comes down to three games:
a.) San Diego at Kansas City - If the Chargers win, they are in. If they lose (which is likely on the road in KC) then that opens the myriad of possibilities for other teams. This includes the Chiefs, who need everybody relevant to lose in order for them to get in.
b.) Cleveland at Baltimore - A Chargers loss and a Ravens win gets the Ravens in. In light of the Browns' freefall, I think the Ravens win big at home.
c.) Jacksonville at Houston - The Texans need to win, and have both the Ravens and Chargers lose. The Jaguars are actually capable of the upset, but J.J. Watt against a rookie QB with the playoffs on the line? I think the bloody nose works as well for the Texans as the bloody sock worked for the Red Sox.
3.) Many teams will be jockeying for playoff position and home-field advantage, except for the Patriots, who already have it all the way through the AFC playoffs. Makes me wonder if we might see Jimmy Garoppolo's first full game. Oh wait, this is Belichick's team.... never mind....
