And, here it is – the final day of the NFL regular season.\u00a0 With two days left in 2012, we have got ourselves a full slate of nothing but intra-division games.\u00a0 Sit back and enjoy!\u00a0 Unfortunately, Vegas doesn’t come out with Week 17 lines because of the ridiculousness with which Week 17 is now treated by the teams with a spot locked up.\u00a0 Later today, at 3:00, we will run through our playoff predictions (final seedings at bottom of this post).<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay (5-10) at ATLANTA (10-5)<\/span> N.Y. Jets (8-7) at BUFFALO (8-7)<\/span> Baltimore (10-5) at CINCINNATI (9-6)<\/span> Chicago (11-4) at DETROIT (9-6)<\/span> Jacksonville (4-11) at TENNESSEE (7-8)<\/span> Houston (10-5) at INDIANAPOLIS (2-13)<\/span> Green Bay (13-2) at MINNESOTA (4-11)<\/span> Miami (8-7) at NEW ENGLAND (13-2)<\/span> Carolina (5-10) at NEW ORLEANS (10-5)<\/span> Philadelphia (11-4) at N.Y. GIANTS (7-8)<\/span> Cleveland (1-14) at PITTSBURGH (11-4)<\/span> Dallas (8-7) at WASHINGTON (5-10)<\/span> Oakland (3-12) at SAN DIEGO (8-7)<\/span> Arizona (4-11) at SAN FRANCISCO (10-5)<\/span> St. Louis (4-11) at SEATTLE (6-9)<\/span> Kansas City (8-7) at DENVER (8-7)<\/span> NFC EAST: NFC NORTH: NFC SOUTH: NFC WEST: AFC EAST: AFC NORTH: AFC SOUTH: AFC WEST: #1 – Green Bay Packers JUST MISSED: Detroit Lions<\/p>\n Tiebreakers: #1 – New England Patriots JUST MISSED: San Diego Chargers, Cincinnati Bengals, Kansas City Chiefs, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, Tennessee Titans<\/p>\n Tiebreakers: And, here it is – the final day of the NFL regular season.\u00a0 With two days left in 2012, we have got ourselves a full slate of nothing but intra-division games.\u00a0 Sit back and enjoy!\u00a0 Unfortunately, Vegas doesn’t come out … Continue reading
\nThe Falcons get the extra day of rest from playing on Saturday last week, and they get the Bucs at home.\u00a0 This is a little scary for them, but they shouldn’t really have any problems if this game means anything to them.\u00a0 Falcons (moderate)<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nA cold, blustery day in Buffalo is no fun for anyone.\u00a0 The Jets may have saved their season with a Monday Night win over San Diego last week, but it most likely ends here.\u00a0 Bills (moderate)<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nWho is going to want it more?\u00a0 This might the a swan song for Ed Reed and possibly even Ray Lewis.\u00a0 They have one last surge left in them.\u00a0 Ravens (close)<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nWith the season on the line, I think the Lions, especially with that extra day’s rest, can find that last gear to win a big one…but will it be enough to get them in?\u00a0 Lions (close)<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nThe Titans are the better team and are at home.\u00a0 Remember when the Jags were 4-5?\u00a0 Titans (moderate)<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nPride is big in professional sports, but it probably won’t be enough for Andrew Luck and company, as they finish a tough rookie year – with more bright spots to come.\u00a0 Texans (moderate)<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nThere is a good chance that the Pack won’t need this game (as is the scenario here), but remember what happened when Rodgers didn’t play in Week 17 last year?\u00a0 Matt Flynn threw for like 8,000 yards and 57 touchdowns.\u00a0\u00a0Now, he’s run off to be the highest-paid backup QB in the league, but remember what also happened last year?\u00a0 The Packers lost their first playoff game two weeks later, so they may not make the same decision again this year.\u00a0 Packers (close)<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nI still don’t know how I got Miami to 8 wins, but you can be sure I didn’t even consider giving them #9 here, whether the Pats need this game or not.\u00a0 Patriots (easy)<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nThe natives in Carolina won’t be happy if the Panthers actually lose more games than they did last year, but I can’t see them winning in New Orleans here, so that’s what I’m going with.\u00a0 Saints (moderate)<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nLast game of the year.\u00a0 If this matters, it’s going to be an all-out WAR.\u00a0 And, even if it doesn’t, these teams flat-out don’t like each other.\u00a0 Gimme the home team here.\u00a0 Giants (close)<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nNice way for the Steelers to end the season, especially if these races are close.\u00a0 Steelers (easy)<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nThe RG3 Era: Year One comes to a close here in the Landover, as I think the ‘Boys, whether they need the game or not, should be able to beat this ‘Skins team.\u00a0 Cowboys (close)<\/strong><\/p>\nSunday, Late Afternoon<\/h1>\n
\nA short week for the Chargers and a really bad track record in games they should win, but I can’t see them dropping this on when it really matters.\u00a0 Chargers (moderate)<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nThe Niners may be fighting for positioning here and should have no trouble with a bad Cardinals team.\u00a0 49ers (easy)<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nWhat this whole exercise tells me about the Seahawks is:\u00a0 if they can get through the first 11 games of their schedule around .500 (I had them 3-8), then they have a real shot because the back end is pretty soft.\u00a0 Seahawks (easy)<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nThis is a HUGE game and just might be that flexed Sunday Night game.\u00a0 If so, I really like the Broncos, but if not, I still like them at home to get a gigantic win.\u00a0 Either way, if this matters, it will be must-see TV.\u00a0 Broncos (close)<\/strong><\/p>\nFinal Regular Season Standings<\/h1>\n
\nThe Eagles take another NFC East crown, while the season ends in utter disappointment for all three of the other teams in this division<\/em>
\n11-5 Eagles
\n9-7 Cowboys
\n8-8 Giants
\n5-11 Redskins<\/p>\n
\nAnother great year in Green Bay, a bounceback year in Chicago, and another 10-win season in Detroit looks good for, maybe, the best division in the game
\n<\/em>14-2 Packers
\n11-5 Bears
\n10-6 Lions
\n4-12 Vikings<\/p>\n
\nA couple of 11-win teams and a couple of 11-loss teams in the South
\n<\/em>11-5 Falcons
\n<\/em>11-5 Saints
\n5-11 Panthers
\n5-11 Bucs<\/p>\n
\nThe 3-8 start just crippled the Seahawks and allowed San Fran to waltz to a second straight division title
\n<\/em>11-5 49ers
\n7-9 Seahawks
\n4-12 Cardinals
\n4-12 Rams<\/p>\n
\nA fantastic 8-8 for the Dolphins, a catastrophic 8-8 for the Jets; the Bills are over .500, but they’re all chasing the Pats…as usual
\n<\/em>14-2 Patriots
\n9-7 Bills
\n8-8 Dolphins
\n8-8 Jets<\/p>\n
\nThe Bengals have a brutally tough back end of the schedule, and it showed, as the two stalwarts of this division rise again
\n<\/em>12-4 Steelers
\n11-5 Ravens
\n9-7 Bengals
\n1-15 Browns<\/p>\n
\nTwo of the three or four worst teams in the league are in the same division, and the Texans and Titans still only win 19 games combined
\n<\/em>11-5 Texans
\n8-8 Titans
\n4-12 Jaguars
\n2-14 Colts<\/p>\n
\nA dead-heat with the Broncos and Chargers, with the Chiefs a game back – great race with mediocre teams
\n<\/em>9-7 Broncos
\n9-7 Chargers
\n8-8 Chiefs
\n3-13 Raiders<\/p>\nFinal NFC Playoff Seedings<\/h1>\n
\n#2 – San Francisco 49ers
\n#3 – Atlanta Falcons
\n#4 – Philadelphia Eagles
\n#5 – New Orleans Saints
\n#6\u00a0– Chicago Bears<\/p>\n
\n-ATL wins NFC South tiebreaker over NO via conference record
\n-PHI loses seeding tiebreaker to ATL and SF via conference record
\n-SF wins seeding tiebreaker over ATL via record vs. common opponents
\n-NO wins seeding tiebreaker over CHI\u00a0via record vs. common opponents<\/p>\nFinal AFC Playoff Seedings<\/h1>\n
\n#2 – Pittsburgh Steelers
\n#3 – Houston Texans
\n#4 – Denver Broncos
\n#5 – Baltimore Ravens
\n#6\u00a0– Buffalo Bills<\/p>\n
\n-DEN wins AFC West tiebreaker over SD via head-to-head sweep
\n-BUF win wild card tiebreaker over SD and CIN via conference record<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"