{"id":380,"date":"2009-09-11T11:41:04","date_gmt":"2009-09-11T15:41:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=380"},"modified":"2009-09-11T11:44:41","modified_gmt":"2009-09-11T15:44:41","slug":"brys-week-by-week-nfl-preview-week-sixteen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/?p=380","title":{"rendered":"Bry’s Week-by-Week NFL Preview: Week Sixteen"},"content":{"rendered":"

Week Fifteen<\/a> put the NFL playoff picture into a little bit better focus, but there are still a lot of questions to be answered.\u00a0 The only things that are clinched are the Steelers and Patriots in their respective divisions, and that the Steelers will have a first-round bye.\u00a0 Everything else is yet to be determined.\u00a0 Though, by the end of Week Sixteen, a lot of those questions will be answered.\u00a0 This week, Carolina, San Diego, and Indy can all clinch their divisions simply with wins.\u00a0 The Eagles can clinch with a win and a Redskins loss.\u00a0 Carolina, Philly, and Indy all clinch playoff berths with wins.\u00a0 Chicago\u00a0and Denver will all be eliminated with losses–and probably even if they win.\u00a0 Arizona and Oakland are, somehow, still breathing in their divisions, and therefore need wins.\u00a0 The Saints, Giants, and Cowboys are all, surprisingly, a game out of the playoffs, at the start of this week.\u00a0 All these questions…answers, to follow:<\/p>\n

Christmas Day (Friday):<\/strong>
\n7:30 – San Diego (9-5) at TENNESSEE (8-6) *
\nThis is a great Christmas Day matchup between two very good teams, both still vying for playoff positioning.\u00a0 It is hard to say which is worse on Christmas Day–travelling away from home the night before or having to leave your family on Christmas morning to go play a game.\u00a0 I think the travelling is slightly worse, but I’m not sure.\u00a0 Either way, I think that coaching plays a big role in games like this and that is why I am going to go with the Titans in a close one on Christmas Day.<\/p>\n

Sunday, December 27:<\/strong>
\n1:00 – Tampa Bay (2-12) at NEW ORLEANS (8-6)
\nA home game with a bad team, whose season is over, two days after Christmas is exactly what the Saints need in this must-win situation.\u00a0 This should be an easy 9th win for New\u00a0Orleans, keeping them in the hunt going into the season’s final week.<\/p>\n

1:00 – Buffalo (8-6) at ATLANTA (3-11)
\nAnd, you can stick a fork in the Bills, as they go down and lose to the Falcons in Atlanta.\u00a0 One last gasp of pride from the Dirty Birds pretty much ends the playoff dreams of Buffalo, once again.<\/p>\n

1:00 – Denver (6-8) at PHILADELPHIA (10-4)
\nThe Broncos needed a miracle at this point, but it’s moot now, as they have to go into Philly, in December, with the Eagles flying high.\u00a0 The Birds go to 11-4, and only need one more win (or a Washington loss) to clinch yet another NFC East crown.<\/p>\n

1:00 – HOUSTON (8-6) at Miami (6-8) *
\nThe Dolphins, through various complex tiebreakers were eliminated last week, following their loss in Tennessee.\u00a0 The Texans are still very much alive and, with this win, will have clinched the first winning season in team history.\u00a0 They just matchup pretty well against the Dolphins, though this was a tough one to predict, but I like the heart of Houston and think that they will get this much-coveted 9th win of the season, putting them in position, heading into their Week Seventeen matchup with New England.<\/p>\n

1:00 – Seattle (7-7) at GREEN BAY (9-5)
\nThe Seahawks play their SIXTH game at 1:00, and lose yet another here in Green Bay.\u00a0 I don’t trust this dome team in late December in Lambeau Field, at 10am, their time.\u00a0 Take the Pack to get their 10th win and put some pressure on the rest of the NFC.<\/p>\n

1:00 – Carolina (10-4) at NEW YORK GIANTS (8-6)
\nThe Giants do the Eagles a favor in beating the Panthers this week, but they do themselves a much bigger favor, as they really need this win.\u00a0 Even though they are coming off a short week, the Giants just have the perfect combination of defense, rushing attack, and experience to win–and win handily–a home game in late December against a team like Carolina–especially when their seasons depends on it.\u00a0 The G-men stay alive with a big win.\u00a0 Carolina fails to clinch the a playoff spot, the division, or the bye (or possibly home-field advantage) with this loss.\u00a0 Now, they will have to play everyone in next week.<\/p>\n

1:00 – Oakland (7-7) at CLEVELAND (5-9)
\nSo, San Diego lost on Christmas Day, but this loss by the Raiders clinches the division for the Chargers.\u00a0 The Raiders are decent and really need this game, but the Browns are still playing hard, are at home in brutal Cleveland in late December, and the game is at 1:00 for a West Coast team.\u00a0 The Raiders made a nice run and still have a chance at .500, but this loss coupled with the Tennessee win, eliminates the Raiders from the playoffs.<\/p>\n

1:00 – Jacksonville (5-9) at NEW ENGLAND (11-3)
\nThe Pats still have an outside shot at the #1 seed, while the Jags are done.\u00a0 The Patriots, in snowy Foxborough, should cruise to this victory over their Sunshine State foes.\u00a0 And, since they beat Indianapolis in Week Ten, this win clinches the first-round bye for Tom Brady and Company.<\/p>\n

1:00 – KANSAS CITY (4-10) at Cincinnati (2-12) *
\nI have no confidence in either of these teams, but by Week Sixteen, it is just going to come down to who is more likely to have completely quit on their coach.\u00a0 And, I say that the Bengals are the most <\/em>likely team in the NFL to have quit on their coach.\u00a0 I like the Chiefs to go into Cincy and get the win.<\/p>\n

1:00 – Baltimore (9-5) at PITTSBURGH (13-1)
\nThe only team that has beaten the Steelers thus far has a lot at stake here in Heinz Field, as they are still fighting for a playoff spot.\u00a0 However, the Steelers know that one win clinches them homefield advantage, and they have pretty much owned the Ravens in recent memory.\u00a0 I like the Steelers here, at home, in a bloodbath of pure hatred.<\/p>\n

4:05 – St. Louis (4-10) at ARIZONA (6-8)
\nSay it ain’t so.\u00a0 The Cardinals are still kicking–barely.\u00a0 A home win this week over an improving Rams team puts them at 7-8 and right in the thick of the NFC West race (unless San Fran wins today, then they are eliminated).\u00a0 The Rams are getting better, but they don’t have anything to play for, while Arizona still–somehow–has visions of defending their NFC title.<\/p>\n

4:05 – Detroit (2-12) at SAN FRANCISCO (7-7)
\nJust what the doctor ordered for an inexperienced team trying to win a division–the Detroit Lions, at home.\u00a0 There will probably be some scoreboard watching, at least in the first quarter, as the Seahawks are playing at 1:00.\u00a0 If Seattle loses and San Fran wins, the Niners, shockingly, clinch the NFC West.\u00a0 I like them to see that result and come out firing.\u00a0 The Niners win the game and the division this week.<\/p>\n

4:15 – INDIANAPOLIS (10-4) at New York Jets (4-10)
\nThe Jets are playing better, and Mark Sanchez is learning the ropes.\u00a0 But, the Colts are still in a division race and should win this game to clinch yet another AFC South title.\u00a0 Also, with the Pats win and Chargers loss, this win for the Colts locks them into the #3 seed, so Peyton & Co. can take the week off to prepare for the Wild Card Round.<\/p>\n

8:20 – DALLAS (8-6) at Washington (9-5)
\nThe hated rivals go at it with everything <\/em>on the line.\u00a0 And, the Cowboys step up.\u00a0 This is going to be an enormous game, but I like Dallas to come through and win it, keeping their season alive, and putting a big dent into Washington’s playoff hopes.\u00a0 This loss for Washington clinches the NFC East for the Eagles.<\/p>\n

Monday, December 28:
\n<\/strong>8:30 – Minnesota (9-5) at CHICAGO (7-7)
\nTechnically, the Bears are not eliminated from the the Wild Card race and, even if they were, they do not like the Vikings and would love to hand them a big loss.\u00a0 The Vikings defense is special, but their QB may be struggling by this point.\u00a0 I like the\u00a0Bears to pull off the upset, at home.\u00a0 Then again, this Bears win is good for their true hated rival–the Packers–as the Vikings loss clinches the NFC North title for the Pack.<\/p>\n

STANDINGS AFTER WEEK 16:
\n<\/strong>##-clinched homefield advantage
\n#-clinched first-round bye
\n**-clinched division
\n*-clinched playoff spot<\/p>\n

NFC EAST:
\n<\/strong>11-4\u00a0\u00a0 Philadelphia (1)**
\n9-6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dallas (6)
\n9-6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 New York Giants
\n9-6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Washington<\/p>\n

NFC NORTH:<\/strong>
\n10-5\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Green Bay (2)**
\n9-6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Minnesota
\n8-7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Chicago
\n2-13\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Detroit<\/p>\n

NFC\u00a0SOUTH<\/strong>:
\n10-5\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Carolina (3)
\n9-6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 New Orleans (5)
\n4-11\u00a0\u00a0 Atlanta
\n2-13\u00a0\u00a0 Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

NFC WEST:
\n<\/strong>8-7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 San Francisco (4)**
\n7-8\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Arizona
\n7-8\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Seattle
\n4-11\u00a0\u00a0 St. Louis<\/p>\n

AFC EAST:<\/strong>
\n12-3\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0New England (2)#
\n8-7\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Buffalo
\n6-9\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Miami
\n4-11\u00a0\u00a0 N.Y. Jets<\/p>\n

AFC NORTH:<\/strong>
\n14-1 \u00a0\u00a0Pittsburgh\u00a0(1)##
\n9-6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Baltimore
\n6-9\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Cleveland
\n2-13\u00a0\u00a0 Cincinnati<\/p>\n

AFC SOUTH:<\/strong>
\n11-4\u00a0\u00a0 Indianapolis (3)**
\n9-6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Houston (5)
\n9-6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0Tennessee (6)
\n5-10\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Jacksonville<\/p>\n

AFC WEST:<\/strong>
\n9-6\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 San Diego (4)**
\n7-8\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Oakland
\n6-9\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Denver
\n5-10\u00a0\u00a0 Kansas City<\/p>\n

PLAYOFF PICTURE AFTER WEEK 16:
\n<\/strong>*-I am going to pick winners (why not?)\u00a0up until the championship games.\u00a0 You can draw your own conclusions from there.\u00a0 And, since the playoffs can be a bit of a crapshoot, the picks for the playoffs will just based on how I\u2019m feeling that day.<\/p>\n

NFC:
\n<\/strong>Eliminated<\/u>:\u00a0 Arizona (7-8), Seattle (7-8), Atlanta (4-11), St. Louis (4-11), Detroit (2-13), Tampa Bay (2-13)<\/p>\n

Still Alive<\/u>:\u00a0 Minnesota (9-6), New York Giants (9-6), Washington (9-6), Chicago (8-7)<\/p>\n

Wild Card Round<\/u>
\n#6 DALLAS (9-6)\u00a0at #3 Carolina (9-6)
\n#5\u00a0NEW ORLEANS (9-6) at #4 San Francisco (8-7)<\/p>\n

Divisional Round<\/u>
\nDallas at\u00a0#1 PHILADELPHIA (11-4)
\nNew Orleans at\u00a0#2 GREEN BAY (10-5)<\/p>\n

NFC Championship<\/u>
\nGreen Bay at Philadelphia<\/p>\n

AFC:
\n<\/strong>Eliminated<\/u>:\u00a0 Oakland (7-8), Cleveland (6-9), Denver (6-9), Miami (6-9),\u00a0Jacksonville (5-10), Kansas City (5-10), New York Jets (4-11), Cincinnati (2-13)<\/p>\n

Still Alive<\/u>:\u00a0 Baltimore (9-6), Buffalo (8-7)<\/p>\n

Wild Card Round<\/u>
\n#6\u00a0TENNESSEE (9-6)\u00a0at #3\u00a0Indianapolis (11-4)
\n#5\u00a0Houston (9-6) at #4 SAN DIEGO (9-6)<\/p>\n

Divisional Round<\/u>
\nSan Diego at\u00a0#1 PITTSBURGH (12-1)
\nTennessee\u00a0at\u00a0#2 NEW ENGLAND (11-2)<\/p>\n

AFC Championship<\/u>
\nNew England at Pittsburgh<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Week Fifteen put the NFL playoff picture into a little bit better focus, but there are still a lot of questions to be answered.\u00a0 The only things that are clinched are the Steelers and Patriots in their respective divisions, and … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[748],"class_list":["post-380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nfl","tag-nfl-week-by-week-preview"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=380"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/380\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=380"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/broadstreetbelievers.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}