AFC Wild Card Race - Remaining Schedules

Bengals-Broncos & Chiefs-Jaguars knock each other off leaving 2 to play facing off against the top 2 teams of the conference. If we win out a playoff birth is a lock. Heck 3 out of the 4 could easily lose next week.

 

I posted this in another thread, but I think you're post is a much better place for it.

This is my early prognostication

JAX- losses to IND, TEN, and NE, beat KC... 8-8
CIN- beat OAK, lose to IND, beat DEN, lose to PITT... 9-7
DEN- lose to SD, beat ARI, lose to CIN, beat SF... 9-7
KC- lose to BAL, lose to SD, beat OAK, lose to JAX... 8-8

I know some may argue with those projections, but I'll explain them briefly.

I don't think JAX is consistent enough to fight off those VERY good teams they are playing. They may surprise and win one of those but I don't see more than 9-7 out of them. Vince has got that team rolling, I don't think anyone wants to play the Titans now.

I think Cinci will handle Oakland easily. I think Indy will be able to take care of them, especially now that they are fighting for playoff positioning. They're better than Denver. Surprisingly, I think Pittsburgh will give them trouble in Week 17. Max, they'll finish 10-6 IMHO.

Denver is in trouble. I did not like what I saw from Cutler. I think the SD defense will abuse him. They'll beat Arizona easily. Cincinatti will beat them, and San Fran will trouble them, but I think they'll pull it out. Either them or Cinci will be 10-6, not both of them.

Lastly, KC. Herm is taking this ship down and fast. Baltimore is the type of team that will cause the Chiefs some trouble. SD is better than them, and that game is in Cali. They'll beat Oakland. I do think that Jacksonville, who may be in the playoff picture, will beat them. It's in KC, so that could change. I see them at best a 10-6 squad with a shoddy conference record that the Jets would trump.

Bottom line- we're going to be huge Indy and San Diego fans the next few weeks. I'm not making any predictions about the Jets, because I'm horrible when it comes to picking their games. I'm only looking at the Bills right now.

 

I think Jax and KC have a potential to drop 3 out of the remaining 4.
Denver and Cincy will drop 2. If Jax drop 3, KC drops 2 (or vice versa)

Thus, if the Jets can hold on to 3-1 in the last remaining schedule, they should have good shot at PO. (Not that I was expecting it though.)

 

i see the broncos and the bengals posing us the biggest threats

 

Whilst we can mathmatically still win the Div thats what I'm focusing on , the rest will take care of itself.
I can dream can't I?

This is also the Pats remaining schedule

Dec 10 @Miami
Dec 17 Houston
Dec 24 @Jacksonville
Dec 31 @Tennessee

After catching the end of the NE/Lions game I have to say that the wheels look to have fallen off the Pats bandwagon and were truly lucky to have won that game.
They now face @Miami who are now out of the PO's and are playing for pride, NE will lose this game.
There next game is Houston at home .The Texans have improved alot and will give NE a good game but may fall short .
NE @ Jax , Jax win big , so then it comes down to the Titans game. We will have already played meaning that NE will hopefully have the added pressure of knowing they have to win. Wouldn't like to say who wins that one :wink:

 

wild card

Here is a little snipit from an article at espn.com by Michael Smith:

? New York Jets
In our out? In (10-6).
The Jets are taking care of business and feeding on the bottom feeders. They've beaten the Texans and Packers the past two weeks by a combined score of 64-21. Of their last four games, none is against a team with a winning record (Buffalo at home, at Minnesota, at Miami, Oakland at the crib). Then again, this team also lost at Cleveland back on Oct. 29. But the way the Jets went into Gillette Stadium three weeks ago and beat the Patriots and competed in loss to Chicago two weeks ago proves they're for real. Even if the remaining opponents' records aren't cause for concern, the fact that two of them are against AFC East teams means they'll have some tough games. The Jets, though, will find a way to win three of four.

They break down the whole AFC wild card thing. I just copy and pasted the Jets portion.

 

This is fantastic, jets can really control their own destiny now.

 

This is huge. I'm sure Mangini will be emphasizing this also. Just take each game as it comes and have fun.

 

As long as they do better than Herm's Chiefs I'll be satisfied.

 

Bad news would be if JAX beats KC at the end of the season putting us in a 3 way tie with those 2... JAX takes it because they would have beat both of us.

 

Actually, the Jets do not control their own destiny as we speak.

Let's say, for arguments sake, let's say JAX, Denver and NYJ win out. Others lose where appropriate.

All 3 teams 11-5. Denver / JAX go.

Controlling your own destiny means win out and in regardless of what happens. That's not the case yet.

Denver/JAX would go because, if KC/DEN are not tied, DEN comes out of the west instead of KC. They have the best Conference record with 3 losses. JAX/NYJ both have 4. JAX beat NYJ which the tiebreaker would revert to because 2 teams remain.

Another instance of the facts not being issued right by Mr RobA (I can think of a ton of things the A stands for, and none are a curse word).

 

I was pulling for Miami to beat Jax. I still think that would have been the best scenario, then for us to go down to Miami and slap the Dolphins around in their own house.

The other game that pissed me off was the luck of NE again. Brady hasn't been Brady for a hile now and they almost lost that game against an absolutely dismal team. Doesn't say much for being on top of the AFC East if you play that poorly in your own house. It would have been great to wake up one game behind NE this morning. I'd love for us to get another shot at them in post season.

 

We got a little unlucky playin them in week 2. If we could have played them once more now, and played someone else then, we could be in a real strong position.

 

If this is so and your numbers are correct (and they appear to be), good job with your homework on this. It appeared to me on the surface that the Jets could control their own destiny. Still, Mangini seems to be doing a great job of keeping this team focused, so the only path right now is to continue to take one game at a time. Our winning out is an easier task than Denver and the Jax winning out, IMO.

 

I agree. Timing is everything. It cannot be denied that we're a better team today than we were back then. I know it'll be argued that we're playing weaker opponents (and therefore not that much improved) but I'm not buying that.

This Jets team played with authority yesterday (minus a let-down in the 3rd quarter), but "finished" the game, as Mangini has been wanting them to do. They regained their composure and got back to doing what they were doing in the first half. I know the Packers aren't a good team but it was a tough place to play yesterday and we made it look downright easy. Probably the second-most satisfying win for the season, IMO, the first being the win over NE in their own house.

 

Clevland lose is HUGE!!!!

 

Wow that is a huge advantage. We better not screw it up.

 

I feel that some of the weaker teams can have their day too. I've said this before I know, but this season it seems that any of the weaker teams has the chance to put one over on the big boys , more so this season than many in recent memory. So no game is a given.
Yes the Jets did play with authority and looked relaxed the whole time. With no pressure on him Chad still managed to sully some good stats with unpressured INTs.
The 2 biggest games always for me are the Phins , home and away , if anyone is going to throw a spanner in the works it will be our stinking friends.

 

Its going to be us and the bengals clearly!