Foxx Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 © George Walker IV - USA TODAY Sports What a season! Parity, thy name is The NFL. I think it is safe to say that the cumulative level of interest maintained this late in the season by most NFL franchises has never been greater. Heading into last weekend's games, 23 teams still had playoff aspirations. And with this, the last week of the 2021 NFL season, there are still seven teams vying for the final three open positions. In the AFC, there are five teams still competing for the last two spots with no seed guaranteed. I'd say that the first season of 17 games has been a rousing success. In addition to the regular Sunday games this weekend, the NFL gods have decided to grace us with Saturday football, so you'll get your NFL fix a day early on this last weekend of the regular season. Eight AFC games will impact the final seeding, so let's have a brief look at each. Kansas City will close out the regular season against Denver on Empower Field at Mile High. Because the Chiefs lost last week to the Bengals, they need to win here and hope that Tennessee loses against the Texans if they are to regain the number one seed and have a first-round bye. Currently, with the number two seed, they lose, and there is a possibility that they fall to the fourth seed. Should Tennessee and Kansas City both win, the Chiefs would remain the number two seed. Indianapolis travels to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field. The Colts currently hold the sixth seed, but they must win to guarantee a playoff position because they lost last week to the Raiders. They can still back in by losing but would have to have the Raiders and Steelers win to do so. As they say, any given Sunday, but the Colts should be able to pretty much just toss their laundry on the field and walk away with a win here. Tennessee plays in Houston at NRG Stadium. The Titans will look to keep the number one seed and first-week bye by defeating the team they lost at home to in week eleven, the Texans. Lose, and should the Chiefs win, they would slip to the number two seed. Derrick Henry was designated to return from IR yesterday. It is unknown if he will see any action this week though. Expect Mike Vrabel's team to be ready to play regardless. Pittsburgh ventures to Baltimore to close their season at M&T Bank Stadium. Having won last week against the Browns, Pittsburgh kept their slim playoff hopes alive. For those hopes to materialize, they must win here and have Indianapolis lose to the Jaguars. Even after losing their last five games, the Ravens still have a shot at getting into the dance. To do so, though, they must win, have the Colts and Chargers lose. Cleveland will look to play spoiler at home in FirstEnergy Stadium as they take on Cincinnati. Cleveland was eliminated from post-season play last week and will try to complete the season sweep of the Bengals. If Cincinnati wins here and the Titans and Chiefs lose, they would ascend to the number one seed and enjoy a first-round bye. Miami, eliminated from post-season play with their loss last week to the Titans, will look to finish their season on a high note against the *Patriots at home in Hard Rock Stadium. Miami has had some success against the *Patriots in recent years and beat them on opening day this year. Completing the season sweep would give the Dolphins a winning record and a sense of optimism heading into the off-season that winning eight of your last nine games can lend. The *Patriots are guaranteed a playoff position and, depending upon the outcome of other games, other than the fourth seed can finish anywhere from first to seventh position. Expect Belichick to have his team take this game seriously. The Bills look to clinch the AFCE division title at home in Highmark Stadium against the NY Jets. The Bills can finish anywhere from the second to the seventh seed. Win, and they take the AFCE Division crown for the second year in a row and enjoy a home playoff game the following week. Lose, and they will almost certainly be on the road. New York has played respectable ball their last three games, so the Bills need to be on point and come to play. The regular season comes to a close with Sunday night's final game of the regular season. The LA Chargers play the Raiders in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium. Both teams can make the playoffs, but a complicated scenario will become more evident as the day's games unfold. As it stands right now, the winner gets into the playoffs. There is a scenario where both teams get in, but that would entail the Chargers and Ravens winning. If the Raiders and Ravens win, Los Angeles goes home knowing their future is bright. Week 18 Visitor Home Info Location Chiefs Broncos Sat, 1/8, 4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC Empower Field Cowboys Eagles Sat, 1/8, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC Lincoln Financial Field Bengals Browns 1 p.m. ET, CBS FirstEnergy Stadium Packers Lions 1 p.m. ET, FOX Ford Field Steelers Ravens 1 p.m. ET, CBS M&T Bank Stadium Bears Vikings 1 p.m. ET, FOX U.S. Bank Stadium Washington Giants 1 p.m. ET, FOX MetLife Stadium Colts Jaguars 1 p.m. ET, CBS TIAA Bank Field Titans Texans 1 p.m. ET, CBS NRG Stadium Saints Falcons 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX Mercedes-Benz Stadium Jets Bills 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS Highmark Stadium Patriots Dolphins 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS Hard Rock Stadium Panthers Buccaneers 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX Raymond James Stadium 49ers Rams 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX SoFi Stadium Seahawks Cardinals 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX State Farm Stadium Chargers Raiders 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC Allegiant Stadium Rooting interests this week include: Broncos Jaguars Texans Steelers Browns Dolphins Chargers/Raiders? (case to be made for each) Go Bills!! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crap Throwing Clavin Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 19 minutes ago, Foxx said: © George Walker IV - USA TODAY Sports What a season! Parity, thy name is The NFL. I think it is safe to say that the cumulative level of interest maintained this late in the season by most NFL franchises has never been greater. Heading into last weekend's games, 23 teams still had playoff aspirations. And with this, the last week of the 2021 NFL season, there are still seven teams vying for the final three open positions. In the AFC, there are five teams still competing for the last two spots with no seed guaranteed. I'd say that the first season of 17 games has been a rousing success. In addition to the regular Sunday games this weekend, the NFL gods have decided to grace us with Saturday football, so you'll get your NFL fix a day early on this last weekend of the regular season. Eight AFC games will impact the final seeding, so let's have a brief look at each. Kansas City will close out the regular season against Denver on Empower Field at Mile High. Because the Chiefs lost last week to the Bengals, they need to win here and hope that Tennessee loses against the Texans if they are to regain the number one seed and have a first-round bye. Currently, with the number two seed, they lose, and there is a possibility that they fall to the fourth seed. Should Tennessee and Kansas City both win, the Chiefs would remain the number two seed. Indianapolis travels to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars at TIAA Bank Field. The Colts currently hold the sixth seed, but they must win to guarantee a playoff position because they lost last week to the Raiders. They can still back in by losing but would have to have the Raiders and Steelers win to do so. As they say, any given Sunday, but the Colts should be able to pretty much just toss their laundry on the field and walk away with a win here. Tennessee plays in Houston at NRG Stadium. The Titans will look to keep the number one seed and first-week bye by defeating the team they lost at home to in week eleven, the Texans. Lose, and should the Chiefs win, they would slip to the number two seed. Derrick Henry was designated to return from IR yesterday. It is unknown if he will see any action this week though. Expect Mike Vrabel's team to be ready to play regardless. Pittsburgh ventures to Baltimore to close their season at M&T Bank Stadium. Having won last week against the Browns, Pittsburgh kept their slim playoff hopes alive. For those hopes to materialize, they must win here and have Indianapolis lose to the Jaguars. Even after losing their last five games, the Ravens still have a shot at getting into the dance. To do so, though, they must win, have the Colts and Chargers lose. Cleveland will look to play spoiler at home in FirstEnergy Stadium as they take on Cincinnati. Cleveland was eliminated from post-season play last week and will try to complete the season sweep of the Bengals. If Cincinnati wins here and the Titans and Chiefs lose, they would ascend to the number one seed and enjoy a first-round bye. Miami, eliminated from post-season play with their loss last week to the Titans, will look to finish their season on a high note against the *Patriots at home in Hard Rock Stadium. Miami has had some success against the *Patriots in recent years and beat them on opening day this year. Completing the season sweep would give the Dolphins a winning record and a sense of optimism heading into the off-season that winning eight of your last nine games can lend. The *Patriots are guaranteed a playoff position and, depending upon the outcome of other games, other than the fourth seed can finish anywhere from first to seventh position. Expect Belichick to have his team take this game seriously. The Bills look to clinch the AFCE division title at home in Highmark Stadium against the NY Jets. The Bills can finish anywhere from the second to the seventh seed. Win, and they take the AFCE Division crown for the second year in a row and enjoy a home playoff game the following week. Lose, and they will almost certainly be on the road. New York has played respectable ball their last three games, so the Bills need to be on point and come to play. The regular season comes to a close with Sunday night's final game of the regular season. The LA Chargers play the Raiders in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium. Both teams can make the playoffs, but a complicated scenario will become more evident as the day's games unfold. As it stands right now, the winner gets into the playoffs. There is a scenario where both teams get in, but that would entail the Chargers and Ravens winning. If the Raiders and Ravens win, Los Angeles goes home knowing their future is bright. Week 18 Visitor Home Info Location Chiefs Broncos Sat, 1/8, 4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC Empower Field Cowboys Eagles Sat, 1/8, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC Lincoln Financial Field Bengals Browns 1 p.m. ET, CBS FirstEnergy Stadium Packers Lions 1 p.m. ET, FOX Ford Field Steelers Ravens 1 p.m. ET, CBS M&T Bank Stadium Bears Vikings 1 p.m. ET, FOX U.S. Bank Stadium Washington Giants 1 p.m. ET, FOX MetLife Stadium Colts Jaguars 1 p.m. ET, CBS TIAA Bank Field Titans Texans 1 p.m. ET, CBS NRG Stadium Saints Falcons 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX Mercedes-Benz Stadium Jets Bills 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS Highmark Stadium Patriots Dolphins 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS Hard Rock Stadium Panthers Buccaneers 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX Raymond James Stadium 49ers Rams 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX SoFi Stadium Seahawks Cardinals 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX State Farm Stadium Chargers Raiders 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC Allegiant Stadium Rooting interests this week include: Dolphins No, I'm rooting for a turnover contest between Mac Smith and Tua Turntheballova that ends in a 4-4 tie. 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devnull Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 11 minutes ago, Crap Throwing Monkey said: No, I'm rooting for a turnover contest between Mac Smith and Tua Turntheballova that ends in a 4-4 tie. Two words: Flaming meteor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 Aww man, no Thursday night game. I'd even be willing to watch the Texans play. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crap Throwing Clavin Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 10 minutes ago, devnull said: Two words: Flaming meteor He's saving himself for the 2024 "Make America Great Again Again" vs. "It's Her Turn 2: Cackle Harder" Presidential election. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxx Posted January 7, 2022 Author Share Posted January 7, 2022 3 minutes ago, KD in CA said: Aww man, no Thursday night game. I'd even be willing to watch the Texans play. They did beat the Titans in Tennessee during week eleven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 (edited) 16 hours ago, KD in CA said: Aww man, no Thursday night game. I'd even be willing to watch the Texans play. I love prime time games, no matter who's playing. Especially -- as I'm sure you figured out -- having them start at 5:30 and ending before 9 p.m. I always get a little bummed when I realize TNF and MNF are done for the year. As I've mentioned before, even a bad matchup is like porn on Cinemax. It's not really porn, but I'll watch it anyway. EDITOR'S NOTE: As a Christian, I don't watch porn anymore, soft or otherwise, but I still think that line is funny. Edited January 7, 2022 by IDBillzFan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxx Posted January 7, 2022 Author Share Posted January 7, 2022 Looks like Huntley is starting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxx Posted January 7, 2022 Author Share Posted January 7, 2022 Fields season is done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxx Posted January 7, 2022 Author Share Posted January 7, 2022 https://twitter.com/ProFootballTalk/status/1479533551699775488 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxx Posted January 7, 2022 Author Share Posted January 7, 2022 Records to watch for this weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxx Posted January 7, 2022 Author Share Posted January 7, 2022 Belichick is 9-12 against the Dolphins in Miami. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 28 minutes ago, Foxx said: Belichick is 9-12 against the Dolphins in Miami. Miami feels like a team who thinks they left money on the table this year, and may play week 18 like they are already focused on next season. I'd be really surprised if they turned in a run-for-the-buses effort, especially against NE*. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxx Posted January 7, 2022 Author Share Posted January 7, 2022 1 minute ago, KD in CA said: Miami feels like a team who thinks they left money on the table this year, and may play week 18 like they are already focused on next season. I'd be really surprised if they turned in a run-for-the-buses effort, especially against NE*. I wanna see them pressure the hell out of Mac and Cheese. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snafu Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 1 hour ago, Foxx said: Fields season is done. Man, that is one great looking beard! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fansince88 Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 3 hours ago, Foxx said: Records to watch for this weekend. Not a whole lot of respect if any records for the year are set this weekend as this year has an extra weekend of play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxx Posted January 8, 2022 Author Share Posted January 8, 2022 1 hour ago, Fansince88 said: Not a whole lot of respect if any records for the year are set this weekend as this year has an extra weekend of play. Yep and the same with records set in a 16 game schedule that surpassed those in a 14 game season and those that were set then that surpassed a 12 game season. It's part of the evolution of the game. Records set from here forth are going to be the standard. And in a couple years when it becomes an 18 game season, the same will apply just as it will if and when a 20 game season comes along. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Core Four Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 5 hours ago, Foxx said: Looks like Huntley is starting. If I were a Ravens fan, I would be fine with this. The thought of giving Lamar a big contract would not sit well with me. The Ravens probably pissed away their playoff chances. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 39 minutes ago, Core Four said: If I were a Ravens fan, I would be fine with this. The thought of giving Lamar a big contract would not sit well with me. The Ravens probably pissed away their playoff chances. I can't wait till the 'r' word starts getting tossed around if the Ravens hesitate on that. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
devnull Posted January 8, 2022 Share Posted January 8, 2022 1 hour ago, Core Four said: If I were a Ravens fan, I would be fine with this. The thought of giving Lamar a big contract would not sit well with me. With the uncertainty around Lamar Jackson and Baker Mayfield, coupled with what has already happened to Sam Darnold and Josh Rosen, how great does it feel knowing that the only true franchise QB to come out of the much hyped 2018 class turned out to be Josh Allen 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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