Week 16 Preview

Sometimes we use the words “ego” and “pride” interchangeably, and perhaps rightly so.  Yet there are moments when those two paths diverge, and I expect that the 2012 NFL season for the Detroit Lions is a good case in point.  I think that team has a lot of ego, but it doesn’t seem to have much pride.  They certainly didn’t put on much of a showing at home last night against Atlanta.  But then they haven’t put on much of a show all season.  I feel for their fans.

And speaking of fans, this is either the best or the worst time of the NFL year.  For the fans of the 19 teams that are either in-the-playoffs or in-the-hunt, these last two weeks are tremendously exciting.  For the fans of the other 13 teams, however – the ones that have already been eliminated from playoff contention – these weeks represent prolonged and painful disappointment. 

We are among the fans who have good reason to be excited.  Indeed, we are in one of the most favorable positions – for we don’t need to be nervous about missing the playoffs, on the one hand, but we can feel excited about improving our seeding, on the other.

There is more clarity on the AFC side this year.  Four of the six spots are already locked up (the Texans, Broncos, Patriots, and Ravens are all in).  Meanwhile, just four other teams are still vying for the remaining two slots – the Colts, Bengals, Steelers, and Dolphins.  And if the Colts and Bengals both win this week, they seal up those last two spots. 

The Colts play the Chiefs, so you’d think they can pretty well punch their tickets.  In one of the most fascinating games of the weekend, though, the Bengals go to visit the Steelers on Sunday.  It’s a divisional game, and it’s all on the line.  Great stuff!

Over in the NFC, the picture is more complex.  Just three teams are in – Atlanta, San Francisco, and Green Bay.  Meanwhile, an amazing eight other teams remain mathematically alive – the Redskins, Seahawks, Vikings, Bears, Cowboys, Giants, Rams, and Saints. 

Seattle has the easiest, most straightforward clinching scenario going into Week 16:  win and they’re in.  And that fact sets up one of the most intriguing games of the weekend, as the 49ers visit Seattle on Sunday Night Football.  The 49ers are clinging to the second seed by a half-game over the Packers.  The Seahawks, meanwhile, will be playing for not only a playoff berth but a shot at the NFC West title.  It shapes up to be a fantastic game.  And you and I are squarely in Seattle’s corner tonight!

The Vikings have the toughest road to the playoffs, with games against the Texans and Packers.  They have no way to clinch today, though it is possible that they could be eliminated today.  The Texans, meanwhile, are trying to stay ahead of the Broncos for the #1 seed in the AFC, and they’ll be playing at home.  But in addition to the playoff hunt, the Vikings’ remaining two games have this other motivating factor:  Adrian Peterson is chasing Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing record. 

The Bears have a much easier route to the playoffs, as their remaining schedule features the 5-9 Cardinals and the 4-10 Lions.  They’re both road games, but they’re both the kinds of teams that Chicago can beat. 

The Cowboys are also right there, but they have to play the Saints and the Redskins.  Tough stuff. 

And then there are the Giants.  They are currently the projected 9th seed, yet they come into this Sunday with two (long, complex) clinching scenarios.  They host the Eagles next week, which I think will be a “W” for them.  Accordingly, I am eager to see them lose today at Baltimore, for of all the remaining NFC teams in the hunt, New York is the one I am most anxious to see get knocked out.  They’re simply too good once they’re in the postseason. 

And so today, in addition to (or as part of) being a Packer fan, I am also a fan of the Seahawks, the Texans, the Ravens, and (as a matter of general principle) the Bengals. 

Finally, the Packers wrap up their home schedule this afternoon by hosting the Tennessee Titans.  The Titans haven’t been very good this year, and they have nothing to play for in the snow and the cold today.  I think that if the Packers can jump out on top early, Tennessee will fold.  They’ll just want the game to be over with so that they can get back to the warm buses and go home.  That’s what I’m rooting for – and, frankly, that’s what I’m expecting.  The real suspense at Lambeau today, in my judgment, will not be the outcome of the game, but the role and performance of Mason Crosby.