Only 12 teams are left to chase the Lombardi Trophy, while another half-dozen are searching for a new head coach to lead the way through darkness.
OTAs. Training Camp. Preseason. Regular Season. All of it has led us to this point. After the smoke cleared and the dust settled on a wild NFL year, 12 teams are left to fight for the sport’s ultimate prize.
There will be plenty of time to talk about the other 20 clubs. Certainly, there are interesting aspects to all, especially when we get toward free agency and the draft. For now, though, it is about the dozen franchises still pursuing everyone’s collective dream, whether or not it is realistic for said team.
Going into Wild Card weekend, there are Hall of Fame quarterbacks and signal callers that most fans wouldn’t be able to identify at the local market without a name tag. There is Ben Roethlisberger, Russell Wilson, Eli Manning and Aaron Rodgers, combining for nine Super Bowl appearances and six titles. On the other end of the spectrum are Matt Moore, Mat McGloin/Connor Cook, Brock Osweiler/Tom Savage and Matthew Stafford. Stafford is the only one to attempt a postseason pass, and none have won a playoff game.
Of all the teams taking the field next weekend, Pittsburgh seems the best bet. The Steelers have not lost since November, earning the AFC’s third seed and a home date with the Miami Dolphins. Miami is a heavy underdog despite beating Pittsburgh back in October, albeit at Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins will attempt to run the ball with Jay Ajayi and make opportunistic plays defensively. It’s tough to see that being enough.
The other AFC matchup is one of the ugliest we’ve seen in some time. Both the Oakland Raiders and Houston Texans are offensively challenged, something Oakland was not until the broken leg suffered by Derek Carr. The Raiders now need to pound the ball with Latavius Murray and Jalen Richard, something Houston defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel will load up for. The difference could be the defenses. The Raiders are last in yards allowed per play. Houston has allowed the least yardage per game in the NFL.
On the NFC side, the Seahawks are hosting the Lions in what appears to be a mismatch. Detroit has lived on the edge in most games this season, something that won’t end well at CenturyLink Field. With Matthew Stafford hurting, the Lions need the defense to make a huge stand against Wilson and Co. The only concern for Seattle should be its offensive line, which might be the worst in football and certainly the faultiest remaining.
Meanwhile, the Packers welcoming the Giants to Lambeau Field should be a fantastic contest. Green Bay is the hottest team in football, but New York is quietly playing great defense and Manning has won twice before at the Frozen Tundra. The winner is likely going to face the Cowboys in Dallas during the Divisional round, setting up a must-see game regardless. Look for the Packer and Giants to play the game of the weekend.
Seventeen weeks and 20 teams gone. A dozen fight for the crown.
Power rankings
10 teams that missed playoffs likely to make them in 2017
1. Arizona Cardinals
2. Carolina Panthers
3. Denver Broncos
4. Washington Redskins
5. Minnesota Vikings
6. Cincinnati Bengals
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8. Indianapolis Colts
9. Tennessee Titans
10. Baltimore Ravens
Quotable
"“You know, I’ve been here since 2005, and I have a lot of respect for the organization as a whole, and the ownership, the fan base. It’s difficult, but it’s the right thing to do.”"
– Former San Francisco 49ers general manager Trent Baalke on his firing
The 49ers suffered through a miserable 2-14 season, and general manager Trent Baalke paid the ultimate price. Baalke, who built a great team at the beginning of the decade, watched multiple retirements, bad coaching decisions and free-agent departures erode the franchise into chaos. As the man said himself, owner Jed York had to make the move.
Random stat
On Sunday, Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz set a NFL rookie record for completions. He broke the record of Sam Bradford, who set the mark in 2010 with the St. Louis Rams.
Info learned this week
1. Broncos best of coaching openings
While there are six teams with vacancies atop their coaching tree (Rams, 49ers, Broncos, Chargers, Jaguars and Bills) the best position resides in Denver. None of the opportunities come with a ready-made quarterback for the next decade, but the Broncos offer a quality general manager in John Elway and a group of terrific playmakers on both sides of the ball.
On the other end, the 49ers, Jaguars and Bills are all ugly. San Francisco has the worst roster in football, Jacksonville’s general manager David Caldwell has shown zero aptitude in the draft, and the Bills have a mangled power structure led by team president Russ Brandon. None of those teams are quick turnarounds.
2. Draft order is set
The Browns lost in overtime on Sunday to the Steelers, cinching the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. After them, it’s the 49ers, Bears, Jaguars and Titans (via Los Angeles) in that order. Cleveland could go with a quarterback such as Mitch Tribusky or take a more NFL-ready prospect like edge rusher Myles Garrett out of Texas A&M.
Of the teams picking in the top five, Cleveland, San Francisco and Chicago could all go for a signal-caller. It will be intriguing to see how the stocks of Tribusky, DeShone Kizer and Deshaun Watson pan out over the next four months.
3. Bye week teams all Super Bowl threats
Everyone knows about the Patriots and Cowboys, but don’t sleep on the Falcons and Chiefs. Atlanta went 11-5 and won the NFC South, largely behind a prolific offense and pass-rushing terror in second-year man Vic Beasley Jr. Atlanta doesn’t simply rely on Julio Jones anymore, either. Devonta Freeman is a great back.
Kansas City went undefeated in the league’s toughest division, winning the AFC West with a 12-4 mark. Considering Justin Houston and Eric Berry are expected healthy and ready for the postseason, the Chiefs are loaded for bear. Also, don’t sleep on the offense. Alex Smith is a game manager, but Tyreek Hill, Jeremy Maclin and Travis Kelce can change the game on any play.
4. Sean Payton headed west?
For years, there has been talk about Saints head coach Sean Payton being either fired or traded. After another 7-9 campaign that resulted in missing the postseason, the talk continues to be about Payton being shipped to Hollywood for a chance to coach the Rams, per Larry Holder of The Times-Picayune.
Payton would be charged with fixing Jared Goff, the former first-overall pick who has played horribly in his limited action. Los Angeles also needs to remedy Todd Gurley, who went from rookie sensation to sophomore dud. Payton would be an interesting fit, for sure.
5. Chargers done in San Diego?
The Chiefs went into San Diego and won 37-27 in front of a stadium with more empty seats than fans. On the surface, the Chargers were playing a meaningless contest in a 5-11 season, but this could represent the end of an era.
San Diego has been home to the Chargers since 1961 (the franchise was born, ironically, in Los Angeles in 1960). Now it appears all but certain that the team will be going back to its original location. So many will blame the fans, but they’ve been jerked around for years while ownership failed to secure a new stadium and threatened to move out of its outdated digs.
History lesson
The Jets are the biggest underdog to ever win a Super Bowl. New York played the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III, a team that had lost only one game against its NFL slate. The Jets were 18-point underdogs, a larger spread than any team was this season. New York won, 16-7.
Parting shot
This is the most wide open playoff field we’ve seen in years. While the Patriots are favorites in Vegas, even New England has flaws in the resume. For all their success and sterling 14-2 record, the Patriots are 4-1 against postseason-bound teams. Sounds great, until you realize the teams beaten were Miami twice (Ryan Tannehill and Matt Moore at the helm), Pittsburgh (Landry Jones) and Houston (Brock Osweiler at home).
The Chiefs and Steelers both have real shots to take New England down. Kansas City has a bevy of terrific wins, and Pittsburgh has an offensive juggernaut that’s been there and done that.
In the NFC, the Cowboys are 13-3 but leave a host of questions surrounding experience and defense. Dallas has home-field advantage, but critics will point to an easy schedule. Nobody in Texas would feel comfortable seeing the Falcons, Packers, Seahawks or Giants.
Whoever wins the Lombardi Trophy is going to earn it.