Post by Cincinnati Bengals (Chris) on Oct 10, 2019 2:51:37 GMT -5
CLINCHED PLAYOFFS 1. Philadelphia 0 (10-1)- Leading the league in points this season and again this week with 177+, Philly is my Stone Cold Lock of the Century…of the Week. The GM-less Giants had no chance, and the Eagles have the opportunity to lock up the NFC East and the league’s best record in the season finale, division-deciding game against DAL.
AFC NORTH WINNER 2. Pittsburgh +2 (9-2)- The Steelers showed well again, tallying 141 points on the way to a blowout of now eliminated Browns. They are now the top seed in the AFC, and look like the team to beat in that conference. The only thing that could really derail them from making the championship game is Alex Smith (who tried very hard to do so this week) and the lack of a kicker. PIT jumps up 2 spots to #2.
CLINCHED PLAYOFFS 3. Dallas +2 (9-2)- The Cowboys have ripped off 9-straight wins after starting the year 0-2, and managed to keep that win streak alive this week despite a poor game from Brady and two offensive zeros. The Redskins made it a fight to the finish, but in the end, Dallas earned their 9th win. The Cowboys play for the division this week, and face their stiffest test yet in Andrew’s Eagles. DAL rises 2 spots to #3 this week, the highest ranking for them all-season.
AFC SOUTH WINNER 4. Jacksonville +2 (9-2)- Jacksonville wrapped up their 9th win of the year with a 60-point drubbing of the Colts in Week 11. Another commonplace 35-ponter from Aaron Rodgers led the way, amd beyond that, despite some disappointing performances defensively, the Jags managed 143 points, well more than was necessary to beat a reeling Colts team. JAX is up 2 spots this week and currently the #2 seed in the AFC.
NFC WEST WINNER 5. Arizona +2 (9-2)- A week after suffering their worst effort of the season, Arizona was back to their winning ways, clinching the NFC West division title with a 25-point win over mainstay Seattle, despite missing a DL (though to be fair, so was SEA). Mett is a shoe-in for rookie GM of the year, and perhaps even GM of the year. For now, the playoffs are the concern, however, as they’re basically locked in as the #2 seed in the NFC. ARI rises 2 places this week to get back into the top-5.
CLINCHED PLAYOFFS 6. New England -3 (9-2)- In the major upset of the week, and perhaps one of the biggest of the year, previously 4-win Buffalo conquered the 9-win Pats by 15 points. New England was again unimpressive, making last week’s 149+ point outburst look like just that. The mid-season trades N.E. made were risky, and to date have not paid off. While this week’s loss can mostly be blamed on one of those acquisitions, the unpredictable Eli Manning, it was a team effort, as both the offense and defense put in just average performances. The Patriots have been good all year, but just how good will be determined in the playoffs. Now the division is up for grabs in this week’s game between the Dolphins and the Patriots. NE drops 3 spots this week and out of the top-5 for the first time since Leif last set his lineup (or earlier).
CLINCHED PLAYOFFS 7. Seattle -5 (8-3)- The one week in which Cecil could ill-afford Peyton Manning to have a clunker was in the match up with Arizona. He did, and as a result, SEA lost the division. Mike Evans tried his best with a 34-point game, but the defense was far too spotty to get it done, and now SEA is looking at the #5-6 seed. The ‘Hawks fall an unfairish (new word, so sue me) 5 places. It seems wrong based on the body of work, but them’s the breaks.
NFC NORTH WINNER 8. Detroit +1 (8-3)- Detroit locked up the NFC North this past week with a 32+ point win over Minnesota. Based on the pre-season predictions, it’s a little bit of a surprise that the Vikings aren’t on top, but the Lions have far and away been the best team in the division all-year long. Running back will be the biggest concern going into the playoffs, that is of course, unless Jonas Gray decides to keep having 44-point nights. He can’t do that…can he? Either way, DET will be a dangerous team as the #3 seed, capable of putting up just silly numbers every week. DET rises one spot this week.
AFC WEST WINNER 9. Kansas City +1 (8-3)- In another division-deciding game, Kansas City managed to outlast the upstart Broncos, very much due to a superb week from Jamaal Charles. The 34-point victory was decisive, and proved that despite a lull in the middle of the season, Brooks’ Chiefs are every bit as dangerous as they were last year when he won the MFL title. The 162-point performance was also the second-highest scoring effort of last week. They’re currently a 4-seed, but could move up to #3.
CLINCHED PLAYOFFS 10. Miami +1 (8-3)- For the first time since sitting 7-0 nearly a month ago, Miami is back in the win column after beating the winless Jets. Jay Cutler had one of his finer fantasy games, and despite no one else really sticking out, Donny’s Dolphins are still very much alive in the AFC East race and have now at least clinched a playoff berth. MIA is currently a #5 seed, but could potentially rise to #4 if they win the division in this week’s all-important showdown between Miami and N.E. The ‘Fins jump out from under the water to rise one spot higher.
CLINCHED PLAYOFFS 11. Cincinnati +2 (7-4)- Right where they were projected to be at this point of the season, the Bengals clinched a playoff berth with their 45-point win over the Ravens in Week 11, Chris’ first such appearance in 4 years as an MFL/NFFL GM (1 season as WAS and 3 as CIN). While that’s all nice and good, it’s going to be a tough draw for the Bengals no matter what, and a lot of the seeding depends on what other teams do more than what Cincy does in its final game against the Browns. However, playoff teams should know this much: if Chris Borland continues getting 20+ point games (now three weeks in a row after a 32-pointer in Week 11), and with Gio Bernard coming back to health, the Bengals, who are 8th in scoring, are as dangerous as any other team in the league. CIN climbs 2 spots this week.
CLINCHED PLAYOFFS 12. Denver -4 (7-4)- Tony Romo on a bye spelled the end of the Broncos’ improbable run at the AFC West title. It wasn’t a bad effort at 128 points, and several other players (looking at you Alex Ogletree and Jermaine Gresham) stepped up, but without a QB it was tough sledding. Additionally, now Steve will have to do without rookie wideout Brandin Cooks for the rest of the year, as he has been put on IR. The good news is that has the depth at the position to do so. Denver, currently seeded #7 but could end up anywhere from 5-8, will be a tough out in the playoffs. They fall 4 places this week.
13. Tennessee +3 (6-5)- The Titans, more than perhaps any team in the league, snuck up on the competition to compile a winning record. While the playoffs are not certain yet, it is most likely that the Titans get in because of the tiebreakers, though they could take care of it themselves this week with a win over AFC South Champion Jacksonville. The defense is going to have to perform better than it did this past week in a 26-point win over Houston, but is capable of playing better. All in all, not a bad debut campaign for Kirk, regardless of what happens the rest of the way. TEN jumps 3 spots to achieve their highest rank of the season at #13 (the previous was #14).
14. Buffalo +4 (5-6)- Buffalo is surging ahead, gaining 7 spots in the last two weeks with wins over the top-two teams in the AFC East, and two of the top teams in the league, Miami and New England. A playoff spot appears incredibly unlikely, even if the Bills aren’t officially eliminated, as Sal needs Tennessee and Baltimore to lose, and to outscore the Titans by about 150 points. For what it’s worth, if the Bills win this week, it’ll be perhaps the most impressive playoff push of any team not named the Steelers (or the Cowboys if they beat PHI this week). BUF catapults up 4 more spots.
15. Green Bay +4 (6-5)- Not at all where the Packers could have realistically expected to be, Green Bay has the opportunity to make the playoffs this week and finish #2 in their division, with a victory over division rival Minnesota. One team will be eliminated, the other will go on. The trade for Josh McCown looks masterful at this moment, as he contributed 24 points to the 20-point win over Chicago. I, like many others, slept on this team, though they have been quite fluky and prone to unpredictable swings in performance. If Donte Moncrief gives the Pack anything (thanks Colts coaches), it might swing the balance and give them a playoff berth over heavily-favored MIN. GB ascends 4 spots.
16. New York Giants -4 (6-5)- Bobby Rainey, Jacquian Williams and Alterraun Verner registering zeros didn’t help, nor did being down a LB for the week, but it was hard to see New York challenging Philly. The Giants can still make the playoffs, but the likelihood that they’d pull an upset is capped by several horrible mid-season trades. NYG falls 4 spots this week.
17. Baltimore -3 (5-6)- 2014 was a hard go of it for Goose and the Ravens, who still technically haven’t been eliminated, but will be going up against the AFC’s top-seed this week in a must-win situation. Being forced to drop Carson Palmer and go with the rookie Derek Carr, as well as dealing with several severe injuries along the way (Darren Sproles, Ahmad Bradshaw, DeAngelo Hall and Rey Maualuga to name a few). But Baltimore is committed to the future, and the transition to one of the league’s better teams in 2013 to a possible contender in the near future didn’t take too long and didn’t even require a bottoming out. The loss to CIN probably put the nail in the coffin of Baltimore’s season, but the future pieces on this team are nothing to scoff at. BAL slides 3 spots this week.
18. Washington -3 (5-6)- The Redskins were perhaps a touch unlucky this week, as they had put the Cowboys squarely in their sights, and were poised to knock them off if not for a poor performance by Ben Roethlisberger. Still alive in the playoff race, but just barely, WAS has to beat NYG with Big Ben on a bye. If they do, playoff teams should beware. WAS loses ground in the form of 3 places this week.
19. Minnesota -2 (5-6)- This wasn’t the plan for the Vikings, who now have a one-game playoff (so to speak) with Green Bay to decide who gets into the playoffs in the NFC. Win and keep playing, lose and go home. For a team that has underachieved this season, at least when set against the expectations this pre-season, it would be natural to write Matt off, even though he’s likely favored this week. But with the league’s #2 overall fantasy player on your roster, and the #7 RB, anything is possible and teams should be wary of the upset. For now, the Vikes drop 2 spots to #19, a new low in the PRs for them this season.
ELIMINATED 20. Cleveland 0 (4-7)- Austin Davis getting benched didn’t help, but the Browns truly were a longshot to beat the division’s (and perhaps the conference’s) best team in Pittsburgh this week, almost getting doubled up. There are some positive signs, but it also looks like the Browns will be in search of a quarterback again next year. CLE is officially eliminated and stays put this week.
ELIMINATED 21. Oakland +3 (4-7)- Oakland had got one in the win column for the first time since Week 8, and feasted on a San Diego team that is really not so much of a team as they are a youth soccer team that stops showing up late in the season. Brandon Marshall and Mario Williams did their part, and Shaun Hill did a cromulent job as well. Oakland has a lot of questions to answer in the off-season, but has some players to build around. OAK climbs 3 spots in this penultimate PR.
ELIMINATED 22. San Francisco +3 (4-7)- For the second consecutive week, the 49ers have won a division game, accounting for half of their wins on the season to date. Though eliminated from the playoffs, San Fran continues to be unpredictable as either feast or famine. That’s dangerous for superior teams, such as the Seahawks, who will look to avoid the trap game this week. Though Arizona fell victim under some pretty extreme circumstances, it is entirely possible that the Niners sweep one of the better divisions in the NFFL and miss the playoffs. If nothing else, SF is at least entertaining. This week, they climb 3 spots.
23. San Diego -2 (5-6)- I forgot to write a PR for Leif this week, just like he forgot to set his lineup again. The Chargers can still make the playoffs technically. All four NFC South teams would be more deserving.
24. Atlanta +3 (3-8)- In two consecutive weeks, the Falcons have gone from 1-win team to now NFC South leader, beating back Tampa Bay and now Carolina in the process. The Falcons relied heavily on Jeremy Maclin and James Laurinaitis in their 6-point win, but to not mention the high-scorer would truly be a crime. Greg Zuerlein, Atlanta’s kicker, was the difference in this one with a 20-point game. So yeah, it’s not at all like these teams are backing in. At least there’s a fight, but honestly, none of these four teams deserve to be anywhere near the playoffs. If the Falcons can manage to not fall to New Orleans this week, they’ll be the South champion and make the #5 seed in the NFC the happiest girl at the ball (though the same would hold true for CAR or TB as well). ATL rises 3 spots this week.
25. Tampa Bay +4 (3-8)- The Bucs doubled up on the pitiful Saints this week to stay in the division race, but just barely, as Atlanta owns a tie-breaker over them. The key for them this week: to beat the Panthers and hope that the Falcons lose to those same pitiful Saints. Is it possible? Sure, but it’s not very likely. The Bucs jump up to 25 with a 4 spot increase.
ELIMINATED 26. Houston -3 (3-8)- The Texans were eliminated from the playoffs this week, as both the Texans lost and other teams with 5 wins, won. Either result would have been sufficient. Offense should be a key concern for Erik going into the off-season, as Houston only managed just over 25 points on that side of the ball this week. There just aren’t enough playmakers at this point. HOU drops 3 spots and slides all the way down to #26.
ELIMINATED 27. Chicago -5 (3-8)- The offense was again bare bones, only starting 4 players and netting 26 points. The defense was also not much better, totaling 45 points. The Bears are now eliminated, and face a tough uphill climb in an improving division. CHI drops 5 spots all the way to #27.
28. Carolina -2 (3-8)- After taking a step toward claiming the NFC South crown (it must be one of those self-adjustable, paper Burger King ones), the Panthers fell to the Falcons. Now, instead of winning the division outright, Sze’s team can only claim said BK lore by beating the Bucs this week and hoping the Falcons trip up against N.O. It’s a pessimistic outlook for a team that has looked like perhaps the best in the South in recent weeks. For now, CAR drops 2 heads down the totem pole (it is measured in heads, right?).
ELIMINATED 29. Indianapolis -1 (2-9)- The offense was at best average, the defense even worse, and Chandler Catanzaro only added 2 points, equaling an 84-point game for Indy, who fall to 2-9 with the loss to Jacksonville. If Sanchez keeps the job in Philly for next year, it is at least possible the Colts will take a major step forward. This week, they drop off one spot.
ELIMINATED 30. St. Louis 0 (2-9)- Playing without a quarterback is always hard in this league, even when going up against a team as inconsistent as San Francisco has been this year. With Davante Adams, several young defensive up-and-comers and impact players and now Charles Sims joining the frey, St. Louis is poised to make some noise with a little bit more offensive firepower next year. It’s too bad that Rams were without a QB though, as this one probably would have been a compelling match up if so. As it was, it was a comfortable 19-point win for SF. The Rams stay put at 30, and are unlikely to move with ARI coming up next week to finish the season.
ELIMINATED 31. New Orleans 0 (1-10)- Of the 11 players New Orleans started this week, 5 registered zeros. If the NFC South teams from this year were rival countries in the Cold War, I’d be rooting for nuclear apocalypse.
ELIMINATED 32. New York Jets 0 (0-11)- Given perhaps their best opportunity to get a win this year, the Jets faltered as Miami came back to win by a comfortable 20-point margin. On the positive side, Joe Haden had 22 points, Nate Washington had 14.2 and Matt Bryant had 13. On the negative side, that doesn’t equal a win.
AFC NORTH WINNER 2. Pittsburgh +2 (9-2)- The Steelers showed well again, tallying 141 points on the way to a blowout of now eliminated Browns. They are now the top seed in the AFC, and look like the team to beat in that conference. The only thing that could really derail them from making the championship game is Alex Smith (who tried very hard to do so this week) and the lack of a kicker. PIT jumps up 2 spots to #2.
CLINCHED PLAYOFFS 3. Dallas +2 (9-2)- The Cowboys have ripped off 9-straight wins after starting the year 0-2, and managed to keep that win streak alive this week despite a poor game from Brady and two offensive zeros. The Redskins made it a fight to the finish, but in the end, Dallas earned their 9th win. The Cowboys play for the division this week, and face their stiffest test yet in Andrew’s Eagles. DAL rises 2 spots to #3 this week, the highest ranking for them all-season.
AFC SOUTH WINNER 4. Jacksonville +2 (9-2)- Jacksonville wrapped up their 9th win of the year with a 60-point drubbing of the Colts in Week 11. Another commonplace 35-ponter from Aaron Rodgers led the way, amd beyond that, despite some disappointing performances defensively, the Jags managed 143 points, well more than was necessary to beat a reeling Colts team. JAX is up 2 spots this week and currently the #2 seed in the AFC.
NFC WEST WINNER 5. Arizona +2 (9-2)- A week after suffering their worst effort of the season, Arizona was back to their winning ways, clinching the NFC West division title with a 25-point win over mainstay Seattle, despite missing a DL (though to be fair, so was SEA). Mett is a shoe-in for rookie GM of the year, and perhaps even GM of the year. For now, the playoffs are the concern, however, as they’re basically locked in as the #2 seed in the NFC. ARI rises 2 places this week to get back into the top-5.
CLINCHED PLAYOFFS 6. New England -3 (9-2)- In the major upset of the week, and perhaps one of the biggest of the year, previously 4-win Buffalo conquered the 9-win Pats by 15 points. New England was again unimpressive, making last week’s 149+ point outburst look like just that. The mid-season trades N.E. made were risky, and to date have not paid off. While this week’s loss can mostly be blamed on one of those acquisitions, the unpredictable Eli Manning, it was a team effort, as both the offense and defense put in just average performances. The Patriots have been good all year, but just how good will be determined in the playoffs. Now the division is up for grabs in this week’s game between the Dolphins and the Patriots. NE drops 3 spots this week and out of the top-5 for the first time since Leif last set his lineup (or earlier).
CLINCHED PLAYOFFS 7. Seattle -5 (8-3)- The one week in which Cecil could ill-afford Peyton Manning to have a clunker was in the match up with Arizona. He did, and as a result, SEA lost the division. Mike Evans tried his best with a 34-point game, but the defense was far too spotty to get it done, and now SEA is looking at the #5-6 seed. The ‘Hawks fall an unfairish (new word, so sue me) 5 places. It seems wrong based on the body of work, but them’s the breaks.
NFC NORTH WINNER 8. Detroit +1 (8-3)- Detroit locked up the NFC North this past week with a 32+ point win over Minnesota. Based on the pre-season predictions, it’s a little bit of a surprise that the Vikings aren’t on top, but the Lions have far and away been the best team in the division all-year long. Running back will be the biggest concern going into the playoffs, that is of course, unless Jonas Gray decides to keep having 44-point nights. He can’t do that…can he? Either way, DET will be a dangerous team as the #3 seed, capable of putting up just silly numbers every week. DET rises one spot this week.
AFC WEST WINNER 9. Kansas City +1 (8-3)- In another division-deciding game, Kansas City managed to outlast the upstart Broncos, very much due to a superb week from Jamaal Charles. The 34-point victory was decisive, and proved that despite a lull in the middle of the season, Brooks’ Chiefs are every bit as dangerous as they were last year when he won the MFL title. The 162-point performance was also the second-highest scoring effort of last week. They’re currently a 4-seed, but could move up to #3.
CLINCHED PLAYOFFS 10. Miami +1 (8-3)- For the first time since sitting 7-0 nearly a month ago, Miami is back in the win column after beating the winless Jets. Jay Cutler had one of his finer fantasy games, and despite no one else really sticking out, Donny’s Dolphins are still very much alive in the AFC East race and have now at least clinched a playoff berth. MIA is currently a #5 seed, but could potentially rise to #4 if they win the division in this week’s all-important showdown between Miami and N.E. The ‘Fins jump out from under the water to rise one spot higher.
CLINCHED PLAYOFFS 11. Cincinnati +2 (7-4)- Right where they were projected to be at this point of the season, the Bengals clinched a playoff berth with their 45-point win over the Ravens in Week 11, Chris’ first such appearance in 4 years as an MFL/NFFL GM (1 season as WAS and 3 as CIN). While that’s all nice and good, it’s going to be a tough draw for the Bengals no matter what, and a lot of the seeding depends on what other teams do more than what Cincy does in its final game against the Browns. However, playoff teams should know this much: if Chris Borland continues getting 20+ point games (now three weeks in a row after a 32-pointer in Week 11), and with Gio Bernard coming back to health, the Bengals, who are 8th in scoring, are as dangerous as any other team in the league. CIN climbs 2 spots this week.
CLINCHED PLAYOFFS 12. Denver -4 (7-4)- Tony Romo on a bye spelled the end of the Broncos’ improbable run at the AFC West title. It wasn’t a bad effort at 128 points, and several other players (looking at you Alex Ogletree and Jermaine Gresham) stepped up, but without a QB it was tough sledding. Additionally, now Steve will have to do without rookie wideout Brandin Cooks for the rest of the year, as he has been put on IR. The good news is that has the depth at the position to do so. Denver, currently seeded #7 but could end up anywhere from 5-8, will be a tough out in the playoffs. They fall 4 places this week.
13. Tennessee +3 (6-5)- The Titans, more than perhaps any team in the league, snuck up on the competition to compile a winning record. While the playoffs are not certain yet, it is most likely that the Titans get in because of the tiebreakers, though they could take care of it themselves this week with a win over AFC South Champion Jacksonville. The defense is going to have to perform better than it did this past week in a 26-point win over Houston, but is capable of playing better. All in all, not a bad debut campaign for Kirk, regardless of what happens the rest of the way. TEN jumps 3 spots to achieve their highest rank of the season at #13 (the previous was #14).
14. Buffalo +4 (5-6)- Buffalo is surging ahead, gaining 7 spots in the last two weeks with wins over the top-two teams in the AFC East, and two of the top teams in the league, Miami and New England. A playoff spot appears incredibly unlikely, even if the Bills aren’t officially eliminated, as Sal needs Tennessee and Baltimore to lose, and to outscore the Titans by about 150 points. For what it’s worth, if the Bills win this week, it’ll be perhaps the most impressive playoff push of any team not named the Steelers (or the Cowboys if they beat PHI this week). BUF catapults up 4 more spots.
15. Green Bay +4 (6-5)- Not at all where the Packers could have realistically expected to be, Green Bay has the opportunity to make the playoffs this week and finish #2 in their division, with a victory over division rival Minnesota. One team will be eliminated, the other will go on. The trade for Josh McCown looks masterful at this moment, as he contributed 24 points to the 20-point win over Chicago. I, like many others, slept on this team, though they have been quite fluky and prone to unpredictable swings in performance. If Donte Moncrief gives the Pack anything (thanks Colts coaches), it might swing the balance and give them a playoff berth over heavily-favored MIN. GB ascends 4 spots.
16. New York Giants -4 (6-5)- Bobby Rainey, Jacquian Williams and Alterraun Verner registering zeros didn’t help, nor did being down a LB for the week, but it was hard to see New York challenging Philly. The Giants can still make the playoffs, but the likelihood that they’d pull an upset is capped by several horrible mid-season trades. NYG falls 4 spots this week.
17. Baltimore -3 (5-6)- 2014 was a hard go of it for Goose and the Ravens, who still technically haven’t been eliminated, but will be going up against the AFC’s top-seed this week in a must-win situation. Being forced to drop Carson Palmer and go with the rookie Derek Carr, as well as dealing with several severe injuries along the way (Darren Sproles, Ahmad Bradshaw, DeAngelo Hall and Rey Maualuga to name a few). But Baltimore is committed to the future, and the transition to one of the league’s better teams in 2013 to a possible contender in the near future didn’t take too long and didn’t even require a bottoming out. The loss to CIN probably put the nail in the coffin of Baltimore’s season, but the future pieces on this team are nothing to scoff at. BAL slides 3 spots this week.
18. Washington -3 (5-6)- The Redskins were perhaps a touch unlucky this week, as they had put the Cowboys squarely in their sights, and were poised to knock them off if not for a poor performance by Ben Roethlisberger. Still alive in the playoff race, but just barely, WAS has to beat NYG with Big Ben on a bye. If they do, playoff teams should beware. WAS loses ground in the form of 3 places this week.
19. Minnesota -2 (5-6)- This wasn’t the plan for the Vikings, who now have a one-game playoff (so to speak) with Green Bay to decide who gets into the playoffs in the NFC. Win and keep playing, lose and go home. For a team that has underachieved this season, at least when set against the expectations this pre-season, it would be natural to write Matt off, even though he’s likely favored this week. But with the league’s #2 overall fantasy player on your roster, and the #7 RB, anything is possible and teams should be wary of the upset. For now, the Vikes drop 2 spots to #19, a new low in the PRs for them this season.
ELIMINATED 20. Cleveland 0 (4-7)- Austin Davis getting benched didn’t help, but the Browns truly were a longshot to beat the division’s (and perhaps the conference’s) best team in Pittsburgh this week, almost getting doubled up. There are some positive signs, but it also looks like the Browns will be in search of a quarterback again next year. CLE is officially eliminated and stays put this week.
ELIMINATED 21. Oakland +3 (4-7)- Oakland had got one in the win column for the first time since Week 8, and feasted on a San Diego team that is really not so much of a team as they are a youth soccer team that stops showing up late in the season. Brandon Marshall and Mario Williams did their part, and Shaun Hill did a cromulent job as well. Oakland has a lot of questions to answer in the off-season, but has some players to build around. OAK climbs 3 spots in this penultimate PR.
ELIMINATED 22. San Francisco +3 (4-7)- For the second consecutive week, the 49ers have won a division game, accounting for half of their wins on the season to date. Though eliminated from the playoffs, San Fran continues to be unpredictable as either feast or famine. That’s dangerous for superior teams, such as the Seahawks, who will look to avoid the trap game this week. Though Arizona fell victim under some pretty extreme circumstances, it is entirely possible that the Niners sweep one of the better divisions in the NFFL and miss the playoffs. If nothing else, SF is at least entertaining. This week, they climb 3 spots.
23. San Diego -2 (5-6)- I forgot to write a PR for Leif this week, just like he forgot to set his lineup again. The Chargers can still make the playoffs technically. All four NFC South teams would be more deserving.
24. Atlanta +3 (3-8)- In two consecutive weeks, the Falcons have gone from 1-win team to now NFC South leader, beating back Tampa Bay and now Carolina in the process. The Falcons relied heavily on Jeremy Maclin and James Laurinaitis in their 6-point win, but to not mention the high-scorer would truly be a crime. Greg Zuerlein, Atlanta’s kicker, was the difference in this one with a 20-point game. So yeah, it’s not at all like these teams are backing in. At least there’s a fight, but honestly, none of these four teams deserve to be anywhere near the playoffs. If the Falcons can manage to not fall to New Orleans this week, they’ll be the South champion and make the #5 seed in the NFC the happiest girl at the ball (though the same would hold true for CAR or TB as well). ATL rises 3 spots this week.
25. Tampa Bay +4 (3-8)- The Bucs doubled up on the pitiful Saints this week to stay in the division race, but just barely, as Atlanta owns a tie-breaker over them. The key for them this week: to beat the Panthers and hope that the Falcons lose to those same pitiful Saints. Is it possible? Sure, but it’s not very likely. The Bucs jump up to 25 with a 4 spot increase.
ELIMINATED 26. Houston -3 (3-8)- The Texans were eliminated from the playoffs this week, as both the Texans lost and other teams with 5 wins, won. Either result would have been sufficient. Offense should be a key concern for Erik going into the off-season, as Houston only managed just over 25 points on that side of the ball this week. There just aren’t enough playmakers at this point. HOU drops 3 spots and slides all the way down to #26.
ELIMINATED 27. Chicago -5 (3-8)- The offense was again bare bones, only starting 4 players and netting 26 points. The defense was also not much better, totaling 45 points. The Bears are now eliminated, and face a tough uphill climb in an improving division. CHI drops 5 spots all the way to #27.
28. Carolina -2 (3-8)- After taking a step toward claiming the NFC South crown (it must be one of those self-adjustable, paper Burger King ones), the Panthers fell to the Falcons. Now, instead of winning the division outright, Sze’s team can only claim said BK lore by beating the Bucs this week and hoping the Falcons trip up against N.O. It’s a pessimistic outlook for a team that has looked like perhaps the best in the South in recent weeks. For now, CAR drops 2 heads down the totem pole (it is measured in heads, right?).
ELIMINATED 29. Indianapolis -1 (2-9)- The offense was at best average, the defense even worse, and Chandler Catanzaro only added 2 points, equaling an 84-point game for Indy, who fall to 2-9 with the loss to Jacksonville. If Sanchez keeps the job in Philly for next year, it is at least possible the Colts will take a major step forward. This week, they drop off one spot.
ELIMINATED 30. St. Louis 0 (2-9)- Playing without a quarterback is always hard in this league, even when going up against a team as inconsistent as San Francisco has been this year. With Davante Adams, several young defensive up-and-comers and impact players and now Charles Sims joining the frey, St. Louis is poised to make some noise with a little bit more offensive firepower next year. It’s too bad that Rams were without a QB though, as this one probably would have been a compelling match up if so. As it was, it was a comfortable 19-point win for SF. The Rams stay put at 30, and are unlikely to move with ARI coming up next week to finish the season.
ELIMINATED 31. New Orleans 0 (1-10)- Of the 11 players New Orleans started this week, 5 registered zeros. If the NFC South teams from this year were rival countries in the Cold War, I’d be rooting for nuclear apocalypse.
ELIMINATED 32. New York Jets 0 (0-11)- Given perhaps their best opportunity to get a win this year, the Jets faltered as Miami came back to win by a comfortable 20-point margin. On the positive side, Joe Haden had 22 points, Nate Washington had 14.2 and Matt Bryant had 13. On the negative side, that doesn’t equal a win.