NFL, Essentially AFC Update

Three quarters of the 16 final regular season week NFL games have meaning with half of the 14 playoff spots and the lone NFC first/wild card round bye to be determined.

Last week, the defending champion K.C. Chiefs again won but did not cover (0-6-1) vs the spread in 7 straight victories) edging Atlanta, to clinch the AFC one seed and the aforementioned first round bye.

Elsewhere in the AFC, (12-3) Buffalo, after its rout Monday night win vs (6-9) New England, needs either a win vs “win and they are in the ‘offs,” (10-5) Miami or a (12-3) Pittsburgh loss vs “win and they are in, also (10-5) Cleveland, to gain the once important, perhaps still, “2” seed.

In addition to Miami and Cleveland, three other AFC teams are (10-5) and one of the 5 (10-5) teams will not make the ‘offs, perhaps with an (11-5) record, (in that case it would be the Colts, who dissipated a (24-7) second half lead at Pittsburgh last week), while in the NFC, the NFC East winner will qualify and host a few if any fans first round tilt, with at best a (7-9) record and maybe even (Giants fans hope so or do they as they could get the third draft pick in one scenario, certainly involving a loss vs Dallas) a (6-10) mark.

Both Baltimore and Tennessee, last year’s slot 2 opponents are in with a win, while the Colts need to win and for one of the other current (10-5) teams to lose, otherwise be out of the ‘offs.

Later this week, more on the ‘offs possibilities with notes you will, very likely, only find/read here.