Lang on NFL: Coming down to the wire
Posted December 30, 2011 1:12 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Back in the early 1960’s, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle had a vision.
He imagined a league where parity reigned supreme and playoff spots would not be decided until the final game of the regular season.
Here we are 50 years later and once again the final week of the regular season will determine the playoff fates of numerous teams.
The battle for the NFC East:
The final playoff spot in the NFC will be decided Sunday night at MetLife Stadium when the Giants host the Cowboys. The winner will capture the NFC East and get a home playoff game; the loser goes home empty handed.
The Giants are coming off of an emotional win over the Jets where they forced Rex Ryan to eat some humble pie. The win was another showcase game for Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul. Twice in the last three weeks JPP has won defensive player of the week honours and he has five sacks in that stretch.
The other weapon the Giants have at their disposal is receiver Victor Cruz. Blessed with game-breaking speed, Cruz is averaging almost 18 yards a catch and is a threat to go all the way every time he touches the ball.
Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will play despite a bruised throwing hand. How the injury affects his velocity and the touch on his passes is anyone’s guess. The bigger concern for the Cowboys is Rob Ryan and their defence. The Cowboys have the dubious distinction this year by blowing three different fourth-quarter leads of at least 12 points.
The other issue facing the Cowboys is the health of running back Felix Jones. Despite his tight hamstring, Jones should be ready to play Sunday. Establishing a running game to keep Jason Pierre-Paul at bay will be crucial for the Cowboys.
While Romo is playing hurt, Eli Manning goes into the game having won four of his last five meetings against the Cowboys.
How the AFC West will be won:
Despite back-to-back poor performances from Tim Tebow, the Broncos control their own destiny in the AFC West. If Tebow and the Broncos can beat the Chiefs Sunday in Denver, they’re in. If the Broncos lose, they could still get in if the Raiders lose to the Chargers.
It goes without saying that John Fox and the Broncos want to get into the playoffs through the front door by beating the Chiefs. If Tebow turns the ball over at the rate he has during the last two weeks there’s little chance for Denver. You can be sure Romeo Crennel will unleash Tamba Hali on Tebow to rattle his cage.
If Tebow can’t deliver and the Broncos lose this game, than all of the hysteria that surrounded “Tebowmania” will seem like a distant memory. The Broncos will have to establish their running game and make sure Tebow isn’t forced to throw the ball too much.
Facing Tebow is former Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton. Needless to say beating the Broncos would be sweet revenge for Orton. To pull it off the Chiefs offensive line will have to stop Broncos linebacker Von Miller. The Chiefs offence doesn’t score a lot of points so there’s always a chance we could see another example of “Tebow time” at the end of the game.
Meanwhile in San Diego the Raiders will try to keep their playoff hopes alive by beating the Chargers. A Broncos loss and a Raiders win would result in Oakland winning the AFC West. Now even if the Broncos win, the Raiders could still grab the final wildcard spot in the AFC with a win and losses by both the Bengals and the Titans. It’s a long shot but at least it is something.
The Raiders are saying that it is “unlikely” that running back Darren McFadden will play Sunday. But considering the gravity of the game, I would think that Hue Jackson will wait right up until game time before declaring him out. Either way, Carson Palmer can finally justify the steep price the Raiders paid to get him by beating the Chargers.
With rumours flying around the NFL that Norv Turner is done in San Diego, the Chargers have to find a way to beat a desperate foe. No one has ever doubted the talent level in San Diego, the Chargers have never been able to play up to their potential.
Wildcard chase:
The most complicated formula this weekend revolves around the chase for the wildcard spot in the AFC.
The Bengals have the easiest path to the playoffs. They just need to beat the Ravens and they are in.
Beating the Ravens to get into the playoffs won’t be easy, but the Bengals are capable of pulling it off. The last time these two teams met Andy Dalton threw three interceptions and the Bengals still only lost by seven points.
Even though he’s a rookie, Dalton has thrown more touchdowns and has a better quarterback rating than the Ravens Joe Flacco. Dalton’s other big advantage is fellow rookie A.J. Green. Here’s a great stat from ESPN, Green hasn’t dropped a pass 15 yards or longer the entire season. How the Ravens defend Green and Jerome Simpson will be the key to the game.
The Titans can get in if they beat the Texans, and both the Bengals and the Raiders lose and the Jets win.
While the Titans need a win and a lot of help to get into the playoffs, the Texans need a win to have some positive momentum heading into the post-season. After back-to-back losses to the Panthers and the Colts, Texans fans are getting stressed about their team’s chances in the post-season.
Texans fans should be worried because rookie T.J. Yates isn’t the quarterback you want to run your offensc in January. While he’s had some flashes of greatness, the Titans offensc has been plagued by an underwhelming season from their franchise running back Chris Johnson. Even if Johnson gets going, scoring points is an issue for Matt Hasselbeck and the Titans. The Texans defence received a boost this week with the return of coordinator Wade Phillips after a short medical leave of absence.
The Jets face the longest odds of to get into the post-season. The Jets need to beat the Dolphins and have the Bengals, Titans and the Raiders or the Broncos all lose.
The New York media and fans are still talking about the Jets implosion against the Giants last week. Whoever thought it was a good idea (Brian Schottenheimer) to have Mark Sanchez throw the ball 59 times needs to give their head a shake.
One week after allowing the Eagles to score 45 points, the Jets allowed Victor Cruz to score a 99-yard touchdown. Don’t expect the Dolphins to do Rex Ryan or the Jets any favours.
Jason Taylor will be playing the final game in front of his how crowd, beating the Jets would be a sweet way for the Dolphins to end the season and Taylor to end his career. While Sanchez and the Jets are under tremendous pressure to win and win big, the Dolphins are playing with house money. The other thing working in the Dolphins favour is the fact that the Jets defence doesn’t strike fear into the hearts of opposing offences right now. Especially since the Jets have allowed 74 points the last two weeks.
What is amazing about all of the weekend’s respective games is the fact the NFL has to wait until the end of the Cowboys and Giants game Sunday night before determining wildcard playoff dates and times.
The other thing to keep an eye out for is the Monday morning after the final games Sunday. Known around the NFL as “Black Monday”; this is the day teams around the league fire coaches as they look to clean house before the start of the offseason.
