This was the first season in National Football League history that had games played on all seven days of the week. The only Friday contest of the year, played yesterday, turned out to make the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a loser even before they play their Week 16 game.
The New Orleans Saints dominated the Minnesota Vikings yesterday, 52-33, and in doing so both eliminated Minnesota from playoff possibilities and erased the chances of a division title for the Buccaneers. The Saints win the NFC South Division, and still have a chance to earn a first week bye if the Green Bay Packers stumble down the stretch.
Now, it would be difficult for the Saints to overcome Green Bay because they lost their head-to-head meeting this year. But, if there is a three-way tie for the best record in the NFC that includes the Seattle Seahawks, then the Saints win the tiebreaker even with the straight up loss to the Pack.
You need a slide rule to keep up with this stuff.
Okay, the Bucs are relegated to a Wild Card entrance to the playoffs, but that is not assured headed into today’s action. If the Bucs win today in Detroit, they are in as a Wild Card. The Lions, conversely, are one of the dozen teams the NFL has eliminated through 15 weeks of action. That leaves 20 teams with a shot at the 14 postseason berths.
Six teams, the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and Pittsburgh Steelers from the AFC, with the Green Packers, New Orleans Saints and Seattle Seahawks from the NFC, are locked into a postseason play date. That leaves 14 teams vying for eight playoff slots.