Sometimes the decision comes down to a bad line or a bad pick.
That is what we have today when the National Football League opens their final regular season week with 18 teams vying for the 14 postseason playoff dates. A dozen teams are locked into the postseason, which leaves six teams looking to land the final two playoff spots.
The National Football Conference is easy, six teams are in the playoffs and either the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Atlanta Falcons will win the NFC South and enter the field. The Buccaneers clinch their division with a win at home over the New Orleans Saints. If they fail in that attempt, the Falcons can win their division with a win over the Carolina Panthers.
The American Football Conference is not that much more complicated. The Denver Broncos need to win at home over the Kansas City Chiefs to land a playoff date. If they fail, either the Miami Dolphins or Cincinnati Bengals get the final playoff berth in the AFC with a win. The Dolphins only need a victory coupled with a Broncos loss, the Bengals would need both a win and losses by both Denver and Miami.
The Bengals are meeting the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road and Mike Tomlin’s squad is looking to avoid a four-game losing streak entering the postseason. If they win and the Ravens are upset by the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers win the AFC North Division. With a loss, or a Ravens win, the Steelers enter the postseason as a Wild Card.
Does that mean the Bengals have the edge today when they meet the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium? If the Steelers had nothing to play for and the Bengals were looking to keep their playoff hopes alive the edge would swing towards the visitors. But the Steelers do have something to play for, while assured a postseason date they not only win the division if Baltimore loses but will improve their playoff seed with a victory. A Pittsburgh loss and win by the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday drops the Steelers to the sixth seed, with a win over the Bengals the Steelers are assured no less than a fifth seed.