Nine of today’s 14 regular season ending National Football League contests are played outdoors and all have mild weather.
Yesterday’s NFL action decided the top seed in the National Football Conference but still left four teams vying for the final two playoff berths. The Seattle Seahawks victory was sweet revenge for quarterback Sam Darnold who lost the top seed a year ago on the final day of the season with a loss at Detroit.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers victory on Saturday over the Carolina Panthers gave them a chance to advance to the postseason but not a lock. They need the New Orleans Saints to upset the Atlanta Falcons on the road today to get the final berth in the NFC. The final AFC playoff berth will be decided tonight when the Pittsburgh Steelers host the Baltimore Ravens.
We don’t get my final day of the regular season edge where a team that needs a win to get into the postseason is playing a team already eliminated. That edge belongs to the team that has nothing to play for other than messing up their opponent's playoff aspirations. My second edge on the final day of the season is when a team needs a win to advance and are playing a team already locked into their postseason seed. In that scenario, the team that needs it gets it against a team with nothing to play for and already preparing for the postseason.
What we do get today are a bunch of games that will affect the playoff seeds. The Seahawks are the NFC top seed but any of three American Football Conference squads could land the top spot and opening week postseason bye. The Denver Broncos are in the driver's seat, win over the Los Angeles Chargers and they are the top seed. The Chargers are already assured a playoff berth, so it is highly likely the Broncos will end the drama for the top spot with a victory.
If they don’t win, the door is open for the New England Patriots to grab the top spot with a triumph over the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins are already eliminated, so they are a live underdog possibility against the Patriots. If the unexpected happens in Denver, and the Dolphins upset the Patriots, then the top seed could go to the Jacksonville Jaguars if they beat the Tennessee Titans today.