Oh, Bother! (Week 14)

Week 13 came and went, and good God, what a mess that was! So many things were twisted and turned during that Thanksgiving weekend that occurred, and as a result, we have quite the picture entering the final five weeks of the season. Week 14 of 18 is early in the home stretch, so teams have some time to get things going, but not much. Week 14 officially turns the calendar to the month of December (yes, Week 13 ended on December 1). Once upon a time, the season as a whole ended in December with the champion crowned. That hasn't been the case in over six decades, but still, December does currently serve as the final full month of the regular season.

In addition, Week 14 is the final week that allows teams to go on bye, so that's very key as well. As I said, a lot of twists and turns took place, resulting in a very wild playoff picture, and here it is:

In the American Football Conference, the New England Patriots still hold the #1 seed at 11-2, and because they've played 13 games in 13 weeks, they'll spend Week 14 watching and hoping that the Denver Broncos--who sit at #2 with a 10-2 record--lose this week. Here's the first new wrinkle: the Jacksonville Jaguars sit at #3 with an 8-4 record, tied for first place in the AFC South, but holding the common games tiebreaker. At #4, it's still the Baltimore Ravens, now at 6-6, but has the AFC North lead via the common games tiebreaker.

Regarding the Wild Cards, similar to last year, the three teams holding the spots have the same record--in this case, 8-4. The only difference is that there's a different player in this logjam. The Los Angeles Chargers and their 7-2 conference record place them at the #5 spot, and it's the declining Indianapolis Colts at #6. Remember when Indy was #1 about a month and a half ago? They've really fallen since then. It's only due to their 6-3 conference record that they're ahead of the Buffalo Bills, who sit at #7. As for what's behind the playoff line, it's the surging Houston Texans who, at 7-5, sit one game behind not only the playoff line, but also first place in the AFC South. There's also the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Kansas City Chiefs at 6-6, and regarding the former, they have a pivotal date with the Baltimore Ravens for first place in the AFC North, while the Chiefs are in the surprising role of having to play catch up. The Miami Dolphins (5-7) and the Cincinnati Bengals (4-8) are alive, but barely.

Regarding the National Football Conference... oh boy. Look at who is #1 in the conference. Thanks to the Rams and Eagles losing, it's the Chicago Bears who are on top of the NFC. Both the Bears and the Los Angeles Rams have 9-3 records, but it's Chicago's 6-2 conference record that puts them ahead of the Rams. Now you know part of the reason why I chose the title of this piece (that, and it's an ironic choice, and if you can figure out the irony, huge points for you). Speaking of the Philadelphia Eagles, they dropped to #3 in the conference at 8-4, and the 7-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers sit at #4.

Regarding the Wild Cards, no change from a week ago. The Seattle Seahawks are #5 with a 9-3 record, out of first place in the NFC West via head-to-head. The Green Bay Packers, at 8-3-1, sit at #6, while the San Francisco 49ers, at 9-4, are at #7. Elsewhere, the Detroit Lions remain behind the playoff line at 7-5, and they are in trouble. The Dallas Cowboys, who head to Detroit this week, are right behind them at 6-5-1, and the Carolina Panthers are 7-6--and just a hair behind the Bucs in the NFC South.

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For the second straight week, no playoff spots can be clinched this week, though I do know this: the Patriots can clinch the AFC East as early as next week. The Patriots host the Bills during Week 15, and according to the division standings, the Patriots can capture the AFC East with a win over the Bills next week--regardless of how the Bills perform this week against Cincy. However, if the Bills do lose this week, the Patriots will have the added option of tying next week to clinch the East. The Broncos should be able to clinch a spot in the playoffs as soon as next week, but regarding eliminations, the Vikings, Commanders, Jets, Browns, and Falcons can be ousted this week.

I am definitely ready for Week 14! So many important games, and the numbers can be thinned out some more. Hopefully, we can get some results that will led to actual clinching scenarios next week, because I'm hoping to see some teams punch their ticket to the playoffs!