The NFL in all its Greatness

I'm not sure how they do it, but it always seems to go down to the wire for about half of the playoff spots in the NFL. Listening to "Analysts" each week as they tell how it's a sure thing for this team to beat that team and counting a game as a win looks embarrassing in retrospect.

It was just a month ago (around Thanksgiving) that the Titans and Giants were going to run away with the #1 seed in each conference. The Jets were in command of the AFC East with very weak opponents in their last four of their last five games, the Broncos would win the AFC West, the Eagles were cooked, being in fourth place in their division and having to play each of the three teams ahead of them down the stretch. The Buccaneers looked in control to win at least a Wild Card berth if only they could win a game or two down the stretch. The Cowboys would make it to the playoffs. It was also a pretty sure bet that the Lions would be the first team to lose all 16 games in one season. Well, at least they got that one right.

Then they played the games on the field instead of paper.

Going into Sunday, there were 5 playoff berths up for grabs, with 4 division champions to be decided and 3 Wild Card berths. Atlanta and Carolina new that they would be in it was just a matter of positioning. A couple of the early games had an effect on the later games, but this is what we knew going in:

Carolina could clinch the NFC South with a win
Dallas could Clinch the Wild Card with a win
Minnesota could clinch the NFC North with a win
Miami could clinch the AFC East with a Win
The San Diego/Denver winner would win the AFC West.
Baltimore could clinch a Wild Card with a win.

The early games went back and forth. At one point, Carolina, Atlanta, Minnesota and Chicago all trailed in the 2nd half. Everyone but Chicago ended up winning their games. And Tampa Bay did the unthinkable and lost at home to Oakland, which put Philadelphia back into a driver's seat and the Dallas/Philadelphia game became a playoff game for the wild card.

When the dust settled the following teams play on.

AFC:
Tennessee
Pittsburgh
Miami
San Diego
Indianapolis
Baltimore

NFC:
New York Giants
Carolina
Minnesota
Arizona
Atlanta
Philadelphia

Here's hoping the drama of the next four weeks of playoffs lives up to the drama of the final four weeks of the regular season.