Has the playoff picture gotten any clearer?
I think we're fairly certain who the good teams are at the conclusion of Week 13. The two teams at the top of the NFC North are just behind and are basically week-to-week in terms of which is better. Last week it was definitely Minnesota; this week it's definitely Green Bay. Next week, who knows? Maybe Chicago will outplay both of them.
My picks were a bit better, but still not where I'd like them to be. I was 10-6 thanks to going with Detroit and Chicago, among other teams that just got beat outright.
It's probably safe to say that five of the eight divisions are sewn up. The AFC South should go right down to the wire, along with the aforementioned NFC North and the moribund NFC East.
How bad is that NFC East, you ask? Well, the AFC South looks pretty good in comparison.
If that isn't a damning statement, I don't know what is.
Here are the Rankings for Week 13:
1.) Carolina (12-0) [no change]
Apparently, it's so rare that the current best team in the NFL gets into a shootout that the last one happened a year ago. Against the Saints. Odd coincidences aside, Newton and the rest of the Panthers continue to be the class of the NFL and still have an excellent chance of going undefeated. Earlier in the year, my thinking was that Atlanta would split with them. Let's just say that I'm markedly less sure of that occurring. Back when Atlanta was 5-0 and flying high, yeah, they looked like a threat. Carolina now seems much more imposing in comparison. Not only that, but the secondary could very well force 3+ INT's out of Matt Ryan this week.
Next opponent: vs. Atlanta (12/13)
2.) Arizona (10-2) [+1]
There probably isn't that big a difference between the Cardinals and the lone team above them. The offense is a little better, the defense a little worse. So all in all, not much separates them, aside from the two losses the Cardinals already have. They get their share of difficult matchups in the last four weeks, but unfortunately, not against Carolina. I guess that's why the playoffs exist.
Next opponent: vs. Minnesota (12/10)
3.) Denver (10-2) [+1]
I'm surprised the switch to Osweiler has worked out. But with that defense, all he has to do is not screw things up irretrievably. That defense just smoked the overrated loser Rivers. People keep talking about him putting up numbers like that means something; when you don't win anything it means jack. Denver's offense might not be putting up gaudy numbers, but they're back to their winning ways. That really covers up any deficiencies that might be present in Osweiler's game at the moment.
Next opponent: vs. Oakland (12/13)
4.) Cincinnati (10-2) [+1]
Was Cleveland ever in that game? No, probably not. Thanks to not having had a prime-time game in a couple weeks, the Bengals look rejuvenated. Even though they have a tough opponent this week in the Steelers, I have to give Cincy the edge thanks to playing the game at home at the usual 1PM EST. It seems silly, but the stats don't lie. Will it be tougher than last time? Without a doubt. Roethlisberger is closer to being fully healthy (one would assume) and the offense in general is looking incredibly potent. Cincy just hung 37 on a bad team and Pittsburgh's defense can give it up (e.g. Seattle).
Next opponent: vs. Pittsburgh (12/13)
5.) New England (10-2) [-3]
It is abundantly clear that the injuries are taking a toll on the Pats' ability to run their offense. Still, I can't help but think that even without Gronk, Edelman, et al, that game against Philly was pretty fluky. The Pats were up 14-0 before the whole thing went south. They are clearly at the back of the elite pack right now, though, thanks to two losses in a row. I'm not saying they should have won both (they could have, but it would've been damn difficult), but the losses have dropped them into an exponentially more precarious position. As recently as three weeks ago they were riding high and were threatening to go undefeated in the regular season again. Now it looks like they'll be the 3-seed.
Next opponent: at Houston (12/13)
6.) Green Bay (8-4) [+1]
Another stupid call led directly to a win for Green Bay. Let's not mince words here: if the penalty isn't called, Detroit wins. But of course, the penalty was called, even if it wasn't accurate. Not only that, everyone and their mother would have made that call. Detroit's pathetic defense on the final play is thus irrelevant. Yeah, it was bad, but so what? It really doesn't matter now or in the long run. What does matter is that Green Bay got a win they really needed after laying an egg on Thanksgiving. The swoon may still be real, as the Packers lack weapons in the receiving corps and Eddie Lacy can't seem to get out of his own way long enough to get a chance to contribute. I can't decide if that's on Lacy or on McCarthy for handling the situation as he did.
Next opponent: vs. Dallas (12/13)
7.) Minnesota (8-4) [-1]
It was hard to imagine a scenario where Minnesota could play worse than it did in Week 1. So yes, truth is stranger than fiction. I don't want to harp on Bridgewater's performance any more than necessary; I'll just point out that eight carries for Peterson is not ideal. But it's not like they don't already know that; also, when you're down by three touchdowns or more, it's very difficult to run the ball because everyone is rightfully more concerned about scoring points. Running the ball isn't conducive to scoring points quickly, which is why it often gets abandoned when a team is facing a deficit. The problem with Minnesota, then, is that if they get down by more than two scores, they really have no answer. It's not a whole lot different from any other team lacking an elite QB.
Next opponent: at Arizona (12/10)
8.) Seattle (7-5) [no change]
Here come the defending NFC champs. Hard to be anything but positive after they easily dismantled the Vikings (who look more and more overrated by the week). They even had time to trash-talk the mostly terrible QB. I would guess that the last thing most NFC teams want is to see Seattle in the playoffs. Even without Lynch they are still deadly; Wilson's improvement is nothing to sneeze at, and the O-line is looking a lot less inept.
Next opponent: at Baltimore (12/13)
9.) NY Jets (7-5) [no change]
Beat the overrated Giants in the so-called "battle of New York" (but really, New Jersey), thankfully. The Jets look like they'll be a Wild Card unless something goes terribly wrong (e.g. Pittsburgh and KC win out). Fitzpatrick to Marshall and/or Decker is real and dangerous to opposing defenses. I'm as shocked as anyone, really.
Next opponent: vs. Tennessee (12/13)
10.) Kansas City (7-5) [no change]
Six wins in a row now. For a team that was allegedly dead in the water, Kansas City sure doesn't know when to quit. It's quite possible they end up with a Wild Card, though where they go from that point I have no clue.
Next opponent: vs. San Diego (12/13)
That's all for this week. See you next week.
