NFL week 17 running thread

First off, here are your playoff possibilities:

Updated Dec. 25
AFC EAST DIVISION
New England has clinched division title.
N.Y. Jets clinch a playoff berth with:
1) NYJ win or tie, OR
2) CIN loss or tie + JAC loss or tie, OR
3) CIN loss or tie + TEN win, OR
4) DEN loss + JAC loss

AFC NORTH DIVISION
Baltimore has clinched division title.
Baltimore can clinch home-field advantage with:
1) BAL win + SD loss
Baltimore can clinch a first-round bye with:
1) BAL win or tie, OR
2) IND loss or tie

Cincinnati clinches a playoff berth with:
1) CIN win + NYJ loss, OR
2) CIN win + DEN loss + KC win

AFC SOUTH DIVISION
Indianapolis has clinched division title.
Indianapolis can clinch first-round bye with:
1) IND win + BAL loss

Tennessee clinches a playoff berth with:
1) TEN win + CIN loss or tie + DEN loss + KC win

Jacksonville clinches a playoff berth with:
1) JAC win + NYJ loss + CIN loss or tie + TEN loss or tie

AFC WEST DIVISION
San Diego has clinched division title and first-round bye.
San Diego can clinch home-field advantage with:
1) SD win or tie, OR
2) BAL loss or tie

Denver clinches a playoff berth with:
1) DEN win or tie, OR
2) KC loss or tie

Kansas City clinches a playoff berth with:
1) KC win + CIN loss or tie + DEN loss + TEN loss or tie

NFC EAST DIVISION
Dallas has clinched playoff berth.
Dallas can clinch division with:
1) DAL win + PHI loss or tie, OR 2) DAL tie + PHI loss

Philadelphia has clinched playoff berth.
Philadelphia can clinch division with:
1) PHI win, OR
2) DAL loss, OR
3) PHI tie + DAL tie

New York Giants can clinch playoff berth with:
1) NYG win + NYG clinch strength of victory tiebreaker over GB**, OR
2) NYG win + GB loss or tie, OR
3) NYG tie + GB loss or tie + STL loss or tie + ATL loss or tie + CAR loss or tie, OR
4) GB loss + STL loss + ATL loss + CAR loss
**N.Y. Giants clinch strength of victory tiebreaker over Green Bay if:
a) DET loses OR
b) MIN loses OR
c) any two of the following results occur: ARI loss, MIA loss, SF loss, CAR win, HOU win, TB win.
If NY Giants and Green Bay end up tied in strength of victory, then tie will be decided by best strength of schedule.

NFC NORTH DIVISION
Chicago has clinched home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.
Green Bay can clinch playoff berth with:
1) GB win + NYG win + GB clinches strength of victory tiebreaker over NYG**, OR
2) GB win + NYG loss or tie + STL loss or tie, OR
3) GB win + NYG loss or tie + CAR win, OR
4) GB win + NYG loss or tie + ATL win, OR
5) GB tie + NYG loss + STL loss + ATL loss or tie + CAR loss or tie
**Packers clinch strength of victory tiebreaker over NY Giants if all of the following occur:
ARI win, DET win, MIA win, MIN win, SF win, CAR loss, HOU loss, TB loss.
If Green Bay and NY Giants end up tied in strength of victory, then tie will be decided by best strength of schedule.

NFC SOUTH DIVISION
New Orleans has clinched first-round bye.

Carolina can clinch playoff berth with:
1) CAR win + NYG loss or tie + GB loss or tie, OR
2) CAR tie + NYG loss + GB loss + STL loss or tie + ATL loss or tie

Atlanta can clinch playoff berth with:
1) ATL win + CAR loss or tie + GB loss or tie + NYG loss or tie, OR
2) ATL tie + CAR loss + GB loss + NYG loss + STL loss

NFC WEST DIVISION
Seattle has clinched division title.
St. Louis can clinch playoff berth with:
1) STL win + NYG loss or tie + CAR loss or tie + ATL loss or tie, OR
2) STL tie + NYG loss + CAR loss + ATL loss + GB loss

Arizona, Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Houston, Miami, Minnesota, Oakland, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Tampa Bay and Washington have been eliminated from playoff contention.

 

Shockey's out with an injured ankle, giving Eli Manning one less weapon to over-and-or-under throw.

 

So long as all five 7-8 teams in the running for that last NFC wild card lose, I'm happy. Because I want to see history.

Oh, and here's hoping the Steelers play spoilers and end the Bengals' slim chances for the playoffs.

 

Same goes for New England and San Fran... so Herm and the boys can back their way into a blowout loss somewhere next week.

Although, if KC does win, I imagine they'd be on a pretty short list of teams who posted back-to-back winning seasons without going to the playoffs.

 

It's a long shot, but I'm rooting for Tennessee to ease their way into the playoffs. Somehow if they get in, I'm not penciling them in for a one and done situation with #10 under center.

 

DD, knowing our luck, KC will win, as will New England and Pittsburgh (the other 1 p.m. games), only to have Denver beat San Fran at the last minute with a fumble recovery for TD in the 4:15 game.

 

OK, who gets the NFC's sixth playoff spot?

I think the Giants lose tonight.

St. Louis and Minnesota will be interesting...

It'll be even more interesting to see if Lovie even tries against the Packers...

 

Good to see Antwaan Randle El hasn't lost his passing touch -- he's thrown a 48-yard touchdown to Santana Moss tonight.

Giants still lead it 10-7 in the second quarter, though.

 

New York Giants, Tiki Barber.

Tiki Barber, New York Giants.

New York Giants' Tiki Barber, end zone.

End zone, New York Giants' Tiki Barber.

 

Thanks for the taunting penalty Ade Jimoh, you thugass bitch. Without the extra 7 yards or so Feely chokes.

Go Giants

 

So, if I have this right, the Giants win the tiebreaker with every other 7-8 team (other than Green Bay, in which they'd need the strength of schedule thing, which appears likely)?

 

As I said a few days ago, the Giants will win so they can lie down like the dogs they are in the first round of the playoffs.