Playoffs?

[Jeebas]

What needs to happen in Week 17 - Two out of five ain't enough

• PIT beats MIA
• DEN loses to/ties with KC
• HOU loses to/ties with NE
• NYJ loses to/ties with CIN
• BAL loses to/ties with OAK

What needs to happen in Week 16 - Four out of six ain't bad

• PIT beats BAL

What could happen in Week 16 that would help

• DEN loses to PHI
• JAC loses to NE
• NYJ loses to IND
• HOU loses to MIA
• TEN loses to SD

What needs to happen in Week 15 - Five out of six ain't bad

• PIT beats GB

What could happen in Week 15 that would help

• JAC loses to IND
• BAL loses to CHI
• NYJ loses to ATL
• DEN loses to OAK
• MIA loses to TEN

First and foremost, the Steelers need to win out AND

1) Jacksonville (IND NE CLE) needs to lose two of their last three games and go 8-8 (if both PIT and JAC were 9-7 I believe they win the tiebreaker due to some weird rule further down the list)

2) Baltimore (CHI PIT OAK) needs to lose one of their games other than when they play us again to go 8-8 (if both PIT and BAL were 9-7 they win the tiebreaker due to a better division record)

3) The Jets (ATL IND CIN) need to lose two games and go 8-8, if they only lost one I think they win some weird tiebreaker

4) Houston (STL MIA NE) needs to lose one game and go 8-8, if they only lost one I think they win some weird tiebreaker

1) The above is assuming Denver (OAK PHI KC) doesn't shit the bed and drop two to get to 9-7, we would beat them with the head-to-head tiebreaker and that would open up another spot

2) Miami (TEN HOU PIT) can win the two games they play other than us, because if we win out which includes beating them, head to head takes preference over conference record

3) Tennessee (MIA SD SEA) can win out because we would beat them with the head-to-head tiebreaker[/list]

[pnickers]

Do you do work anymore?  I didn't even have the patience to read that.  That's just too many if's. 

[Tank Decker]

Do you do work anymore?  I didn't even have the patience to read that.  That's just too many if's. 

Yeah, I kinda hope that they just lose and make it easy

[Jeebas]

Do you do work anymore?  I didn't even have the patience to read that.  That's just too many if's. 

That's why I just summarized what needs to happen this week at the top. I enjoy figuring out these playoff scenarios

[Nye]

Updated summary care of Mondesi's House:

To make the playoffs, the Steelers must first win their remaining games. Then, the Jets (7-7) and Jaguars (7-7) must lose or tie at least once. Also, the Broncos (8-6) must lose at least once, or the Ravens (8-6) must lose in Week 17 at Oakland. There are literally six teams with 7-7 records in the AFC alone.

Remaining schedules:
Jets at Colts, Bengals at Jets
Jaguars at Patriots, Jaguars at Browns
Broncos at Eagles, Chiefs at Broncos
Ravens at Steelers, Ravens at Raiders
Texans at Dolphins, Steelers at Dolphins

I can see the pats beating the jags, and the colts beating the jets, but broncos eagles/chiefs could go either way.

[Jeebas]

Updated summary care of Mondesi's House:

To make the playoffs, the Steelers must first win their remaining games. Then, the Jets (7-7) and Jaguars (7-7) must lose or tie at least once. Also, the Broncos (8-6) must lose at least once, or the Ravens (8-6) must lose in Week 17 at Oakland. There are literally six teams with 7-7 records in the AFC alone.

Remaining schedules:
Jets at Colts, Bengals at Jets
Jaguars at Patriots, Jaguars at Browns
Broncos at Eagles, Chiefs at Broncos
Ravens at Steelers, Ravens at Raiders
Texans at Dolphins, Steelers at Dolphins

I can see the pats beating the jags, and the colts beating the jets, but broncos eagles/chiefs could go either way.

I updated the original post last night as well.

What needs to happen in Week 16

• PIT beats BAL

What could happen in Week 16 that would help

• DEN loses to PHI
• JAC loses to NE
• NYJ loses to IND
• HOU loses to MIA - Elimination for HOU
• TEN loses to SD - Elimination for TEN

DEN @ PHI - The Eagles (10-4) are still playing for something, as the Cowboys (9-5) are right behind them in the division. This is good, though the Eagles don't have the tendency to sit all their starters when games don't matter anyways, they should give the Broncos an ass whoopin', especially as this is a home game for them.

JAC @ NE - The Patriots (9-5), for whatever reason, still have to worry about clinching the division as the Dolphins are two games back, which is good as well. If this game were in Week 17 and in Jacksonville I would say it's a toss-up, but with all of the starters going at home, this is gonna be a loss for the Jags.

NYJ @ IND - The Colts (14-0) have nothing to play for except perfection. How this game turns out really depends on if Caldwell sits his starters. Manning already has one SB ring, the distinction of being the winningest QB of the decade, and making the playoffs almost every year he has started (1998 and 2000 they didn't go), so going for 16-0 (and possibly 19-0) is the only thing left for him, aside from another ring of course.

HOU @ MIA - The Texans (7-7) are inconsistent at best, and the Dolphins (7-7), with their late game comeback this week, have shown that they're in it until the end. The Dolphins winning here makes them 8-7 and Houston 7-8, and it's gonna take at least a 9-7 team for the Wildcard spots this year. Again, if we beat the Dolphins in Week 17, after beating the Ravens, it would make them 8-8 and us 9-7, thus eliminating the need for any tiebreakers with that team.

SD @ TEN - The Chargers (11-3) are on a ridiculous roll this season, and it will probably be too much for the Titans (7-7) to take. See above about needing to be 9-7 to make the playoffs, not even looking at their 7 losses within the conference already.

If this all plays out as hoped, the Wildcard race would look like this going into Week 17 -

In

BAL 8-7 | 6-5
MIA 8-7 | 6-5

Still Alive

PIT 8-7 | 5-6
DEN 8-7 | 6-6

Out

JAC 7-8 | 6-5
NYJ 7-8 | 5-6
HOU 7-8 | 4-7
TEN 7-8 | 4-8

OR if HOU beats MIA, and everything else occurs as noted above -

In

BAL 8-7 | 6-5
PIT 8-7 | 5-6

Still Alive

DEN 8-7 | 6-6
HOU 8-7 | 5-6
MIA 7-8 | 5-6

Out

JAC 7-8 | 6-5
NYJ 7-8 | 5-6
TEN 7-8 | 4-8

[Corny]

Steelers are not gonna make the playoffs. Sorry dude.

[Nye]

Steelers are not gonna make the playoffs. Sorry dude.

uckfay ouyay obbay

[Bull]

Steelers are not gonna make the playoffs. Sorry dude.

Yeah, but atleast it hasn't been over 7 years since they even been in one like the Browns. Oh yeah and who kicked them out that year? The Steelers.

[newefezziwig]

Steelers are not gonna make the playoffs. Sorry dude.

uckfay ouyay obbay

yeah, go pay your tab at Sidelines, freeloader 

[pnickers]

Keep your goldbrickin ass out of milvale!

[Jeebas]

This is also pretty cool - http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/playoffscenario?algorithm=WinningPct

[Nye]

This is also pretty cool - http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/playoffscenario?algorithm=WinningPct

That's cool, I could play with it for hours, also the website.

[Jeebas]

also - http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_658881.html

[Corny]

also - http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_658881.html

Steelers still won't make the playoffs

[Jeebas]

also - http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_658881.html

Steelers still won't make the playoffs

Are the Browns? No... so shut it

[Corny]

also - http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_658881.html

Steelers still won't make the playoffs

Are the Browns? No... so shut it

Still won't make the playoffs

[Nye]

also - http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_658881.html

Steelers still won't make the playoffs

Are the Browns? No... so shut it

Still won't make the playoffs

You're right the browns, won't make the playoffs, nobody cares because the browns suck.

[Nye]

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/nfl082/22039514/detail.html


"I told him to be quiet."!!!
HA!!!!

[Tha_Professa]

That's great.

[Corny]

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/nfl082/22039514/detail.html


"I told him to be quiet."!!!
HA!!!!

Steelers will lose to the Ravens, sorry Nye.

[Jeebas]

http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/nfl082/22039514/detail.html


"I told him to be quiet."!!!
HA!!!!

Steelers will lose to the Ravens, sorry Nye.

What was that, Bob?

[Jeebas]

Another way to look at the updated post above is:

If these both happen, we can't get in -

NYJ beats CIN
BAL beats OAK

Also, here are the times of those games (both FOX and CBS have doubleheaders this weekend, but FOX isn't carrying games that are of any concern to the Steelers' playoff hopes) -

1:00 PM

PIT @ MIA | CBS
NE @ HOU | CBS

4:15 PM - CBS also has the TEN @ SEA game for this time slot, but there's no way they'd air that for this region over these two, my guess is that they'll air the BAL game.

BAL @ OAK | CBS
KC @ DEN | CBS

8:20 PM
    
CIN @ NYJ | NBC

[Jeebas]

Its sucks that they moved that CIN @ NYJ game to the late slot - Now it allows the Bengals to possibly decide our fate - if we need a Jets loss or tie to get in, Cincy may be even more inclined to rest their starters (something I believe they will do anyways). The only way this game won't matter to the Steelers is if Houston and Baltimore lose - highly unlikely. And of course this is all assuming that the Steelers beat Miami.

[Nye]

The colts fucked us. 

[Tha_Professa]

Yeah... whatta bunch of bastards.

[Jeebas]

Yeah what a way to bitch out of trying for perfection. I understand it's Caldwell's rookie season as a coach and he doesn't want to go into the playoffs with key players injured, but c'mon now, at least have a sizable lead before you pull your starters. Tomlin wouldn't pull that shit, as evidenced by the Browns game in Week 17 last year where Ben got knocked out, the Steelers had absolutely nothing to play for in that game - The Titans had #1 locked up and the Steelers had #2 locked up. Did he sit his starters, no.

[Tha_Professa]

I suppose that while the main reason is to protect key players, there could be some strategy in that the Jets winning can screw over potential teams playoff chances, (such as us, obviously)

[Tank Decker]

I suppose that while the main reason is to protect key players, there could be some strategy in that the Jets winning can screw over potential teams playoff chances, (such as us, obviously)

right, hedging their bets that they won't have to face Pittsburgh in the playoffs. Despite the record and obvious vulnerabilities, I think that most teams would rather face playoff newbies like the Bungles, Jets, Texans, or Dolphins than the Steelers

[Tha_Professa]

Yeah... I'm sure Cincy doesn't want to see us in the postseason either. (Lest someone might go all "Kemo" on Palmer again.)