WHAT WE LEARNED: NFL WEEK 17 — THREE PLAYOFF SPOTS REMAIN UP FOR GRABS

BY ADAM GREENE

Our penultimate week of NFL action is in the books. Here’s what’s on my mind heading into Week 18 and the final playoff push.

COMING BACK FROM COVID DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE BACK

Carson Wentz may have slipped off the NFL’s Covid reserve list at the last second in time to suit up for the Indianapolis Colts’ game against the Las Vegas Raiders, but that doesn’t mean he was ready to play.

Wentz had a terrible game against the Raiders, completing just 16 of 27 for 148 yards and touchdown in a 23-20 loss. After not even a full week of fighting off a deadly disease that’s killed over 800,000 Americans, it’s a lot to ask of your body to be in NFL football shape. Wentz obviously wasn’t 100 percent Sunday and it showed.

And he might not be in Week 18 either. The Colts play at the Jacksonville Jaguars Sunday and losing that one could all but knock them from the playoff bracket completely. And before you roll your eyes and make the obscene hand gesture of your choice at the very idea, you need to realize that the Colts, regardless of who they’ve had at QB, have not won a road game against the Jags since 2014.

While the league wide panic seems to have subsided after a tough couple of weeks, guys are still getting knicked by the test and Minnesota Vikings QB Kirk Cousins has not yet cleared the Covid reserve list even though his five days is up. If any of our playoff team QBs get hit, especially if they’ve successfully kept their unvaccinated status under wraps, it could make every Sunday here on out interesting.

And let’s not forget that Aaron Rodgers remains unvaccinated. And while his monoclonal antibody treatment is supposed to last for a while, it’s not the same as being vaccinated. And he could get hit by a positive test, especially the farther he gets away from his treatment cycle, any time. Even, say, the day before the Divisional Round or NFC Championship.

IF THE PLAYOFFS STARTED TODAY

We had a lot of teams officially punch their ticket and fill out our brackets in Week 17. Which makes sense, as it would normally be the final week of the regular season. But we have a 17 game season now and the bright side of that, at least this year, is no team with a losing record will make the postseason. Both the AFC and NFC slates will contain teams with at least nine wins or more.

Here’s how the conferences stack up heading into Week 18.

AFC

1. Tennessee Titans (11-5) – Clinched AFC South

2. Kansas City Chiefs (11-5) – Clinched AFC West

3. Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) – Clinched AFC North

4. Buffalo Bills (10-6) – Clinched playoff berth

5. New England Patriots (10-6) – Clinched playoff berth

6. Indianapolis Colts (9-7)

7. Los Angeles Chargers (9-7)

In the mix: Las Vegas Raiders (9-7), Pittsburgh Steelers (8-7-1)

Officially eliminated: Miami Dolphins (8-8), Baltimore Ravens (8-8), Cleveland Browns (7-9), Denver Broncos (7-9), New York Jets (4-12), Houston Texans (4-12), Jacksonville Jaguars (2-14)

Key games: Steelers at Ravens, Colts at Jaguars, Jets at Bills, Patriots at Dolphins, Chargers at Raiders

The Chargers at Raiders is the game of the week and will be treated as such, featured on Sunday Night Football to end the regular season officially. It’s a play in game with the odd possibility that if it ends in a tie and the Colts lose to the Jaguars, both teams would still make the playoffs.

As I wrote earlier, the Colts aren’t a shoo-in against a Jags squad that’s beaten them in road games for the last six seasons and took out the Bills in a shocker this year. Speaking of the Bills, they can secure the AFC East with a win or a loss and a Patriots loss. So, that means the Pats can still hoist the AFC East crown with a win and Bills defeat. If the Colts do lose and the Chargers vs Raiders game doesn’t end in a tie, then the Steelers are in the playoffs with a victory over the Ravens.

NFC

1. Green Bay Packers (13-3) – Clinched NFC North, Home Field Advantage

2. Los Angles Rams (12-4) – Clinched playoff berth

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (12-4) – Clinched NFC South

4. Dallas Cowboys (11-5) – Clinched NFC East

5. Arizona Cardinals (11-5) – Clinched playoff berth

6. San Francisco 49ers (9-7)

7. Philadelphia Eagles (9-7) – Clinched Wild Card Spot

In the mix: New Orleans Saints (8-8)

Officially eliminated: Minnesota Vikings (7-9), Atlanta Falcons (7-9), Washington Football Team (6-10), Seattle Seahawks (6-10), Carolina Panthers (5-11), New York Giants (4-12), Detroit Lions (2-13-1)

Key games: Saints at Falcons, Seahawks at Cardinals, 49ers at Rams

The Saints must beat the Falcons to have a chance to make the bracket. If they lose, then the 49ers are automatically in and their game against the Rams is meaningless for them.

As it is, if the Saints do win, then the 49ers will be completely eliminated from the postseason with a loss to the Rams. A Rams win, either way, will land them the NFC West title, the No. 2 seed and a home playoff game. A loss and a Cardinals loss to the Seahawks will do the same, except LA will be the three seed unless Tampa Bay loses to the Carolina Panthers and the Cowboys lose to the Eagles. A Cowboys win with a Rams and Bucs loss, puts them at No. 2.

A Cardinals win with a Rams loss will give them the NFC West and the No. 3 seed (unless, again, the Bucs lose to the Panthers then they’ll be the two). A win and a Rams win means they’ll enter the playoffs as the top seeded Wild Card.

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.

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