beach tribe
12-10-2015, 05:49 PM
Chiefs, Seahawks contenders; Steelers, Falcons pretenders
Welcome to the time of year when things really become interesting in the NFL. The next four weeks will bring clarity to the currently muddled playoff picture. As usual, there are plenty of teams hoping they can do enough to keep playing well into January.
Every game, all season
Since there are so many squads still vying for postseason spots, it's worth handicapping the field at this stage. In doing so, it's also wise to operate under a designated set of rules. So this space will be devoted to teams that: 1) have a record of at least .500 or better; 2) are within one at least one game of claiming a wild-card spot; and 3) aren't alone in first place in their division. Those factors alone allow for this project to be confined to 11 teams.
There are other benefits, as well. That criteria means we can avoid dissecting the chaos that is the NFC East. It also allows for certain assumptions to be made: for example, that the postseason field will include Carolina, Arizona, New England, Denver and Cincinnati (all of whom already have won 10 games). Those factors further alleviate the need to evaluate the possibilities of all those teams hovering around the 5-7 mark. Nobody needs to waste time working out the probability of miracles happening.
Besides, there are plenty of candidates worth discussing. So here are the best guesses at who are the real contenders left in the postseason race and which teams are going to be best remembered as pretenders:
Kansas City Chiefs (7-5, second in AFC West): Kansas City has won six straight games, and the Chiefs' prospects only look better in the final four weeks of the season. Their opponents during that stretch -- San Diego, Baltimore, Cleveland and Oakland -- have a combined record of 14-34, and Kansas City has already beaten the Chargers and Raiders on the road. This isn't just about schedules, though. The Chiefs have rebounded from a 1-5 start because they've squeezed every last bit of talent out of their roster since losing Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles to a season-ending knee injury in Week 5. Quarterback Alex Smith hasn't thrown an interception in 305 attempts. Unknown running backs like Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West have kept the ground game viable. A defense that surrendered three 30-point efforts in the first four games has become suffocating. This is no longer a team hoping to make the playoffs. It's one that is now capable of doing some damage once it gets in. FINAL VERDICT: CONTENDER
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000598293/article/chiefs-seahawks-contenders-steelers-falcons-pretenders
Welcome to the time of year when things really become interesting in the NFL. The next four weeks will bring clarity to the currently muddled playoff picture. As usual, there are plenty of teams hoping they can do enough to keep playing well into January.
Every game, all season
Since there are so many squads still vying for postseason spots, it's worth handicapping the field at this stage. In doing so, it's also wise to operate under a designated set of rules. So this space will be devoted to teams that: 1) have a record of at least .500 or better; 2) are within one at least one game of claiming a wild-card spot; and 3) aren't alone in first place in their division. Those factors alone allow for this project to be confined to 11 teams.
There are other benefits, as well. That criteria means we can avoid dissecting the chaos that is the NFC East. It also allows for certain assumptions to be made: for example, that the postseason field will include Carolina, Arizona, New England, Denver and Cincinnati (all of whom already have won 10 games). Those factors further alleviate the need to evaluate the possibilities of all those teams hovering around the 5-7 mark. Nobody needs to waste time working out the probability of miracles happening.
Besides, there are plenty of candidates worth discussing. So here are the best guesses at who are the real contenders left in the postseason race and which teams are going to be best remembered as pretenders:
Kansas City Chiefs (7-5, second in AFC West): Kansas City has won six straight games, and the Chiefs' prospects only look better in the final four weeks of the season. Their opponents during that stretch -- San Diego, Baltimore, Cleveland and Oakland -- have a combined record of 14-34, and Kansas City has already beaten the Chargers and Raiders on the road. This isn't just about schedules, though. The Chiefs have rebounded from a 1-5 start because they've squeezed every last bit of talent out of their roster since losing Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles to a season-ending knee injury in Week 5. Quarterback Alex Smith hasn't thrown an interception in 305 attempts. Unknown running backs like Spencer Ware and Charcandrick West have kept the ground game viable. A defense that surrendered three 30-point efforts in the first four games has become suffocating. This is no longer a team hoping to make the playoffs. It's one that is now capable of doing some damage once it gets in. FINAL VERDICT: CONTENDER
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000598293/article/chiefs-seahawks-contenders-steelers-falcons-pretenders