AFC First-Round Byes:
Tennessee Titans
Pittsburgh Steelers
Other AFC Divisional Champions:
Buffalo Bills
Denver Broncos
AFC Wildcards:
New England Patriots
Baltimore Ravens
NFC First-Round Byes:
New York Giants
Carolina Panthers
Other NFC Divisional Champions:
Arizona Cardinals
Green Bay Packers
NFC Wildcards:
Washington Redskins
Dallas Cowboys
Hated to Leave You Out:
Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Buccaneers. I'm sorry. I know you beat Carolina, and I do believe you're one of the six best teams in the NFC, but these aren't power rankings, bucko. You're a game behind in the division now, and I've gotta do what's right. I still like you, I promise. There's just not room to put you in the playoffs. I hope we can still be friends.
San Diego ChargersSan Diego Chargers. I still think San Diego's going to win the AFC West. It's not reflected in the handsome diagram above, because Denver's currently up a game and a half in the standings. That's a lack of onions on my part. But San Diego's better than Denver. The Broncos have a -22 point differential on the year, as opposed to the Chargers, who are at +25. Throw in the fact that San Diego have five home games left, while Denver has five road games, and I'm leaning towards the lightning.
New York JetsNew York Jets. I didn't have to leave them out, but I put them there to make this point: When deciding on the last wildcard spot in the AFC, it really came down to the Jets or Ravens. How sad is that? The Colts, Jaguars, and Chargers all crossed my mind, too ... but they're three-win squads. The Jets and Ravens are actually above .500. So congratulations to the Ravens. They get the nod over the team with the quarterback who was just outplayed by Tyler Thigpen.
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