The questions and discussion…
1) In Week 16, the Falcons benched their $45 million man QB Kirk Cousins in favor of rookie first-round draft pick Michael Penix who went 18/27 for 202 yards as the Falcons crushed the New York Giants 34-7. Combined with the Tampa Bay Bucs loss to the Dallas Cowboys the win moved the Falcons into a first place tie in the NFC South.
With Penix now at QB, will the Falcons overtake the Bucs and win the South and make the playoffs while the Bucs pack their bags and go home for the remainder of the 2024/25 season? Why or why not?
Joe
Atlanta Falcons
Considering Atlanta plays Washington and Carolina to close out the regular season and Tampa has Carolina and then New Orleans and that I am projecting Atlanta losing to Washington in Week 17 and then think the game against Carolina is a tossup at best if they win or lose and then have Tampa sweeping their two opponents to end their regular season…
Nope! The Falcons won’t be overtaking the Bucs and come the close of the 18-game NFL season they will be packing their bags to go home and do whatever NFL players do during their off-seasons.
2) The Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions each won in Week 16 and with 13-2 records are still tied for first place in the NFC North. And combined with the Eagles’ (12-3) loss to the Commanders, both teams are now also tied for first in the NFC at large.
The NFC’s top seed will not be decided until Week 18 when the Vikings meet the Lions at Ford Field in Detroit? True or not true/Why or why not?
Joe
Vikings vs Lions in Week 18
It all depends on what Minnesota does in Week 17 when they face the Green Bay Packers… win that game and then and then…
Yep, the NFC’s top seed will not be decided until Week 18 when the Vikings meet the Lions at Ford Field in Detroit.
What if Detroit loses in Week 17? That ain’t happening… they play the 49ers. I’ll be shocked if the 49ers pull of the upset.
So again…
Vikes win in Week 17 then it all comes down to what happens in Week 18 in Detroit to find out who gets the bye in the NFC playoffs and homefield advantage and who doesn’t.
3) The 14-1 and AFC West Champs Kansas City Chiefs will most likely be the AFC’s number one seed and have home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs in their pursuit of a NFL record third consecutive Super Bowl Trophy. With that in mind…
If the Chiefs quest to win the AFC Conference and go to their third straight Super Bowl is to be denied, which AFC team will be the cause of the Chiefs being unable to attempt to be the NFL first team to win three consecutive Super Bowls? Why?
Joe
Buffalo Bills
Bills are most likely to prevent the Kansas City Chiefs from achieving a three-peat in the Super Bowl.
They have a high powered offense that is led by QB Josh Allen who is capable of putting up big numbers against even the strongest defenses and is having a career year as one of the top picks to win the MVP for this season
The Bills defense has been sort of leaky as of late giving up points in bunches but otherwise if they can tighten that up for the playoffs, then I see them as being the biggest threat to the Chiefs getting to third Super Bowl in a row and having their shot at achieving an historic three-peat.
4) Which three AFC teams will be this year’s Wild Card teams? Why?
Joe
AFC Playoffs
The Chiefs won Christmas day versus the Steelers and that loss coupled with the Ravens also winning their Christmas game moved the Ravens into the division lead and the AFC’s three seed, and dropped the Steelers to the fifth seed and a the top Wild Card. Because the Steelers beat both the Chargers and Broncos earlier this season, neither team, even with wins on in Week 17 can pass Pittsburgh in the standings in Week 17.
And speaking of those two teams… Chargers and Broncos… both teams are in a tie at 9-7 for second in the AFC West behind the 16-1 Chiefs and currently have a two game lead for the last two Wild Card spots over every other AFC team and I just do not see any realistic scenario of either the Chargers or the Broncos of being knocked out of the second and third Wild Card spots.
That’s it then… my AFC Wild Cards are Pittsburgh, LA Chargers and Denver.
5) Which three NFC teams will be this year’s Wild Card teams? Why?
Joe
NFC Playoffs
This is all dependent upon what the Vikes and the Lions do to sort out which team is the top NFC seed going into the playoffs… but since I’m assuming Minny wins this weekend against Green Bay, then whichever team however wins in Week 18 will relegate the other team to being second in the NFC North and the first NFC Wild Card. And I’ll go out on a limb and say Detroit wins out and therefore Minnesota will be the NFC’s top Wil Card.
And the much like the AFC the other two Wild Cards are more or less already set…
Green Bay is currently sitting in third in the North, and I see them splitting their final two games… Minny beats them in Week 17 and then Green Bay plays Chicago and wins. They finish the season at no worse than 12-5.
Washington is second right now in the NFC east at 10-5 and even if they split the their last two games… Atlanta and Dallas… they would then be no worse than 11-6… but…
In my opinion the Commanders win out and that would put at 12-5 and in a flat out tie with Green Bay for the second and third Wild Cards in the NFC.
So there y’all go… my NFC wild cards are Minnesota, Green Bay and Washington.
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