The Playoff Picture and Happy Thoughts

well nevermind…its very complicated. Most people are just demoralized by our own team’s play that they could care less about this stuff. I’m completely on the other end, why the fuck would you worry about making changes when there is an entire off season for that. Seriously, we will learn nothing about Joe Burnett and Keenan Lewis by playing them other than they will get burned too.

Now then… (ALL SCENARIOS BASED ON PIT WINNING OUT, which is the most unlikely thing among these scenarios)

Its amazing to me that the average steeler fan who is looking into playoff scenarios for our wounded warriors, when given the following question, will fail to think critically…

In Week 15’s matchup featuring CIN @ SAN, are there any playoff implications regarding the Steelers? In either case, who would you root for?

the typical Steeler fan: “I hate the bengals. Go chargers! This game doesn’t affect us.”

the critical thinker: we badly need CIN to win this game!

 WHY??? So simple. If SAN wins, they will clinch the bye week #2 seed. CIN will no longer be in a position to earn a bye and will be locked in as a division winner w/ home playoff game, although not certain as a #3 or #4 seed. As you know from 2007 (Tomlin resting starters against Baltimore in week 17 when we had a division winner w/ home playoff game locked up, but technically did not have a particular seed locked up), CIN would be likely to rest starters and call off the dogs, ESPECIALLY IN WEEK 17 when they play the JETS.

As you know (or maybe I assume to much), we need the Jets to lose one game, but not necessarily two games. WHY???

If the Jets finish 9-7 and we finish 9-7, we win the tie breaker if the NYJ loss is vs CIN week 17. WHY?? this would count as an AFC loss for NYJ, and thus we would tie with them in AFC record. We would also tie them in common games record, and we would win the following tie breaker based on strength of victory.

If the Jets finish 9-7 and their loss is @IND or vs. ATL, then they win the tie breaker based on common games record or conference record, respectively.

Given that IND has clinched home field, they will lay down hard and rest starters probably week 16 and week 17. Week 15 (this thursday @ JAX) they will probably begin to lay down as well (ALTHOUGH WE ALL HOPE NOT)

this means the jets would have a very winnable game against IND back ups week 16.

SO THAT MEANS IF THE BENGALS HAVE SOMETHING TO PLAY FOR, THEY SHOULD BEAT THE JETS WEEK 17

Is that clear?

now, here’s where it gets interesting.

If the Jets finish 9-7 and MIA finishes 9-7 along with us at 9-7, WE WILL WIN THE TIE BREAKER BETWEEN ALL THREE REGARDLESS OF WHO THE JETS GET THEIR LOSS FROM, EVEN ATL. This is because MIA beat NYJ twice and that would knock NYJ out, thus leaving MIA and PIT to be compared, where we would of course win the head-head tiebreaker.

Bottom line is this

I pray for DEN to lose one game they shouldn’t lose (vs. KC or vs OAK), because they will definitely lose @ PHI, who is fighting for the NFC east crown. If we finish tied with DEN at 9-7, we of course win the tie breaker)

I pray for JAX to lose this thursday (if IND doesn’t lay down, i think it should happen) and @ NE week 16. If that happens, they’re OUT

I pray for BAL to lose this sun vs. CHI. (this could be the most nerve racking one of them all, i don’t think they’ll lose @ OAK, but you never know)

I pray for CIN to beat SAN this sun for the important reasons mentioned above

if MIA, NYJ, DEN, JAX, PIT all finish 9-7…

we win out!!!

compare teams in the same division FIRST. this eliminates NYJ (based on their 2 losses to MIA)

next compare any teams amongst the remaining group that played head-head games. ELIMINATE the team that is on the losing end of any head to head game.

THEREFORE, MIA defeated JAX. JAX would be OUT. PIT defeated DEN. DEN would be OUT. PIT defeated MIA. MIA would be out.

we would win out!