Multiple teams appear locks for the NFL Playoffs 2018, but then there are these four teams. The Dolphins, Bengals, Chargers and Panthers are all within reach of their division titles. Who are contenders and who are pretenders?
Each NFL team has played at least half its schedule through Week 9. As the 2018 NFL Playoff picture unfolds and division leaders gain holds, there is a set of teams who refuse to disappear. These non-favorites see the division favorites and won’t let up.
Can we believe in any of these four teams? Which are contenders and who are really pretenders? The Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Chargers and Carolina Panthers all keep winning and refuse to go away. Are any serious considerations for the 2018 NFL Playoffs?
Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate the 2018 NFL Playoffs in today’s NFL Sports Debate.
Todd Salem:
The Miami Dolphins rebounded from a two-game losing streak and are still within two games of New England. Even as everyone continues to agree that this team isn’t any good, it continues to come through. There is an opportunity these next four weeks to go 2-1 (with a bye) before a rematch with the Pats. And those Patriots play four of their next five on the road, with a tough test against Minnesota mixed in. I’m not saying Miami is still in this; just don’t count it out of it.
The Cincinnati Bengals stopped their own two-game losing streak last week before a Week 9 bye. They trail leading Pittsburgh by just half a game. With AJ Green set to miss time, Cincy could be in a tough spot. But if you take road games as hard tests regardless of the opponent, the Steelers don’t have a single easy win the rest of the way.
No one can stop the Los Angeles Chargers, even as the Chiefs grab all the headlines and the division lead. LA has won five straight to remain within a game and a half of Kansas City. A super easy November for the Chargers makes the AFC West even more interesting.
In the NFC, the Carolina Panthers are playing the role of Los Angeles to New Orleans’ Kansas City. The Panthers have won three straight under the radar to stick within one game of the world-beater Saints.
These four divisions aren’t necessarily the tightest four races, but they do share one common trait. The overwhelming favorite isn’t creating as much space as everyone assumes between it and second place. No one wants to bet against New England, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, or New Orleans. That quartet is running hot and meeting expectations. But each team’s second-place counterpart doesn’t care.
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The Chargers are probably the popular pick if one team was going to overtake its juggernaut peer, but I prefer Carolina. The Saints defense continues to worry me. It was their undoing in Week 1 and almost failed them again in Week 3 and this past week against the Rams. In between, it’s been ehh. With Philadelphia and Atlanta coming to town before the month is out, something has to change.
The Panthers have a similar defensive repertoire (really good against the run and pretty bad against the pass), but they are better against passing attacks and allow far fewer points. The two teams face off twice in the final three weeks of the season. Regardless of how the rest of November plays out, it sure feels like that stretch will decide things.
Dan Salem:
Let’s just call this what it is, contenders versus pretenders. The NFL Playoffs 2018 are about half full at the halfway mark of the season. Each of these four divisions contains multiple playoff locks, but not all of them are legitimate contenders. The urge to include other teams like Green Bay and Baltimore is strong, but we must resist. Neither has shown enough to warrant serious playoff consideration.
No one is debating the validity of New England, Kansas City, New Orleans and Pittsburgh in the NFL Playoffs 2018. I could see the Steelers stumbling down the stretch, but that is semantics. They are a contender and a favorite. As for the four teams currently smashing at their doors, I give contender status to three.
The Panthers are legit, because of their defense and a knack for winning close games. Pulling out the close victory tends to even out over time, but not necessarily within a given season. Carolina is not only a playoff lock at this point, but a serious contender for the NFC South crown. If anyone can stop the Saints, it’s the Panthers.
It’s no secret I’ve been on the Chargers bandwagon for some time, and finally they are healthy with a reasonably reliable kicker. Look how good they are! Los Angeles is going to make the NFL Playoffs 2018 as well, but catching Kansas City will require the Chiefs to stumble in cold weather.
The Kansas City defense has been suspect enough for this to happen, since passing in December is much harder. But this is a weak argument. Lucky for Los Angeles, the wildcard contenders in the AFC are not on their own level right now.
Miami and Cincinnati want to be contenders, but only the Bengals are serious considerations this season. Because there are not a lot of good teams, Cincinnati will be in it until the end. Who is significantly better in the AFC right now, outside of the division leaders? Only the Chargers, maybe. The Dolphins are the flipside, because they stink. If the New York Jets had any kind of offense right now, Miami would have been blown off the field. They are a bad football team who is treading water, much like every season for them in the last decade.
Honorable mention goes to Chicago/Minnesota who is the front runner for that final NFC wildcard spot. A bevvy of teams are knocking on their door, but it’s the Bears and Vikings who are legitimate contenders this season. Defense wins football games and championships. That is what separates the contenders from pretenders.