Multiple spots in the NFL Playoffs 2018 are at stake in this final week of games, but who truly holds the edge? With division titles and wildcard spots on the line, its time we picked sides.
There are three NFL Playoffs 2018 spots still to be claimed in Week 17. Those are the biggest things on the line. Everyone else is either jockeying for positioning in terms of a first-round bye, fighting for (or fighting against) draft pick ordering, or just running around for fun. The three spots are the second wildcard in each conference and the AFC North title.
The Wild Cards look to be pretty straightforward. In the NFC, the spot goes to Minnesota if it wins. If the Vikings lose, the spot can still go to them if Philly loses, but the Eagles can then grab it with a win.
In the AFC, Baltimore wins the North with a win. Pittsburgh needs to win and have the Ravens lose. Interestingly, neither team can grab the available wildcard spot. That playoff berth belongs to the AFC South. What else is at stake for the NFL Playoffs 2018? Let’s debate.
Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate the NFL Playoffs 2018 in today’s NFL Sports Debate.
Todd Salem:
Let’s cover the AFC Wild Card spot in a second, because the North opening is the most fun to me. The AFC Wild Card will go to an AFC South team. All of Houston, Indianapolis and Tennessee can win either the division or the Wild Card, but only the Texans have thus far clinched a playoff spot. Keep in mind that the Colts and Titans cannot both win because they play each other in the final game of the 2018 regular season.
Back to the North. the reason neither the Ravens nor Steelers can fall back on a wildcard spot is because their division opening precedes it. The Ravens can win their game and win the division. They can also lose the game, though, and win the division if Pitt falls. Because of Pittsburgh’s early season tie and the fact that Indy will be playing Tennessee, it has no chance of catching the other wildcard contenders, win or lose. The only hope is to pass Baltimore for king of the North.
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And it’s really interesting that we are in this spot. According to Football Outsiders’ DVOA, the Ravens and Steelers are both top eight teams in the NFL. One is not going to make the final 12. They are both in the top 10 in point differential and have elite, top-five units. Baltimore feels like it is on the rise, so a Week 17 elimination wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.
For Pittsburgh, a failure to advance would seem even harsher. While Baltimore is pulling a semi-reboot on offense and relying on its defense to win games, the Steelers are the team they have always been: a team that was predicted to run away with a playoff berth prior to the season, carried by star skill position players.
If it fails to make the postseason, do you give Pittsburgh a pass because of the Le’Veon Bell situation that played out? This didn’t end up being the team we all expected. Of course, that’s a pretty baseless excuse when the roster still put together a top five offensive unit. The absence of Bell was not an obvious problem. And losing five of six games down the stretch is not something easily passed over because of concerns about the lineup from September.
I think the playoffs as a whole would be more fun if both North squads could have gotten in. Instead, Pittsburgh still feels like the steadier draw. Lamar Jackson is exciting, but he is also just essentially Josh Allen in terms of running ability and wild inaccuracy. Plus, not so secretly, the Bills defense is one of the best in the league, reminiscent of Baltimore. I’m not saying the Ravens are the same team as Buffalo just with much better special teams and an easier schedule. But aesthetically, it’s kind of true. Give me Pitt, and let’s see it air it out.
Dan Salem:
Of the final three NFL Playoffs 2018 spots up for grabs, the more exciting teams are the exact opposite of those I actually want to see get in. Momentum is also an interesting wrinkle in this debate, but its hard to pinpoint exactly which teams hold the most. My personal desires are for Baltimore to win the AFC North, Indianapolis to win the final AFC wildcard spot, and the Vikings to earn the final spot in the NFC. Yet this presents a much less exciting playoff field.
Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Indianapolis are the most exciting final playoff entrants. The defending Super Bowl champions and two Pro Bowl quarterbacks would make for an exceptional set of wildcard matchups. Yet momentum belongs more to the Ravens, not the Steelers. Minnesota is also a better team than the Eagles, with destiny in hand.
Only the Colts are both more exciting and in a better position to win a playoff spot than Tennessee. It would be a shock for Houston to lose the AFC South division title.
I do not give Pittsburgh a pass for missing the playoffs. Their defense was a shortcoming all season, which had nothing to do with the turmoil at running back. The Eagles defense was also an issue for the defending champions. Neither team played much defense, but everyone knows that defense wins championships. It is how Philadelphia won last season. Again, this places the Vikings and Ravens ahead of their peers.