NFL Playoffs 2019: Major flaws exposed in the league’s best
By Dan Salem
What once was chalk is now entirely up for grabs. Major flaws were exposed in the league’s best teams by those sitting at the bottom. The 2019 NFL Playoffs are no sure thing.
This past week, the 6-2 Buffalo Bills traveled to Cleveland to face the 2-6 Browns with wildcard positioning in their sights. The 6-3 Kansas City Chiefs traveled to Tennessee to take on the 4-5 Titans and secure their spot in the AFC West hierarchy. The 7-1 New Orleans Saints hosted the 1-7 Atlanta Falcons with hopes of ironing out a top-two seed in the 2019 NFL Playoffs. The 5-3 Indianapolis Colts hosted the 1-7 Miami Dolphins with playoff positioning on the line.
With six teams on bye in Week 10, the slate was bare to begin with. It didn’t help that there were at least five games that looked like they would be noncompetitive. Secure or hopeful playoff teams facing bottom feeders.
Of those five matchups, four of the eye test favorites went down in flames. The only one who emerged was Baltimore demolishing the Cincinnati Bengals. What once was chalk is no sure thing. The 2019 NFL Playoffs are completely up for grabs.
Two brothers from New York, Dan Salem and Todd Salem, debate the NFL Playoffs in today’s NFL Sports Debate.
Todd Salem:
Ten weeks into the season, we still have no idea what to expect week to week. Cleveland is written off, and Buffalo is emerging. Kansas City gets Patrick Mahomes back. New Orleans gets Drew Brees back. The Miami Dolphins are tanking! Tanking teams aren’t supposed to be on two-game winning streaks. It just doesn’t make sense.
In totality, eight of the 12 games featured an upset record-wise, in that the team with the worse record entering the game ended up winning. This doesn’t really tell us anything, but it certainly tightens up the playoff picture in both conferences. Just two short weeks ago, I called the AFC playoff field set in stone.
My grandstanding leaves me with four or so teams I still feel certain about, but there are oodles of teams within reach. In the NFC, the field always looked muddled and continues to now. The only way it could have looked crazier was if Carolina had been able to defeat Green Bay.
It is more interesting to have a muddled field with seven weeks remaining, but it also feels disconcerting. If the Saints, with Drew Brees back healthy, can lose to Atlanta…If the Chiefs, with Patrick Mahomes, can’t outscore Tennessee… If Miami currently has the longest active winning streak in the AFC East… Where do we go from here? What is reliable?
Taking a peek ahead to next week’s schedule, it seemed like there were another half dozen games between playoff contenders and teams who’d have no business being competitive. That was how the 2019 season had been playing out. Big betting favorites were routinely covering, let alone winning outright. Week 10 flipped everything on its head.
Dan Salem:
NFL Week 10 certainly turned some eyes, especially in terms of the 2019 NFL Playoffs and assumed dominance by our division leaders. There is only one conclusion to draw from our best teams all losing to many of the league’s worst. Every team in the NFL has at least one major flaw that ANY team can exploit. Bettors beware.
I must admit that I’m relieved. One-quarter of the way into this NFL season, it appeared everything was chalk. We know that September tells lies but, certainly, some truths were self-evident based on the play on the field. I hate chalk, especially when the Patriots and every playoff team from last season are involved. Now that we are over the halfway point, the top teams are still on top, but they have lost to less than favorable opponents. All bets are off!
Personally, I’m not worried about the Saints. Atlanta got Matt Ryan back and had a huge chip on its shoulders. This fueled their upset of New Orleans. I’m totally off Buffalo, who continues to waffle from week to week. Their near defeat by the Dolphins was just the beginning.
I’m also afraid for the Chiefs, as we knew their defense was suspect, but now the offense is unable to overcompensate. That division is completely up for grabs right now. Oh, and don’t forget about Ryan Fitzpatrick and his Fitzmagic.
Miami has truly come together as a team behind its rookie head coach. Fitzpatrick has once again found a groove, but its always a matter of time before it blows up into a multi-turnover affair. Indianapolis is certainly less of a team without Jacoby Brissett, but all playoffs teams should handle the Dolphins with ease. Maybe the Colts are just average. I would also like to note how the New York Jets defeated the New York Giants. Bragging rights secured.