Ok folks, it looks like the world has not ended, and we will be playing Week 16 of the 2012 NFL Season.
Three teams enter this week knowing exactly what is in front of them. A victory on Sunday, and they will be in the playoffs.
The Indianapolis Colts, Seattle Seahawks, and Cincinnati Bengals will all secure a playoff spot with victories on Sunday. Let’s take a look at these matchups.
Entering this season, many probably thought that the Colts would not be in the running for a postseason berth. This team won just one in 2011, and had the No.1 pick in the draft. Turnarounds in the NFL don’t usually happen that quickly. But rookie quarterback Andrew Luck has spearheaded a remarkable season in Indianapolis, where the Colts can make the playoffs with a win over woeful Kansas City on the road. Indianapolis is favored to win, which would be their 10th win of the season.
As for the Seahawks, they are also led by a rookie quarterback in Russell Wilson, who was not projected to be the starter this season. But Wilson has flourished in his first season, and has the Seahawks in position. They get the toughest of the three this week though, going up against the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers are looking for a first-round bye into the postseason, but have also not yet won the division yet. This game was moved to the 8:20pm ET primetime game on Sunday, with the NFL using its flex option to take out the Jets and Chargers.
The Bengals have a critical game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cincinnati makes the playoffs with a win,but with a loss, would fall into a tie with Pittsburgh, and would have an 0-2 record against the Steelers this season, losing the tie break.
And while these three will be playing for their postseason destiny on Sunday, there will also be plenty of other action, where teams who have already made it looking for a first-round bye, as well as home-field advantage.