Crunch time in the play-offs for the NFL

We’re now in December and that means the NFL playoffs are right around the corner. There’s just five weeks left of regular season action and the playoff picture is starting to take shape, though there’s certainly still plenty left to play for.

The Browns, Giants and 49ers all know their season is over, with the Broncos, Colts, Buccaneers and Bears likely to follow in the coming weeks, but for everyone else it’s a very tight picture.

In the NFC, the Seahawks, Lions, Packers, Cowboys, Redskins and Cardinals all have a chance of sneaking into the wildcard round if they put together a run of form, which leaves the Panthers and the Falcons anxiously looking over their shoulder.

The AFC sees a similar scenario. The Jaguars and the Baltimore Ravens currently have the edge, though the latter is one of three teams with a 6-5 record alongside the Chiefs, who lead the way in their division, and the Buffalo Bills. Things can change in an instant though so the frenzy of action in the weeks ahead will be decisive, so the pressure is on the league’s top quarterbacks.

Crucial games

At this stage of the regular season, there’s no room for slip-ups and there’s a number of crucial games over the course of the coming weeks. Of the schedules for the playoff hopefuls, a lot of pressure is on the Seahawks who face the Eagles, Jacksonville and Rams in the next few weeks.

The Atlanta Falcons have also started to put together a fine vein of form and will be tested in the coming weeks, as they clash with the Vikings and the Saints, both of whom have playoff hopes of their own.

Whilst others hang in the balance, there’s three teams who have virtually secured their football in the New Year. The Eagles, Vikings and Rams are all on the verge of guaranteeing their spot and will now look to assure themselves of a place.

The Eagles and the Rams go toe-to-toe in week 14, which should be a thrilling clash, whilst the Patriots still have to battle it out with the Steelers at the back end of the season. Whilst there may not be too much riding on those games at that stage, it certainly gets us prepared for the playoff clashes.

The favourites

As mentioned numerous times, there’s a lot still to play for but the favourites to go all the way this year are starting to take shape. In the NFC, it’s highly likely that the Eagles and the Vikings will slug it out for the conference title, with Minnesota encouraged by a potential Super Bowl win on their own turf.

The Patriots and the Steelers, who go toe-to-toe in week 16, currently stand as the two sides likely to face off in the AFC conference game and it means that the clash in mid-December could give us a sneak preview of that clash.

The Falcons, defeated by the Patriots in last year’s Super Bowl, will hope to go one better this season and they’ve certainly come into form at the right time. They’re currently sixth seed but are likely to raise before the end of the regular season, handing them a boost for the playoff schedule.

There’s not really much between the Panthers and the Saints in the NFC, whilst the same can be said for the NFC between the Jaguars, Ravens, Titans and Chiefs. As such, it’s difficult to predict exactly who will advance through to the divisional round.

Looking ahead

In the next few weeks, we should start to see the first few teams seal their place in the playoffs and a number of sides are likely to also drop out of the running. With five games left to play though, there’s plenty of scope for things to change dramatically.

On average, it takes around nine wins minimum to seal a spot in the playoffs but even a higher record doesn’t always guarantee such a finish. With things extremely tight this season, playoff hopefuls will likely be aiming for at least eleven wins.

Of course, it all depends on what the teams ahead of them do. That’s why the games that see playoff rivals go head-to-head are so important, as it can change the picture significantly- extending the cushion one side has, whilst leaving another trailing in the wake.