With the closing of the 2022 season we now have the full list of player retirements heading into our 2023 offseason! The list of retiring players are:

K - Mason Crosby 

LOLB - Bruce Irvin

MLB - Jon Bostic

RE -Calais Campbell

CB - Chris Harris Jr.

WR - DeSean Jackson

RT - Marcus Cannon

LT - Jason Peter's

QB - Cam Newton

QB - Matt Ryan

WR - AJ Green

K - Nick Folk

FS - Devin Mccourty

TE - Mercedes Lewis

LT - Duane Brown 

QB - Joe Flacco

DT - Corey Peters

K - Robbie Gould

WR - Cole Beasley

FS - Erik Harris

P - Brett Kern

C - Jason Kelce

CB - Janoris Jenkins

TE - Jimmy Graham

WR - T.Y. Hilton

LOLB - Melvin Ingram

RT - Tom Compton

QB - Chad Henne

QB - Chase Daniel

DT - Brandon Williams

DT - Ndamukong Suh

P - Andy Lee

DT - Tyson Alualu

HB - Brandon Bolden

HB - Taiwan Jones

SS - Michael Thomas

QB - Josh Johnson

RE - Vinny Curry

WR - Andre Robert's

C - James Ferentz

LT - Ty Nsekhe

MLB - Nick Bellore

RE - Mario Addison

HB - Rex Burkhead

P - Kevin Huber

RE - Margus Hunt

LOLB - Pernell McPhee

DT - Zach Kerr

LE - Steve Mclendon

P - Dustin Colquitt

FS - Andrew Sendejo

HB - Devontae Booker

RT - Nate Solder

HB - Adrian Peterson

DT - Mike Daniel's

RT - Andre Smith

Congratulations to your 2023 season World Champions the Indianapolis Colts! The Colts now pick up their 3rd title (excluding previous Madden of Fame title history of course!) 

The 11-6 7th seed Colts won the defensive Superbowl Battle 12 to 6 against the 14-3 2nd seeded Lions in what could arguably be the most defensive Superbowl in NFL history to date! 

Superbowl MVP Bobby Okereke, playing Middle Linebacker for the Colts came up huge with a monster interception and forced fumble representing the only two turnovers in the big game! 

With the win over the Eagles this week and the surprising loss to the Bears that the Lions received, the Saints climb higher in our power rankings. The Saints sneak their way into the first round bye with a conference record tiebreaker. The Lions get a first round bye only if the Saints lose next week to the Panthers and the Lions win. If both teams win, or both teams lose, the Saints remain the higher seed due to conference record tiebreakers. The two did not play head to head this season.

In an unexpected turn of events, the Bears not only secure their playoff spot with a shocking win over the Lions, but they do it in a dominant fashion. They completely shut down any possibility of the Lions getting anything going offensively and put the Lions to sleep... IN DETROIT! Holding Jared Goff to 13 completions of 30 attempts for just 202 yards and 6 interceptions with no touchdowns of course as the game was a shutout, the Bears had quite the gameplan for success to surprise the Lions and make them look more like... kittens this week. 

The Lions totaled for 32 yards on 8 rushing attempts. A team averaging 4 yards per carry in this game while putting all of the pressure onto the shoulders of Jared Goff, who completed less than half of his passes this week while finding 5 different defenders while attempting to spread the ball out.

As dominant as the Lions have looked this season, this loss could pose detrimental for their playoff seeding with the possibility that they could lose the first round bye to the Saints going into the final week of the season. The two may not have played head to head, but the Saints losing to a team in the AFC and a team in the NFC vs the Lions losing two conference games, gives the Saints the tiebreaker going into week 18.

With a record of 7-9 you wouldn't think about the Playoffs going into the final week of the season, but the Dolphins this season have a different story to tell. With only 7 wins, the Dolphins maintain a division record of 4-1 going into the final week of the season with a win over the Jets already this season, and their final game being against none other than the 8-8 Jets. With a win in Week 18, the Dolphins can punch their playoff ticket AND home field advantage going into the playoffs in the wildcard round. As of right now it doesn't appear too promising as the Dolphins would be facing off against the Chargers at home in Miami at least, but after the meltdown that they had against the Chargers earlier this season, this matchup appears to be one sided based off of the 45 to 15 blowout that the Chargers sent Miami packing with in week 14. Of course none of this means anything if the Dolphins don't beat the Jets this weekend. It's worth noting that the Titans could slip into that 5 seed as well as nothing is definitely locked up for sure at the moment and given even more unpredictable circumstances within a divisional shakeup, the Titans could even slip into that 5 seed as well. A team of which also blew the Dolphins out by a smaller margin of 31-6 in week 12.

If the Dolphins manage to make the Playoffs, they'd be playing their playoff game without Superstar Wideout Jaelyn Waddle. Additionally they'd also be playing without their young star safety Jevon Holland and slot corner Nik Needham.

Playoff Standings

• x - clinched at least a wildcard berth

• y - clinched their division

• z - clinched top 2 seed

     AFC                                                                                  NFC

1. Chiefs - x                                                                  1. Lions -z

2. Ravens - y                                                                2. Saints - y

3. Texans - y                                                                 3. Cardinals - x

4. Jets                                                                            4. Giants - y

5. Chargers - y                                                            5. Seahawks - x

6. Titans - y                                                                  6. Bears

7. Colts - y                                                                    7. Rams

                                            In the Hunt

8. Dolphins                                                                   8. Packers

                                                                                                                                   9. Vikings

Rewards & Incentives

As the season comes to a close, teams that DO NOT have Force Losses or Fair Sims in the final four weeks of the season will be rewarded with a Normal Development to Star Development of their choice in the resign stage of offseason following the Super Bowl.

Additionally, as posted in the current standings and spoiler rewards if you're not yet locked into the playoffs and win, you earn an additional Normal to Star development increase of your choice. 

Lastly, in Weeks 17 and 18 only. AFC & NFC Offensive & Defensive Players of the Week of not yet locked playoff teams receive an automatic development boost to the next stage.

As the season comes to a close, teams that DO NOT have Force Losses or Fair Sims in the final four weeks of the season will be rewarded with a Normal Development to Star Development of their choice in the resign stage of offseason following the Super Bowl.

Additionally, as posted in the current standings and spoiler rewards if you manage to take a win over a team currently still alive in the Playoff race, you get an additional Normal to Star development increase of your choice. 

Lastly, in Weeks 17 and 18 only. AFC & NFC Offensive & Defensive Players of the Week of not yet locked playoff teams receive an automatic development boost to the next stage.
 

We're in Week 15 with 4 more weeks of football and we're finally at the late point in the season and EVERYONE has PLAYOFFS on their mind!

While some teams are thinking Superbowl, others are already thinking about the offseason. Lets dive into some Playoff scenarios!

First, we'll start with those few that are already eliminated.

Eliminated

Washington Commanders (1-12)

San Francisco 49ers (3-10)

It's crazy to think about, but all other teams are still alive due to the standings being as close and competitive as they are! Lets take a dive and look at the frontrunners before we break down how narrow the rest of the race is!

First Round Byes

Chiefs (10-3)

The Chiefs hold the first overall seed currently, but don't let that fool you. It's an extremely close race. The Texans (10-3) unexpectedly hold the 2nd seed by a single win and may have clinched a playoff appearance, but have NOT clinched their division yet. As if that's not wild enough to throw the standings all over the place, the Chargers put the Chiefs in the exact same scenario down the same amount of games from the Chiefs as the Titans are from the Texans. In a matter of weeks, both home field advantage and the First Round Bye could alternate all over the place entirely. As of right now, these outcomes and playoff seedings could be coin flipped in a matter of weeks.

To add to the drama, the Chiefs and the Chargers are currently split in terms of tiebreak scenarios because both teams have a win over each other in the games played this season. Neither team has a definitive sweep over the other. The Chargers may be down a game in terms of the standings, but they're currently up a game in terms of division wins.

Meanwhile, as we analyze the Texans and Titans division race, the Titans are down a game but lead the division in terms of division wins with 3 division wins and 1 division loss. One of those wins currently over the Texans and another game slated to be played in week 16. If these teams are still tied come week 16 and the Titans win over the Texans, they suddenly win the tiebreak and lead the division going into the final two weeks of the season.

Lions (12-1)

Looking dominant thus far in the season so far and leading the league in regular season wins are the Lions. They continue to shock the world and play well beyond expectation having dropped only a single game to the current 4th seed Giants in a game that combined for 70 total points in week 11.

Despite being 12-1 this season with 4 weeks to play, they're going to have to continue winning if they want to maintain that First Round Bye however because the Saints are continuing to play hard with only two losses themselves. Losing only to the Ravens (who we'll talk more about momentarily) and Tom Brady's Buccaneers this season.

Holding the 3 seed at the moment is the 10 win Cardinals, who the Saints don't seem too concerned about for the moment because they won a head to head earlier in the season. If it comes down to a tie in standings, the Saints hold the higher seed. The Saints have their eyes set on the 1st overall seed.

Around the League

AFC

1. Chiefs (10-3) (3-1 Division - 1-1 vs Chargers) (Clinch Playoffs with a Win)

2. Texans (10-3) (Clinch Playoffs with a Win)

3. Ravens (9-4) (Clinch Division with a Win)

4. Jets (7-6) (3-2 Division) The Jets are in a sticky spot currently due to the shakey division standings at the moment. While they control their own destiny currently, losing two of the next 4 games could prove to shake division up entirely with the Dolphins current h2h win and 3-0 division record. The remaining four games in the Jets schedule are: Lions (12-1), Jaguars (4-9), Seahawks (8-5), Dolphins (5-8). This division is looking like it could become an interesting one.

(The AFC East is entirely open and up for grabs. All teams within 3 wins and losses of each other with the Dolphins being in 2nd at 5-8 (3-0 Division), Patriots & Bills tied for 3rd at 4-9 currently)

5. Titans (9-4) (3-1 Division) (One game back from taking Division over the Texans with a h2h win.)

6. Chargers (9-4) (4-1 Division) (Seeding could change depending on tiebreak scenarios and division standings.)

7. Colts (7-6) (2-3 Division) (While the division looks extremely competitive for the Colts, they hold on at 7-6 currently with a tough schedule ahead for them with games against the Vikings, Chargers, Giants & Texans. All of which are above .500 at the moment. Their saving grace is that they're 2 wins up on the rest of the hunt. While the rest of the schedule looks brutal for the Colts, they do still control their own playoff destiny at the moment.)

IN THE HUNT

8. Dolphins (5-8) (3-0 Division) One of many teams sitting at 5-8 at the moment, this team looks like a frontrunner for sneaking into the 7 seed if the Colts happen to slip given how challenging the final 4 weeks appear to be for the Colts. In addition to the potential that the Dolphins have to sneak into that 7th seed, the Dolphins are also only 2 games back of winning division while also having a current tiebreak over the Jets. If the Dolphins beat the Jets and win a game during a week that the Jets lose, the Dolphins then control their own destiny.

9. Steelers (5-8) With the division seemingly being out of reach due to the Ravens being 4 wins above the Steelers, the only real chance the Steelers have is to clinch a Wildcard by having a better record than the Colts. One win by either the Chargers or Titans put the 6 seeds out of reach. It's 7 seed or bust for the Steelers.

10. Browns (5-8) With the division seemingly being out of reach due to the Ravens being 4 wins above the Browns, the only real chance that the Browns have is to clinch a Wildcard by having a better record than the Colts. One win by either the Chargers or Titans put the 6 seeds out of reach. It's 7 seed or bust for the Browns. As if this isn't detrimental enough, the Browns would also need to have a game up over the Dolphins due to the Dolphins winning the h2h. The Browns need a lot of help to squeak into the playoffs.

11. Broncos (5-8) With division well out of reach given the Chiefs 10 win season thus far, the Broncos only chance at making it to the playoffs is through a Wildcard seed. Given all of the other 5-8 tiebreak scenarios, the Broncos appear to need a lot of help to make this miracle run happen. The Broncos finish their season against the Cardinals (10-3), Rams (6-7), Chiefs (10-3), Chargers (9-4) and given the current standings, every team continues to have a seed to fight for. Don't expect any starters to become benched against this team.

12. Bengals (5-8) With the division seemingly being out of reach due to the Ravens being 4 wins above the Browns, the only real chance that the Bengals have is to clinch a Wildcard by having a better record than the Colts. One win by either the Chargers or Titans put the 6 seeds out of reach. It's 7 seed or bust for the Bengals. Fortunately, unlike the Browns the Bengals did win h2h over the Dolphins giving them the tiebreak scenario if it comes down to it.

13. Patriots & Bills (4-9)

It's not impossible to believe that an 8-9 team could make it into the playoffs when looking at the remaining schedules of all 5-8 teams in the hunt. In addition to that detail, these teams are sitting in arguably the most competitive division in football. At least in terms of survivability when it comes to division records and standings that is.

NFC

1. Lions (12-1) (4-0 Division) (Clinched Division) 

While it may not be a guaranteed first seed, this team clinched division already due to their dominant division record. The more important detail that makes this record all that much more impressive is knowing that this entire division is still in the hunt if not in the playoffs despite how dominant this team has looked. Every team in the NFC North is above .500 this season.

2. Saints (11-2) (Clinched Division)  Another team that clinched playoffs due to being 6 wins up with 4 weeks remaining in the season. The Saints are only a game back of the Lions and are looking at a 1st round bye if the Lions were to slip. If the Lions lose to a team in the NFC and the Saints manage the tiebreak, the Saints would take the 1st seed simply due to having a better conference record. Both the Saints & Lions are 11-1 in NFC matchups currently and it's worth noting that the final three weeks of the season are all NFC matchups for the Lions. On the opposite side of the spectrum, the Saints are 3 games up from the 4th seed so a win clinches a top 3 seed. If the Cardinals lose, the Saints clinch a top 2 seed due to having a regular season h2h win over the Cardinals.

3. Cardinals (10-3) (4-1 Division) As mentioned in the Saints details above, the Cardinals are currently two wins above the 4th seeded Giants (8-5). The Cardinals would remain the lower seed if tied with the Saints due to losing the h2h earlier this season. Additionally, the Seahawks are currently the 5th seeded team only two wins back from taking division. This division is not locked yet. The Seahawks (8-5) and even the Rams (6-7) are still outside looking in at stealing it for themselves. A Cardinals win eliminates the Rams from any possibility of winning division, but the Seahawks would continue to remain in the tight race for a few weeks longer. The Cardinals however do appear to have an easy schedule against the Broncos (5-8), Buccaneers (4-9), Falcons (5-8), 49ers (3-10). Any of the following teams could potentially look to play spoiler but it doesn't appear to be a stressful locking of a division at a glance for now.

4. Giants (8-5) (3-1 Division) This team may be the most underrated team that we write about today. Sitting in the 4 seed currently but managing to be the only team to take a game off of the nearly undefeated Lions. With a single win, especially a division win, this team locks up their division and punches a ticket to playoffs.

5. Seahawks (8-5) (2-2 Division) This team is keeping things interesting. Splitting wins with the Cardinals this season keeps them relevant in winning division while only being back 2 games. This team either wins by a single score or loses the game hard trying. What makes this team interesting, is knowing who the notable wins and losses are. Half of the Seahawks games this season to this point are current playoff teams. They finish their season against the 49ers (3-10), Chiefs (10-3), Jets (7-6), and Rams (6-7).

6. & 7. Bears & Packers (3-1 Division & 0-4 Division) (8-5)

THIS is where things get EXTREMELY interesting. The reason as to why things are so interesting is in the standings themselves. The ENTIRE NFC North is fighting for the playoffs. This division became a brutal bloodbath and will continue to get worse.

The Bears are 3-1 within their respective division which is why they have the higher seed over the Packers given the tiebreaker circumstances. Not only are they better within division, but they also won the h2h twice sweeping the Packers. The Bears do however need to watch out for the 8th seeded Vikings because the Vikings do appear to control their own destiny barring a Bears loss to the Lions in week 17. The Bears remaining four games are the Eagles (5-8), Bills (4-9), Lions (12-1), Vikings (7-6).

The Packers are winless in division so a loss to the Vikings or Lions in the final two weeks of the season would be absolutely HUGE. We forgot to mention by the way that the Packers play the desperate Rams (6-7) who are still alive in week 15. The Dolphins in week 16 who are looking competitive in an extremely tight division & wildcard race. The Vikings who are seeded at #8 currently back by a single win and a division win up on the Packers... and do we even need to bring up the Lions? The only saving grace that the Packers MIGHT have is that the Lions may have nothing to play for in week 18 and may possibly rest their players... and if you believe that, you're an optimist.

8. Vikings (7-6) All this talk about the NFC North is what we all live for when it comes to the NFL and the Playoff anticipation! This is why we couldn't wait for a 3rd wildcard seed to be added. The added excitement of the possibility of an ENTIRE division making the playoffs!? We're LIVING for it!  The Vikings remaining schedule isn't an easy one, but they seem to control their own destiny at the moment. The remaining games in the Vikings schedule are the Colts (7-6), Giants (8-5), Packers (8-5), Bears (8-5). If the Vikings manage to win out, they clinch a playoff seed guaranteed simply because they win the tiebreaker sweep and divisional record standings over the Packers. However, the schedule ahead doesn't appear to be an easy one with two brutal division games in the schedule, the inconsistent yet dominant Giants and a Colts roster that looks to maintain and hold onto that final wildcard seed. It's worth noting though that the final two games of the Lions schedule are against, you guessed it, the Bears and Packers working in the Vikings favor barring that there isn't an upset that is.

9. Rams (6-7) Benefiting from the brutal possibilities of the NFC North beating up on one another could be the Rams. Back two games currently with full awareness of how difficult the schedule is for the 6, 7 and 8 seeds above them. These Rams could manage to sneak in unnoticed with a remaining schedule against the Packers (8-5), Broncos (5-8), Chargers (9-4), Seahawks (8-5). A win this week against the Packers would really ramp their chances up.

10. Panthers & Falcons (5-8) While it's unlikely we have to discuss all possibilities here! One loss and these teams appear to be done with how close the rest of the seeding is. Division is out of reach, it's Wildcard or bust for these teams.

11. Cowboys & Eagles (5-8) (3-2 Division & 3-1 Division) The Cowboys and Eagles are both in a much better situation than the Panthers and Falcons who have the same record as them currently at 5-8. The difference for these two teams however, is that barring a Giants slip up, these teams can actually make it to the playoffs by winning division OR through the Wildcard currently.

The Cowboys did manage to take a game off of the Giants earlier this season while losing the other. If the Cowboys win out, they would finish 4-2 in Division. They would need some help from the Eagles or Commanders however to force the Giants to have an equal or worse division record to bring it to Conference wins to win division.

The Eagles are actually in a much better situation currently being tied with a 3-1 division record. The Eagles remaining four games however are the challenging realization... They play the Bear (8-5), Cowboys (5-8), Saints (11-2), and Giants (8-5).

Even if the Eagles & Cowboys win in week 15, one of the two eliminate the opposite in week 16 based on how tightly contested division records are.

The Dolphins are on a huge slump the past three weeks despite starting the season 3-3 by sweeping their division rivals in the first three games of the season! A recent slump that's so disappointing that Miami decided to go in a different direction at QB this week despite Tagovailoa having a fairly good season thus far. The Dolphins kept the first half close with only a touchdown separting the Dolphins from the Bears at half but after a poorly timed turnover in the 3rd quarter, momentum began shifting as quickly as the wind does in the windy city. Trailing 35 to 17 in the 4th quarter Trask put together a comeback drive to make it an 12 point game after a failed 2 point conversion. A miscommunication between Trask and Hill lead to an interception during the 2 point try making it an 12 point game instead of an 9 point game. With the game 23 to 35 with 4 minutes remaining the Dolphins kicked an onside, to which they recovered their first of the season. Trask leading the Dolphins downfield scored with a minute remaining and still holding 3 timeouts. The Dolphins opt to kick the extra point but missed it, making the game 29 to 35. Attempting another onside kick, the Dolphins don't receive it this time and force the Bears to run the ball twice. On third down, the game would come to an end when the Dolphins were expecting to play pass and managed to give up a 13 yard run for the first down closing the game. Trask however in his first start did not disappoint throwing for nearly 500 yards during the comeback attempt with 4 Touchdown passes and 3 turnovers. The Dolphins future looks bright with anyone at Quarterback when they have talented players getting open the way that they have this season. If the team can get on the same page going forward, this team looks scary!

I don't even know where to begin with this story boys. It's going to be unusual, unfamiliar and extremely confusing in a way unlike anything we've ever seen in the history of the NFL before. The Vikings had fired, or come to a mutual agreement to let go of their Head Coach for unknown reasons last season after a poor start to the season. Reports were saying that the stress of the job was too much to take on with personal affairs interfering and they had promoted an interim Head Coach midway through the 2020 season. We're now one game into the 2021 season and it appears that they've fired said interim Coach after promoting him to a 1 year deal during the offseason... Only to rehire their previous Coach from the 2020 season? The players are certainly glad to have his morale back into the locker room. But this is definitely unlike anything we've ever seen before in the league. Time will tell whether this will work out in the long haul or if the stress of the forloughed issues are resolved. But one thing is for certain, the culture in the locker room is definitely at a high point at the start of the season even after an 0-1 start to the season. 

The Chargers recently suffered a huge loss to their offensive line after losing the leader of the entire offensive protection structure in Bryan Bulaga for the rest of the season. After an emotional interview with Bulaga, it was clear that Bulaga had and continues to have high hopes for the Chargers throughout this season after a 2-1 start to the season, when asked about his opinion on the analysis Bulaga had stated: "These guys are workhorses day in and day out. They know that I'll be here to support them whether I'm on the field playing with these guys or not. Whether I'm on the field or not, they know that I carry that leadeership with me even if I have to be with the team in spirit and I'll be continuing to push these guys to finish this season strong with the Superbowl in mind. We know it's within reach and I can't wait to reach for it a second time next season."

It isn't easy being a rookie Quarterback in the NFL. Wade Anders found that out in his career debut today against the Jets, which just happened to be played at home in Miami. Wade Anders threw for an insignificant 146 yards on 11 completions and 18 pass attempts totaling a nice completion percentage of 61% but the yardage was underwhelming for the most part. The veterans of Miami won the game late on defense, putting together nice stops which ultimately gave Miami nice offensive field position and time of clock management to work with.

Trailing big in the 3rd quarter, the Dolphins were down 27 to 10 but rallied back to win by scoring 21 unanswered to win the game and getting back to the run game that they so quickly abandoned in the first half. Anders threw no touchdowns and 2 interceptions on the day in his rookie debut, but was quickly bailed out by a stout stubborn defense that refused to give the game up easily and Ballage who had 4 touchdowns on the day. The Dolphins rushed for a total of 112 yards in their rally back, much to the delight of fans still remaining in the stadium.

Owner Don Shula in a post-game press conference, excitedely quoted "These things happen once in a while in football. It's a game that's not only about physical endurance, but mental endurance too. That's what my message was to the team in the locker room. With my experience of having once coached this team, I wanted to make sure that my appearance was made so that this team has that mentality going further into the season. That's why I surprised them at half." and immediately followed up with "Then I immediately looked to Coach Zimmer and told him "He's a rookie God damn it. Don't put so much pressure or expect such large results. We had a gameplan going into this season and we're going to stick to it. We're in no rush to force plays or explosive passes. We're going to let the young Quarterback develop." which ultimately tells us Miami won't be bailing on there young Quarterback for Bridgewater anytime soon as they've made it clear that they're going to be patient with there young Quarterback that they've invested into so heavily by building a solid unit around him.

If we told you that the Steelers were 5-8, you'd probably think that we don't have an article worth reading for this enormous Pittsburgh fan-base. Right? Well, that's not the case today. The Steelers are currently sitting on a horrendous looking 5-8 record, yet they're still alive in the Playoff hunt with 3 games remaining on their schedule. The team may be eliminated from Wildcard contention, but don't count this team out of the Playoffs just yet! Despite being 3 games back of a .500 record, the Steelers inch that much closer to the Playoffs this week, with a rare chance at winning the division due to being the ONLY team in their division to win a game in Week 14 with the Ravens falling short to the Chiefs and the Panthers trampling the Browns. This division is far from over. The Ravens are looking at an extremely difficult few games remaining in their schedule where they could easily fall to 8-8 on the season. If this happens, they could easily lose the division to the Browns provided the Browns take a win over the Ravens in Week 17 (meaning the two teams would tie.)

Meanwhile, Pittsburgh aquired Nick Foles and just managed a nailbiter must win victory over the Raiders by a single point keeping the dream alive. Foles joins the Steelers and immediately makes an impact after throwing for 304 yards and 2 Touchdowns while throwing no interceptions. Freeman rushed for just 53 yards today, but also had 41 yards receiving and a Touchdown reception on the day. Meanwhile, Switzer and Smith-Schuster had a field day totaling 182 yards together on 13 receptions and a Touchdown.

Here's the even crazier part. Even if Pittsburgh made a miracle run into the Playoffs, they still have three, yes you read that right, three, 1st round picks. If this team makes it through New England, they'll be a force to be reckoned with the next two weeks meaning that the Browns and Ravens can't afford to make any more mistakes.

It's crazy to think about, but the Browns are actually in a fantastic position currently for winning their division. Now before closing your browser, I already know what you're thinking; "The Browns aren't even winning the division and there's no way that they're winning the Wildcard. They're only 6-5 as of right now, are you serious?" You're correct on both accounts. However, they're only ONE game back and as crazy as it is, this division is tighter than it seems. The Browns have had a rocky road this season, winning games that they should have lost and losing games that they should have won, but despite all of these close finishes they're actually on pace to winning this division despite looking like a .500 team at this point in time. Being completely honest, given the strength of schedule the AFC North as a whole is still alive statistically speaking, but the Browns definitely catch our eye as favorites to win the division. Here are the facts:

If the Steelers or Bengals win out, either team has a chance at sneaking into playoffs with the right (but extremely rare) occurances. These teams may look like they're statistically eliminated but they're not quite there yet. They're only eliminated from the Wildcard seeding. The Division seeding is still anyone's for the taking at this point in time, even if it does look miles away from the 2 bottom seed teams.

The Steelers have played both the Browns and Ravens twice this season already, but they finish their season with the Bengals.

The Bengals however, have much better odds (despite being a loss back on Pitt after a game that was played much earlier as of this writing that is) with having matchups against the Raiders (who happen to be in between coaches currently) and a must win game against the  flustered Steelers team that can't seem to find their way. All in all though, it's not completely unrealistic for the Bengals to sneak into the playoffs at 8-8 for this reason alone: If this team happens to win out, they take down 2 division opponents while on that path to reach 8-8. The Browns have been inconsistent and every team the Ravens play in the remainder of this season happens to be a team that is out for blood and still in the hunt. Additionally, if it comes down to a tie for division, the Bengals win the tiebreaker due to a sweep of the Ravens and tie with the Browns (which would ultimately depend which teams the Browns happen to lose to in this event.)

The Browns have been inconsistent throughout the season, that's the straight facts. However, with their remaining schedule, they're 6-5 with the worst of there schedule out of the way. Every team that they play has a win rate below .500 and that's definitely something to look forward to.

The Ravens may be in the driver seat for now, but with games coming up against the Falcons (8-3), Chiefs (9-2), Buccaneers (7-5), Chargers (6-5) and Browns (Division Opponent at 6-5) the road ahead of them isn't a guarantee. One game lost means they could lose the division. They need to win out to be safe, but it's not unrealistic to lose more than half of these games either.

Could this be the year that the Browns finally break their playoff drought? Or will it be more of the same for the fans of Cleveland? As exciting as it is, we can't wait for the next week of game outcomes!

It's a wide margin between the playoff seeding for teams that are 5 and 6 seeds - at least for the NFC that is. Both teams holding both seeds are 3 wins back of the current 6th seed with 6 weeks to go. 4 games up on teams that are seeding 7th and down. That means the Cardinals and the Seahawks pretty much both lock playoffs if they win just 3 games. These two teams would only be competing with each other for the Division and a potential 1st round bye.

That being said, looking at the 6th seed, it's literally almost anyone's seed for the taking. The Redskins are currently holding onto that seed with 6 wins, but if they lose one game, it could be lost in an instant pending on some other factors. It's too soon to get into specifics, but with 1 game back the Cowboys, Saints, Rams, Buccaneers, Panthers and if there's a Division shift even the Falcons are waiting to snag that seed immediately. The Redskins control their own destiny, but if they lose they'll certainly need some help getting it back.