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With only four football games to go in the NFL’s 16 game regular season, did you know that nearly every team in the NFL is still in the playoff hunt coming into this weekend?
It’s true! Only two teams out of the NFL’s 32 franchises have been eliminated from the playoffs with four games to go.
If you’re a fan of the AFC’s Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders or of the NFC’s San Francisco 49ers (both teams are 2-10), then you’re now hoping to “win” the first pick in next spring’s NFL draft.
For everyone else, hope still springs eternal! Well, at least for this weekend.
If mediocrity is your battle cry, the 2018 NFL season is for you! Among the 32 teams, only twelve teams (six each in the AFC and the NFC) are currently sporting a winning record coming around the corner and down the stretch run of this season.
Even the 3-9 New York J-E-T-S – JETS, JETS, JETS! and the 3-9 Arizona Cardinals could, theoretically, slink into the playoffs at 7-9 under the right circumstances.
In the AFC, the biggest surprise has been the rebirth of the Houston Texans. After starting 0-3 and having sports fans (such as me) suggesting that head coach Bill O’Brien should be headed to the unemployment line, the Texans are now on a 9-game winning streak and will not face another team with a winning record during the final month.
The Texans’ turnaround from a 4-12 team in 2017 to a playoff contender this season can be traced to a healthy defense led by a healthy perennial all-star, J.J. Watt. Houston, which finished dead last in the league’s defensive stats in 2017, has climbed back up to 10th in total defense thus far in 2018.
Kansas City’s prolific offense has led the Chiefs to the AFC’s best record at 10-2. The oft-overlooked Los Angeles Chargers are right behind at 9-3, and, despite playing home games in a tiny soccer stadium, seem to be riding a wave of confidence behind veteran quarterback, Philip Rivers.
Rivers is having a terrific season with 28 touchdown passes and only six interceptions in 2018. Many fans (me included) would like to see him finally get a chance to play in a meaningful playoff game as he concludes his 15th season with the Chargers.
The unraveling of the Jacksonville Jaguars (2017 AFC runner-up to New England) has been dramatic, too. J-ville’s offense was suspect last season and has only worsened in 2018. Meanwhile, the 4-8 Jaguars’ defense is still a statistical #3 in the league but has been a no-show in several key games this season.
Over in the NFC, the 11-1 Los Angeles Rams have clinched a playoff spot, while the 10-2 New Orleans Saints are one game away from clinching a spot, too. After that, your guess is as good as mine.
In the NFC East (where every team seems to “hate” the other one), the 7-5 Dallas Cowboys’ 5th-rated defense is carrying the squad right now. However, the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles and Washington “QB Hades” Redskins are lurking just one game back at 6-6.
In the NFC Central, the surprising news isn’t so much that da’ Bears of Chicago are playing well and leading the division at 8-4. The real story has been the complete unraveling of the Green Bay Packers (now 4-7-1).
The Pack fired their Super Bowl champion head coach, Mike McCarthy, this week after the Green and Gold laid a big egg at home last Sunday against the pitiful Arizona Cardinals. Media reports are now pointing a finger at All-Star quarterback (and frequently-seen commercial pitchman) Aaron Rodgers as shouldering a large part of the blame.
The Green Bay quarterback may need to rely on those noise-cancelling Bose headphones a lot more over the next four games!
So with 30 out of 32 NFL teams still having a reason to win this weekend, enjoy the final four weeks of the 2018 NFL season.
As we head down the stretch, your favorite “horse” could be jockeying for playoff position or yet another trip to the proverbial glue factory.