The current playoff race as things stand now remains tight, with 12 teams in the hunt in the AFC and 10 teams with postseason hope in the NFC. A lot can happen in the next three weeks, obviously, but it's the narrower NFC race that figures to be quite fascinating.
This much we know: An NFC South team will be .500 or worse and hosting a playoff game. And a team with a better record will be sitting at home watching (or pouting, such as it may be).
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The current NFC wildcard leaders are the Seattle Seahawks and Detroit Lions, both at 9-4, and the next two teams in the pecking order are the 9-4 Dallas Cowboys and 7-6 San Francisco 49ers. Incidentally, there's a decent chance that an above-.500 team on the AFC side will miss the playoffs, too, if the Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers and Baltimore Ravens all win at least one of their final three games.
But enough about the inequities of the playoff field. Let's forecast who will make it in, and what those prospective first-round matchups might look like:
Detroit Lions at Philadelphia Eagles: We're projecting the Lions to remain warm and find a way into the postseason with an eye on ending the franchise's six-game postseason losing streak, which dates back to the 1991 season when they beat the up-and-coming Cowboys. (Troy Aikman was the Cowboys' quarterback that day, and if this matchup comes to fruition, he and Joe Buck could call this game for Fox, for what that's worth.) The Lions' last postseason win on the road? You'd have to go back to 1957 for that one. Of course, the Eagles have lost three straight postseason games as a franchise, including Chip Kelly's first playoff game a year ago, so something would have to give.
Arizona Cardinals at Atlanta Falcons: It would be curious to see a postseason rematch of these teams — maybe not interesting, but curious, yes — and see how different things might be from their Week 13 battle that, somewhat surprisingly, ended in a 29-18 Falcons win that wasn't perhaps as close as the score indicated. The Cardinals have been something of a darling team this season, and the Falcons — in addition to being a team that many folks outside Atlanta might not care that much for — would be viewed as the team that was fortunate to get into the playoff mix. This has the feel of the Saturday afternoon game, and you can bet that Bruce Arians would embrace the underdog role and a great chance at redemption.
San Diego Chargers at Indianapolis Colts: It has been impressive to see how the Chargers have clawed their way back into the mix here, despite myriad injuries and setbacks along the way. The Colts have won a lot of games and reasonably could end the season with 11 or 12 wins, but they are not a perfect squad by any means. Could the Chargers do what they did last season: sneak into the playoffs, head to the midwest and pull the upset? Don't be stunned. These teams have met three times in postseason history, and twice since the 2007 season, with the Chargers winning the past two meetings. But one guy who helped dominate the 2008 season battle — Mike Scifres, with perhaps one of the most dominant punting postseason performances of all time — might not be healthy enough to go in this one. Difference maker? You bet.
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers: Another would-be rematch, and this one occured last week. It was tight until midway through the fourth quarter, and the Bengals led with about 12 minutes left, but the Steelers threw the final few haymakers in the game at Paul Brown Stadium and came away with the 14-point win. This one would be at Heinz Field, and the Steelers have lost two games there to lesser opponents: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (ugh) and New Orleans Saints, both with sub-.500 records. The Bengals have been as tricky a team to handicap as the Steelers have, and Cincy's recent postseason mark (0-3 the past three seasons) leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Who knows with this game?
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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm
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