The
As for what needs to happen to get them in?
Paging Stephen Hawking.
Not only do they need to beat Tennessee on Sunday, but they need eight other games to go their way, including the following upsets:
Jacksonville over Houston. Miami over New England. Baltimore over Cincinnati. Buffalo over the
In other words, the Colts need to squeeze a fully inflated Wilson through a mouse hole. Blindfolded.
Then again, this is the NFL, where every year just about every team has at least a glimmer of hope. The 1989
With one Sunday left in the regular season, the Colts and Steelers are the two teams on the outside looking in. The six
A look at the pros and cons of every team in the playoff picture:
NFC
CAROLINA
Situation: The
They're going all the way: Cam Newton elevates the whole offense and is on his way to being named the NFL's most valuable player. The Panthers have been leading the league all season in take-aways (36) and turnover differential (plus-19).
They're doomed: The Panthers are conspicuously light on offensive weapons, and it doesn't help that running back
ARIZONA
Situation: The
They're going all the way: The balanced Cardinals are ranked No. 1 in scoring and fifth in points allowed. Led by
They're doomed: Even though the Cardinals sacked Green Bay's
WASHINGTON
Situation: The
They're going all the way: The passing offense has come together in a big way for Kirk Cousins and his receivers, including the fragile
They're doomed: Unlike their forefathers of the 1980s and early 1990s, these Redskins typically flop in the playoffs. Four of their offensive linemen are first-time starters at their positions this season, and the expected run game never materialized. The pass rush has been lacking.
GREEN BAY
Situation: The Packers would clinch the
They're going all the way: The best chance the Packers have is to run the ball, and
They're doomed: The Packers have no deep threats. As evidence of that, Rodgers is averaging 6.7 yards per attempt. By comparison, in his MVP season of 2011, he averaged 9.2. The offensive line is poor, but one of the reason Rodgers gets sacked so often — 41 times, after 28 and 21 the past two seasons — is no one is getting open.
MINNESOTA
Situation: The
They're going all the way: Quarterback
They're doomed: The offensive line, which lost two starters in the preseason, is average at best. That unit has had some bad games on the road. Although the defense usually does a respectable job of stopping the run, it's capable of a letdown in that department. Green Bay's Lacy has played the Vikings five times, for instance, and has run for at least 100 yards in four of those.
SEATTLE
Situation: The
They're going all the way:
They're doomed: The offensive line is susceptible to breakdowns, especially with left tackle
AFC
NEW ENGLAND
Situation:
They're going all the way: The Patriots, defending Super Bowl champions, are getting healthy at the right time, with receivers
They're doomed: The offensive line is banged up and vulnerable. The best way to beat New England is by turning up the heat on Tom Brady.
DENVER
Situation: There are two ways Denver can win the
They're going all the way:
They're doomed: The
CINCINNATI
Situation: The
They're going all the way:
They're doomed: The Bengals are 0-4 in the playoffs in the Dalton era, and 0-6 under Coach
KANSAS CITY
Situation: The
They're going all the way:
They're doomed: Offensively, the Chiefs live off turnovers and short fields. Those are less likely to happen against good teams in the playoffs. Kansas City has gone three weeks without scoring an offensive touchdown in the second half.
NEW YORK JETS
Situation: The Jets would clinch a playoff spot by beating Buffalo, or a Pittsburgh loss to Cleveland.
They're going all the way: New York's defense is healthy, balanced, and experienced, with former USC standout Leonard Williams being the only rookie who plays a lot. The Jets can stop the run. On offense, Fitzpatrick is having a career year.
They're doomed: In the team's current five-game winning streak, Fitzpatrick has 13 touchdowns and one interception. He is playing so well, so far above his career averages, it makes you wonder when the clock will strike midnight. The running game has faded, so even more is riding on Fitzpatrick's arm.
PITTSBURGH
Situation: The Steelers would clinch a playoff spot with a win at Cleveland and a Jets loss.
They're going all the way: Powered by the AFC's top-ranked offense (396.5 yards a game), the Steelers have notched some impressive victories over Arizona, Cincinnati, Oakland and Denver. They can score with anyone, and
They're doomed: Roethlisberger has five interceptions in the last three games, and he was terrible in last Sunday's loss to the
HOUSTON
Situation: The Texans would clinch the
They're going all the way: The Texans can do some serious damage on defense, last week forcing four turnovers and limiting Tennessee to 257 yards in a 34-6 blowout.
They're doomed: Houston has cycled through four starting quarterbacks and is back to Hoyer. With a ground game that's the definition of average — ranked 16th — a lot of weight falls on a quarterback position that has been the picture of inconsistency.
INDIANAPOLIS
Situation: As mentioned above, in addition to beating Tennessee, the Colts need eight other teams to win: Jacksonville, Miami, Denver, Atlanta (for strength-of-schedule reasons), Baltimore, Buffalo, Oakland and Pittsburgh.
They're doomed: Indianapolis, which for two decades has been the envy of almost everyone for their quarterback stability, has had seven different quarterbacks on its roster this season. Sunday, the just-signed
They're going all the way: Hey, if somehow the Colts make it to the postseason, it must be written in the stars for them.
