As It Stands...

Bengals 6-4
Ravens 4-5
Browns 4-5
Steelers 3-6

Bengals......Browns......Ravens......Steelers
Browns.......Bengals......Bears..........Lions
BYE.............Steelers......Jets............Browns
Chargers.....Jags...........Steelers......Ravens
Colts...........Patriots*....Vikings.......Dolphins
Steelers......Bears.........Detroit........Bengals
Vikings........Jets............Patriots*.....Packers
Ravens.......Steelers......Bengals......Browns

I wish we played the Packers a little sooner, but oh well.

Here's my prediction as of right now:

Bengals: 10-6
Steelers: 8-8
Ravens: 6-10
Browns: 6-10

Wild card possibilities:

Assuming either the Chiefs or Broncos will get one spot, here's the fight for the second spot:

Jets .......... 5-4
Dolphins ....4-4
Chargers ...4-5
Titans ........4-5
Browns .......4-5
Ravens .......4-5
Raiders .......3-6
Steelers .....3-6

The Jets are sitting in the final spot and have probably the easiest schedule the rest of the way ( vs. Bills, Ravens, Dolphins, Raiders, Panthers, Browns, Dolphins). They sit in the driver's seat and clearly have the easiest path, but they are the Jets, and we hold the tie-breaker over them. We still have a chance but, obviously, nothing else matters unless we continue to win.

CRAZY that we are having a TERRIBLE year and yet we are 2 games out of the Wild Card.

Jets .......... 5-4 vs. Bills 3-7
Dolphins ....4-4 vs. Chargers 4-5
Chargers ...4-5 vs. Dolphins 4-4
Titans ........4-5 vs. Colts 6-3
Browns .......4-5 vs. Bengals 6-4
Ravens .......4-5 vs. Bears 5-4
Raiders .......3-6 vs. Texans 2-7
Steelers .....3-6 vs. Lions 6-3

If everything goes our way:

Jets 5-5
Dolphins 5-4
Chargers 5-5
Browns 5-5 (Bengals 6-5)
Titans 4-6
Ravens 4-6
Steelers 4-6
Raiders 3-6


Hold on to your hats, folks. This thing isn't over yet.

Oh the light...don't look too closely at it. To bring everyone back to earth...we beat the BILLS. Let's see how we do against a playoff caliper team like the Lions this week, THEN we can talk what if's.

Drizztbob wrote:

Oh the light...don't look too closely at it.  To bring everyone back to earth...we beat the BILLS.  Let's see how we do against a playoff caliper team like the Lions this week, THEN we can talk what if's.

We know the reality, Drizz. Stop messing with the fantasy.   

Living in Northeast Ohio, a lot of my friends and neighbors are Browns fans. During a game last year, I saw one of my neighbors, who is a die-hard Browns fan, outside doing some work in the yard. I sent him a text asking him what the hell he was doing ... the game was on. He responded back that there was no point in watching the game because the Browns were just going to lose yet again. He said he wasn't wasting his time anymore.

That's the kind of attitude that results from loss of all hope. That's what it's like to be a Browns fan. I want no part of that. I'll bitch, moan, and criticize, but I won't stop believing until we're mathematically eliminated.

Don't confuse my apathy towards this season with counting me out as a fan. That would NEVER happen. I just don't want to begin giving this team any credit until they have actually earned it. Beat the Lions and and you are going to have some raised eyebrows in the league, including mine, saying "With the weakness of the AFC North this year, the Steelers still have a shot".

 

Drizztbob wrote:

Don't confuse my apathy towards this season with counting me out as a fan.  That would NEVER happen.

No, I understand where you're coming from, and I think most fans are in agreement with you. Normally, I would be too. But for some reason, I've been optimistic about this team all season, even in the darkest hours.

It ain't over.... till it's over.


The fat lady may be doing some throat yoga, but she's still munching on a bucket of chicken legs right now.

Quote :

Steelers have as good a shot of making playoffs as getting top-3 draft pick

By Alan Robinson

Never say never.

The chances of the Steelers rebounding from their bewildering 2-6 start and making the playoffs are beyond long. They're closing in on infinitesimal.

Two websites that played the remaining NFL schedule 50,000 times by computer give them about a 5 percent chance of playing into January.

“Five percent!” receiver Antonio Brown said Wednesday. “It's all right. They're counting us out already.”

According to FootballOutsiders.com., the odds of the Steelers making the playoffs (4.7 percent) or getting a top-three draft pick (3.4 percent) aren't that far apart.

With seven games remaining, the Steelers (3-6) are at a crossroads.

If they can stack a few more wins together, as coach Mike Tomlin likes to say, a favorable December schedule could give them hope of pulling off a comeback comparable to that of the 1976 Steelers, who won nine straight following a 1-4 start.

Accomplish that, and it will rank as one of the great reversals in NFL history.

But should they go in the other direction — their offensive line breaks down, their secondary falters against Calvin Johnson, they lose on the road to the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens in a five-day span — and they could be headed for a 5-11 season.

That, of course, could lead to an offseason roster dismantling that would rival any in franchise history.

The third possibility, as cornerback Ike Taylor says, is they keep being consistently inconsistent — win a game here, lose two there — without developing an identity or rhythm.

Which way will they go?

“What matters is we have a lot of games left, seven weeks left, and we have (four) games left in our division,” safety Ryan Clark said Wednesday. “If we win every game, we'll be in the playoffs. And that's our focus.

“Every week, (it's) winning the game we have to play. If those things happen, we'll have an opportunity to be in the playoffs, and that's what we control.”

Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/steelers/5045667-74/playoffs-making-percent#ixzz2kak9XBWW

Put your money where your mouth is. Beat the Lions, end of story.

One piece in place: Colts came back to win.

Whyant5 wrote:

One piece in place:  Colts came back to win.

While that's a good show, the Steelers have to start putting their own pieces in place or it certainly won't mean a damn thing what other teams do.

LAST WEEK:
Jets .......... 5-4
Dolphins ....4-4
Chargers ...4-5
Titans ........4-5
Browns .......4-5
Ravens .......4-5
Raiders .......3-6
Steelers .....3-6

THIS WEEK:
Jets .......... 5-5
Dolphins .... 5-4
Chargers ... 4-6
Titans ........4-6
Browns .......4-6
Ravens .......4-6
Raiders .......4-6
Steelers .....4-6

The difference a week makes.....

NEXT WEEK:
Jets (5-4) vs. Ravens (4-6)
Dolphins (5-4) vs. Carolina (6-3)
Chargers (4-6) vs. Chiefs (9-0)
Titans (4-6) vs. Raiders (4-6)
Browns (4-6) vs. Steelers (4-6)

We can't really make up ground this week, but we will have to win to keep pace. We could be tied for the last wild card if the Ravens, Panthers, and Chiefs win.

The winner of the Titans/Raiders wouldn't matter as they both have the head to head vs. us.

EDIT: Dubs posted right ahead of me, so some of this is repetitive ...

I put the teams in order (according to nfl.com) up to the Steelers. I'm not sure how the tie breaker plays out between the Chargers, Browns, and Ravens.

Right now, the Raiders and Titans are ahead of us because they both beat us. They play each other next week, so as long as we win, we'll move ahead of one of them.

THIS WEEK:
Jets .......... 5-5
Dolphins .... 5-5
Raiders .......4-6
Titans ........4-6
Steelers .....4-6
Chargers ... 4-6
Browns .......4-6
Ravens .......4-6

Next week's matchups:

Jets vs. Ravens
Dolphins vs. Panthers
Raiders vs. Titans
Steelers vs. Browns
Chargers vs. Chiefs
Browns vs. Steelers
Ravens vs. Jets

Oddly enough, we'll benefit from the Ravens beating the Jets next week. Assuming we win, if the Ravens beat the Jets and the Panthers beat the Dolphins, we'll be tied with either the Raiders or the Titans for the final playoff spot. Either of them would get the tie breaker over us, but hey ... tied for the final playoff spot.

Tied for the final spot with 5 games left.... I would take it. Especially since we would be on a winning streak with a veteran team.

Looking ahead at the remaining schedules for teams ahead of us:

Jets: Ravens, Dolphins, Raiders, Panthers, Browns, Dolphins
Dolphins: Panthers, Jets, Steelers, Patriots***, Bills, Jets
Raiders: Titans, Cowboys, Jets, Chiefs, Chargers, Broncos
Titans: Raiders, Colts, Broncos, Cardinals, Jaguars, Texans
Steelers: Browns, Ravens, Dolphins, Bengals, Packers, Browns

The good thing is all the teams ahead of us have to play each other, so if we take care of our own business, we're guaranteed to gain ground.

The Jets have the easiest remaining schedule, but they could stumble against the Ravens or Panthers.

The Dolphins won't be a factor. Two games against the Jets, plus the Steelers, Patriots***, and Panthers. The Bills is the easiest game left. Ouch.

The Raiders have the Broncos and Chiefs. Throw in the Jets, Cowboys, and Titans, there's not a gimme game left on their schedule. They're done.

The Titans still have the Colts and Broncos, but they have a good chance at the final playoff spot.
--------------------------------


As of right now, I think the Jets, Titans, and Steelers are the most likely to be battling for the final playoff spot.

Drizztbob wrote:

 Let's see how we do against a playoff caliper team like the Lions this week, THEN we can talk what if's.

OK Drizz, it's time to start talking.  

Agreed, now we can start talking what ifs Wally. As Lloyd Christmas would, so you're saying there's a chance??!

Just heard on SportsCenter where they said the final Wild Card spot would likely come down to the Ravens or the Steelers.

Again, you can't just talk about it, you have to be about it.... but after this horrible start of the season- we are still in the mix.

Crazy.

Forget all that 'playoff' talk. One game at a time, with weekly improvements is what I want to see.
This week it's the clowns!

Wallace108 wrote:

Looking ahead at the remaining schedules for teams ahead of us:

Jets: Ravens, Dolphins, Raiders, Panthers, Browns, Dolphins
Dolphins: Panthers, Jets, Steelers, Patriots****, Bills, Jets
Raiders: Titans, Cowboys, Jets, Chiefs, Chargers, Broncos
Titans: Raiders, Colts, Broncos, Cardinals, Jaguars, Texans
Steelers: Browns, Ravens, Dolphins, Bengals, Packers, Browns

The good thing is all the teams ahead of us have to play each other, so if we take care of our own business, we're guaranteed to gain ground.

The Jets have the easiest remaining schedule, but they could stumble against the Ravens or Panthers.

The Dolphins won't be a factor. Two games against the Jets, plus the Steelers, Patriots****, and Panthers. The Bills is the easiest game left. Ouch.

The Raiders have the Broncos and Chiefs. Throw in the Jets, Cowboys, and Titans, there's not a gimme game left on their schedule. They're done.

The Titans still have the Colts and Broncos, but they have a good chance at the final playoff spot.
--------------------------------


As of right now, I think the Jets, Titans, and Steelers are the most likely to be battling for the final playoff spot.

I don't see the Titans in the mix at the end of the year ... they'll lose to the Colts, Broncos and Cardinals. It's probably going to come down to a 9-7 team making that last spot. Besides, I don't see any of these teams winning 6 straight and the Jet's certainly won't win 5 more. The Steelers have to sweep their divisional games, beat the 'fins, and lose to the Packers to make it in.

Of course, if the Raiders are able to make it close they may face a Bronco's team in the last game of the year that may just sit their starters. And then we can all b!tch about how the Steelers loss to the Raiders, again, kept them from the playoffs.