Colts Playoff Scenarios - Final Week
 

Hard to believe that we could end up 11-5 and miss the playoffs - particularly this year, with the extra playoff team - but at the moment we're on the outside looking in. The Pittsburgh loss really hurt. Now we need to beat JAX (we are presently 14 point favorites), and we need one loss among the following teams:

Titans (at Houston - no spread yet)
Ravens (at Cincy - Ravens favored by 11)
Browns (home vs. Steelers - Pitt favored by 6.5)
Dolphins (at Buffalo - no spread yet)

As an added bonus, if we win and the Titans lose, we win the division. With all of this in mind, ESPN give us a 78% chance of making the playoffs.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...ook-postseason

There's no way the Dolphins and Browns win next week. If DeShaun Watson can pull off a miracle against the Titans, even better.

Best case scenario, Colts, Ravens, Dolphins and Texans win. Will that take the Titans out of it?

Oh I’d love to get the Steelers again in round 1

I'd like to see this as the converse of 2005.
In week 12 2005 we beat the Steelers 26-7, but in the first round of the playoffs, well I don't have to remind you guys what happened.

This time, they got us late in the season. I want them in the playoffs so bad right now.

I would love that scenario. No playoffs and the worst pick of teams not in the playoffs. The weeping and gnashing of teeth would be fun to see.

My concern is that Pittsburgh and Buffalo have already clinched their divisions and a home playoff game, and since neither one is fighting for a bye, how much do they really have to play for next week? I guess it could be for a second home playoff game should they survive the first one. Maybe I'm missing something and haven't thought through the new playoff format fully.

The good news is that because our game is late next Sunday, we'll know the outcome of the Dolphins, Browns and Ravens games by the beginning of our game against JAX. The Tennessee game is at the same time as ours.

Yes, that would leave the Titans, at best, in a tie with the Browns for the last playoff spot, and the Browns own the head-to-head tiebreaker because they beat the Titans earlier this season.

By the way, to update my original post, the Titans have been installed as 7.5 point favorites over Houston, and Miami is presently a 4.5 point underdog to Buffalo.

Yes, they would be fighting for the #2 seed and a guaranteed 2nd home playoff game.

This year it's interesting to see if that would matter. I think it would for both teams as they play in cold weather areas and it advantages them better to play at home, but that's just a total guess. It could also be for more mundane reasons, that players would rather not travel and be at home in their own beds, so they would play hard to get that advantage.

I think the Steelers will play hard too, just because even with their win against the Colts I doubt they want to go into the playoffs with 4 losses out of their last 5 games.

All great points. Thanks.