NFL (2025 Season)

[thspfc]

https://nflplayoffscenarios.com/2025/week/16/simplest-path-to-the-playoffs/

We should have some decent options for the season finale.

Bears-Lions, Steelers-Ravens, Texans-Colts, and Bucs-Panthers all have potential to shape up as win & in scenarios.

Would love to see an indoor team playing a January night game in Chicago.

According to recent history the Lions and Vikings don't struggle any more than normal in road games in cold weather. Question that if you want, I have the numbers.

Living in a cold weather city and having the option to practice outside makes a big difference.

[thenetwork]

https://nflplayoffscenarios.com/2025/week/16/simplest-path-to-the-playoffs/

We should have some decent options for the season finale.

Bears-Lions, Steelers-Ravens, Texans-Colts, and Bucs-Panthers all have potential to shape up as win & in scenarios.

Would love to see an indoor team playing a January night game in Chicago.

According to recent history the Lions and Vikings don't struggle any more than normal in road games in cold weather. Question that if you want, I have the numbers.

Living in a cold weather city and having the option to practice outside makes a big difference.

I want to see a full blown Blizzard-Bowl in Denver this year!!!

[Henry]

Personally I'm rooting for a Super Bowl champ who hasn't won one before.

Which means you're mostly likely going to be rooting for the Houston Texans; we are the most deprived and starving fanbase right now.  Texans are still the only team in NFL history that has never even won a game beyond the Wild Card Round of any playoffs.  Hopefully that could change this winter.

The Browns, Lions and Jaguars have also never made a Super Bowl, which I assume you mean by that confusing phrase, and as it stands right now, only the Browns will definitely have their drought extended at least one more year. Because how can a team be a Super Bowl champ if they haven't won one before?

[hotdogPi]

Personally I'm rooting for a Super Bowl champ who hasn't won one before.

Which means you're mostly likely going to be rooting for the Houston Texans; we are the most deprived and starving fanbase right now.  Texans are still the only team in NFL history that has never even won a game beyond the Wild Card Round of any playoffs.  Hopefully that could change this winter.

The Browns, Lions and Jaguars have also never made a Super Bowl, which I assume you mean by that confusing phrase, and as it stands right now, only the Browns will definitely have their drought extended at least one more year. Because how can a team be a Super Bowl champ if they haven't won one before?

The was jgb191 worded it, I think he's referring to being in the semifinals (four teams left), not the finals.

[ModernDayWarrior]

Personally I'm rooting for a Super Bowl champ who hasn't won one before.

Which means you're mostly likely going to be rooting for the Houston Texans; we are the most deprived and starving fanbase right now.  Texans are still the only team in NFL history that has never even won a game beyond the Wild Card Round of any playoffs.  Hopefully that could change this winter.

The Browns, Lions and Jaguars have also never made a Super Bowl, which I assume you mean by that confusing phrase, and as it stands right now, only the Browns will definitely have their drought extended at least one more year. Because how can a team be a Super Bowl champ if they haven't won one before?

The was jgb191 worded it, I think he's referring to being in the semifinals (four teams left), not the finals.

This was how I interpreted it as well--the Texans are indeed the only NFL team that has never reached the semifinals (i.e. the conference championship game). This year may be the best shot they've had in a while.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Week 16 update- That was a great TNF game between two 11+ winning teams (both in the NFC West)...

AFC East- Patriots
AFC West- Broncos
AFC North- Steelers
AFC South- Jags

NFC East- Eagles
NFC West- Seahawks
NFC North- Bears
NFC South- Panthers

AFC Wildcards- Bills, Texans, Chargers
NFC Wildcards- Packers, 49ers, Rams

Eliminated AFC teams: TEN, NYJ, MIA, CLE, LAS, CIN, IND, KC, BAL
Eliminated NFC teams: NO, NYG, ARI, WAS, MIN, ATL, DAL, TB, DET

[thspfc]

The damn San Francisco 49ers now control their destiny for the top seed. If that happens and Shanahan doesn't get coach of the year the award is a colossal joke. Even when healthy the 49ers have the 3rd best roster in the division and arguably 6th best in the NFC, and they have been FAR from healthy.

[kurumi]

That "incomplete" backward pass resulting in a 2 pt conversion is like the Monty Hall paradox. I've read it, now I understand it, but instinctively it still feels kind of wrong. (as for bias, as an SF guy I was pulling for the Hawks)

[TheHighwayMan3561]

The damn San Francisco 49ers now control their destiny for the top seed. If that happens and Shanahan doesn't get coach of the year the award is a colossal joke. Even when healthy the 49ers have the 3rd best roster in the division and arguably 6th best in the NFC, and they have been FAR from healthy.

Yep. The 49ers defense as a team has fewer sacks than Myles Garrett. They played a third of the season with a backup QB.

[jgb191]

Personally I'm rooting for a Super Bowl champ who hasn't won one before.

Which means you're mostly likely going to be rooting for the Houston Texans; we are the most deprived and starving fanbase right now.  Texans are still the only team in NFL history that has never even won a game beyond the Wild Card Round of any playoffs.  Hopefully that could change this winter.

The Browns, Lions and Jaguars have also never made a Super Bowl, which I assume you mean by that confusing phrase, and as it stands right now, only the Browns will definitely have their drought extended at least one more year. Because how can a team be a Super Bowl champ if they haven't won one before?

Every other NFL team -- 31 of them -- has played in at least two (or three) Conference Championship Games (plural), the only one with no appearances left is my Houston Texans.  We ARE THE most deprived fanbase in NFL history and it's not even close to the other lesser fortunate teams.  Even the fans at Jacksonville, Carolina, Tennessee, and Baltimore got to see their respective teams in it within a few years of receiving their teams, while the Texans have been around for more than two decades and still yet to win a playoff game beyond the Wild Card round.

[Max Rockatansky]

The Texans make it out of the Wild Card round fairly consistently.  There is no way you have it worse than all the other team fan bases.

[NWI_Irish96]

The Cardinals are one of two teams who have been in the NFL for every season it has existed.

They've won a grand total of two championships, the last coming in 1947.

They've won a grand total of seven playoff games, with four of those coming in 2008-09.

The Texans have a long time to go to match this.

[ZLoth]

Tonight, at 5 PM Eastern, Philadelphia will be playing in Washington. By around 8:20 PM Eastern, Philly's win will mean that Dallas will be out of the playoffs.

[kurumi]

The Cardinals are one of two teams who have been in the NFL for every season it has existed.

I would have thought Packers and Da Bears, but it looks like the other team is the Packers: https://nflexclusive.com/original-nfl-teams/

This is some good material for next trivia night

[NWI_Irish96]

The Cardinals are one of two teams who have been in the NFL for every season it has existed.

I would have thought Packers and Da Bears, but it looks like the other team is the Packers: https://nflexclusive.com/original-nfl-teams/

This is some good material for next trivia night

Packers existed in 1920, but didn't join the NFL until 1921, so the Bears and Cardinals are the only "original" teams.

[Great Lakes Roads]

Week 16 update-

The AFC:

Clinched a playoff spot: Broncos, Patriots, Jaguars, Chargers, Bills
In the hunt: Steelers, Texans
On the bubble: Colts, Ravens

The NFC:

Clinched a playoff spot: Seahawks, Bears, Eagles, Rams, 49ers
In the hunt: Panthers, Packers
On the bubble: Lions, Buccaneers

[kphoger]

Every other NFL team -- 31 of them -- has played in at least two (or three) Conference Championship Games (plural), the only one with no appearances left is my Houston Texans.  We ARE THE most deprived fanbase in NFL history and it's not even close to the other lesser fortunate teams.  Even the fans at Jacksonville, Carolina, Tennessee, and Baltimore got to see their respective teams in it within a few years of receiving their teams, while the Texans have been around for more than two decades and still yet to win a playoff game beyond the Wild Card round.

I am not a sports fan, and I really only watch a few NFL games per year.  All except the Super Bowl are because I'm at someone else's house and the game happens to be on.  Anyway...

Not going to lie:  Every year*, I hear something about the Texans.  Once.  I only ever hear something about them once.  (* At the most.)  And every year, when I do, I think to myself, Oh yeah, that's right, I forgot, that team exists.  Same thing the following year.

[ZLoth]

As far as I can figure, there are two games at this point with possible playoff implications that would qualify as a Week 18 SNF game.... #5 LA Chargers @ #1 Denver Broncos and #1 Seattle @ #6 San Francisco.

[NWI_Irish96]

Despite a most remarkable 11th win, the Bears are not yet in the playoffs.

Clinch today with a Lions loss or tie against the Steelers. This might be the first time I've ever rooted for Aaron Rodgers.

Clinch the division next week with a win at the 49ers or a loss by the Packers and a loss or tie by the Lions.

Otherwise it's having to beat or tie the Lions in Week 18.

[mgk920]

I'm a bit taken aback by the lack of penalization for that helmet-helmet hit that Jordan Love took and sent him out of the game.  Will we be hearing more from the League office about it?  Yes, I know that Bears-Packers games are ALWAYS tough brawls.

Mike

[NWI_Irish96]

I'm a bit taken aback by the lack of penalization for that helmet-helmet hit that Jordan Love took and sent him out of the game.  Will we be hearing more from the League office about it?  Yes, I know that Bears-Packers games are ALWAYS tough brawls.

Mike

There was a personal foul penalty called, so I don't know what you mean by lack of penalization.

Perhaps you're referring to when a Packers defender blindsided DJ Moore away from the play. There was a lack of penalization on that hit.

[webny99]

As far as I can figure, there are two games at this point with possible playoff implications that would qualify as a Week 18 SNF game.... #5 LA Chargers @ #1 Denver Broncos and #1 Seattle @ #6 San Francisco.

Also Bucs-Panthers, Steelers-Ravens, Colts-Texans, and Bears-Lions.

Not all of those are guaranteed to set up as playoff clinching scenarios, but the path exists where they could.

[thenetwork]

And the Lions/Steelers game had a bizarre ending as well...

[thspfc]

And the Lions/Steelers game had a bizarre ending as well...

That's an understatement. Between Rams/Seahawks, Packers/Bears, Steelers/Lions, and the two competitive CFP games, this has been an insane four days. And tomorrow we will see Philip Rivers play a game in 2025 that has playoff clinches for at least 3 if not 4 different teams resting on it.

[gonealookin]

Between Rams/Seahawks, Packers/Bears, Steelers/Lions, and the two competitive CFP games, this has been an insane four days.

It's a particularly solid weekend for the NFL as those games were Thursday primetime national, Saturday primetime national and the main late Sunday afternoon game that went to almost the entire country, and they all had viewers hanging on to the last play.  If you're a Lions fan you're probably drowning your sorrows right now though.