The playoffs have already started

[DalTXColtsFan]

One thing that's been a major source of irritation for me over the years is people who say "It doesn't matter what do you in the regular season".

 

THE HECK IT DOES NOT!!!!

 

My personal favorite example:  In 2006 the Colts travelled to New England in the RS and watched (or helped?) Brady throw 4 picks in a loss.  It didn't matter because it was just a regular-season game though, right?  WRONG.  Thanks to that game the AFCCG was in Indianapolis rather than New England.  Would the outcome have been any different in New England?  Who knows, but where would the Pats have preferred to play that game?

 

Now let's come back to 2015.  The playoffs have basically already started and will continue over the next few weeks.  A regular-season game that you must win to stave off elimination is for all practical purposes a playoff game.

 

Pittsburgh currently holds the #5 seed at 6-4 but still have to play Indy, Denver and Cincy.  Not a good proposition when you have so many 5-5 and 4-6 teams breathing down your neck.

 

The upcoming Denver-Cincy game could easily determine which of the 2 teams gets a first-round bye.

 

KC surprisingly basically controls their own destiny for the #5 seed since I'm assuming Pittsburgh isn't going to 12-4 and KC has BEATEN Pittsburgh, but they have to beat *other* contenders for the #5 seed (Oak twice and Buf).  They're going to be fighting for their season every week.

 

Buffalo is not out of the race at 5-5 but they've got a tough schedule left - NYJ, Dal, Was, Hou and KC.  The NYJ, Hou and KC games are practically playoff games for them to keep them in the hunt.

 

Jacksonville has a good shot at going 9-7 (of course they're not going to beat Indy LOL), but that might not be enough to get them in the playoffs.

 

Houston at 5-5 still has to play Indy and NE plus contenders Jax and Buffalo.  That's a tough road to get to the playoffs.

 

NYJ at 5-5 has a similar schedule to Buffalo's.

 

But the point is this:  There are at least a dozen if not more games coming up over the next few weeks that are for all practical purposes playoff games.  It's shakedown time baby!

[Synthetic]

This reminds me of Tecmo Super Bowl.

 

 

I often like to run simulation skips into week 10-11, and then take whatever teams I can find in the divisions that are 4-6 and run a desperate attempt to win it all, in a do or die situation where they can't lose a game. 

[BloodyChamp]

LOL Bogie that sounds epic.

Every regular season game ultimately matters. That's 1 reason I don't want to see them lengthen the season or postseason. 2010 is an even better example. The Calvin Johnson catch game in week 1 directly impacted the Packers, who won the SB.