NFL Playoff Run 2016: An average team will be in the Superbowl this season.

By: Will Stevenson

 

*A team .500 or lower will be in the Super Bowl this season*

Every week I’ve been bringing you the Powder Rankings, which are the worst teams in the league. As the playoffs inch closer every week, teams are fighting for position and trying their best to keep as many healthy bodies for the last stretch. Some teams are surging, while others are falling and falling hard.

*As of right now, 13 teams are still alive in the AFC.*

*As of right now, 14 teams are still alive in the NFC.*

AFC EAST

W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	REASON
1NE	7	2	0	.778	—	6-1	.463	.429	AFC East
2KC	7	2	0	.778	—	5-2	.446	.415	AFC West
3Hou	6	3	0	.667	—	4-2	.530	.455	AFC South
4Balt	5	4	0	.556	—	5-2	.367	.213	AFC North
5Oak	7	2	0	.778	—	5-1	.518	.470	—
6Den	7	3	0	.700	—	4-2	.495	.452	—
7Miami	5	4	0	.556	—	5-3	.440	.313	—
8Tenn	5	5	0	.500	—	3-4	.457	.348	—
9Pitt	4	5	0	.444	—	3-3	.605	.528
10Indy	4	5	0	.444	—	2-4	.500	.395
11Buff	4	5	0	.444	—	1-4	.524	.458	—
12Cin	3	4	1	.438	—	3-3	.527	.276	—
13San Diego	4	6	0

As we can see from these standings, there are some familiar teams that are stuck in the middle of the playoff contention.

The teams at the top are the usuals, the Patriots, the Broncos and the Chiefs. Okay, the Ravens are up there as well, but they just got finished stinking up the joint for four weeks, so let’s give it some time.

The Raiders are 7-2, but of course we don’t believe them because they haven’t been there before. We love to use this logic when an unfamiliar team is at the top, even though the Patriots do this every year, but seem to lose more often than not in the Divisional Round.

Nobody believes the Texans will do anything as they are a product of a bad AFC South. The Dolphins and the Texans are winning games, but we all know how these things go in the playoffs.

National Football Conference

	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	REASON
1Dal	8	1	0	.889	—	5-1	.375	.347	NFC East
2Sea	6	2	1	.722	—	2-2-1	.464	.464	NFC West
3Atl	6	4	0	.600	—	4-3	.527	.527	NFC South
4Det	5	4	0	.556	—	4-2	.494	.522	NFC North
5NYG	5	3	0	.625	—	4-3	.563	.578	—
6Wash	5	3	1	.611	—	3-2	.506	.444	—
7Phi	5	4	0	.556	—	3-4	.494	.362
8Min	5	4	0	.556	—	3-4	.500	.511	—
9Ari	4	4	1	.500	—	3-2-1	.409	.243	—
10TB	4	5	0	.444	—	4-3	.482	.324
11NO	4	5	0	.444	—	3-2	.560	.392
12GB	4	5	0	.444	—	3-3	.512	.400
13LA	4	5	0	.444	—	3-4	.444	.486	—
14Car	3	6	0	.333	—	3-4	.512	.352

The Cowboys are actually good. Their offensive line has dominated their opponents week in and week out.

The Falcons can never be trusted. Facts.

All the NFC East teams are in the playoff picture, but eventually they will knock themselves out. Look for some really contested games down the stretch.

With Minnesota and Green Bay falling down the standings, the Lions have been able to capture the North at the moment. That’s about it. The Lions are the Raiders with fewer wins.

The Cardinals beat the 49ers yesterday, but what does that say? Not much.

The NFC North is actually better than expected, but as bas as expected. The Bucs are bad, but with Mike Evans you can’t go wrong. The Saints were a few returns away from being 5-4. The Panthers were a few turnovers away from joining the 4-5 ranks.

Based on play. The Seahawks and Cowboys look to be the favorites, but as the Seahawks running game continues to struggle, those running back-fly patterns looked pretty useful.

Many of these teams don’t look believable, but we still have a couple of weeks remaining for things to be sorted out. Let’s not crown champs just yet.

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