Why do the broncos have the tiebreaker

If those teams can hold on to the top six spots, it's not obvious who would be the most likely seventh team in the field. It's Carolina right now at but also are lurking are the Vikings and…well, take your pick from among six NFC teams with three wins at the moment.

Maybe Seattle when Russell Wilson gets back in the kitchen? Anyway, we don't need any more teams crashing this party. Just in case the Buccaneers are fighting for a Wild Card spot instead of the division title in late December — I know, hush my mouth, but it is a possibility we can account for here — let's keep the number of contenders at a minimum. Kirk Cousins and company are on the outside right now; let's keep them there.

If you happened to skip the previous entry on the Vikings-Ravens game, kindly go back and read it because for this game I'm just going to say, "Ditto. Plus, I mean, it's the Panthers. I don't think I need to tell you to root against the Panthers, in perpetuity, unless there is some greater good at stake. That's not the case here. And this month it's Burrow and the Bengals who are on an upward trajectory and Mayfield and the Browns who are struggling?

But wait, Cincinnati just lost to the Jets and Mike White! Honestly, I'm very much looking forward to this game because I would believe virtually any outcome, and it might tell us which of these two Ohio franchises has a chance to stick with the AFC's elite the rest of the way. As for this game and how it matters to the Bucs, well, it really doesn't. Pick the quarterback you like most or maybe the shade of orange you prefer and just enjoy the game.

That's what I'm going to do. Of all the NFC teams with six or more wins so far, the one we want to root for the most is the Dallas Cowboys, and that's not something I would ever say lightly.

Let's just say that if Tom Brady started counting Super Bowl rings and at the same time I started counting the number of times I've ever rooted for Dallas, Brady would probably be the only one who would need a second hand. The point is, if the Buccaneers end up in a tiebreaker situation for seeding at the end of the season, potentially even for the lone first-round bye, they would most like to be in that battle with the Cowboys, whom they beat in Week One.

However, none of those teams are playing each other this week so — spoiler alert — we're pretty much just going to root against all of them. Which means that I actually get to enjoy my viewing experience of this game.

The Buccaneers will eventually play the Bills this year and not the Jaguars, but I don't think any random outcome in Week Nine is going to affect how strong Buffalo for their Week 14 visit to Tampa. The Bucs have already beaten the Dolphins so any future wins for Miami is good for their schedule-based tiebreakers.

Since I don't have much else to say about these games, I'll use the rest of this section to remind everyone of the order of tiebreakers for playoff spots there are actually up to 12 tiebreakers on each list but the ones in the bottom half are almost brought into play :. Same as above but you start over at the top if only one team is eliminated by the tiebreakers first. Verdict: Well, I know which of these two games I would choose to watch over the other one.

As for the winners, it's largely irrelevant. One thing that could happen while the Buccaneers are enjoying Sunday off is that they could be passed in the standings, technically, by the Saints.

And since the Saints just beat the Bucs last Sunday, that means they would currently have the first tiebreaker — head-to-head results — in their favor. It really doesn't mean anything to apply such a tiebreaker now because the Bucs and Saints will play again in Week 15 and a Tampa Bay win would take that tiebreaker off the table. We really don't want that. What we want is the rest of the division beating each other up, leaning towards whichever of the two teams has the worse record at the time.

And, beyond that, it seems pretty clear that the Saints are the biggest challengers to the Bucs in the division race. Or perhaps I should say the Bucs are the biggest challengers to the Saints, since New Orleans has had a grip on the division crown for four years running. Verdict: Sometimes you've got to throw your lot in with those you would rather avoid.

Go Falcons. The Giants have struggled for most of this year, but they weren't exactly lighting the world on fire last season when the Buccaneers faced them on Monday Night Football in Week Eight. Despite being at the time, the Giants took the Bucs down to the wire in the Meadowlands, with the visitors needing a dazzling break-up of a two-point conversion pass attempt by rookie safety Antoine Winfield, Jr.

Well, lo and behold, the Giants are just a few weeks away from journeying to Tampa for another midseason Monday Night Football tilt. Those two teams will rekindle what has been a surprisingly thrilling rivalry in recent years in Week 11 at Raymond James Stadium.

Presumably, the Giants will be a little less motivated on that evening if they're, say, , after losses to Las Vegas and Washington in the interim. Broncos make the playoffs as a wild-card entry if the Chiefs go at least and the Steelers or Jets lose at least once.

Broncos miss the playoffs if the Chiefs, Steelers and Jets win once and get at least a tie in their other game. Broncos make the playoffs as a wild-card entry if the Chiefs win at least one game, and the Steelers or Jets go or Broncos miss the playoffs if the Chiefs, Jets and Steelers each win at least one game. With injuries striking players such as Jake Butt, Drew Lock and Theo Riddick in recent weeks, the Broncos had some tricky waters to navigate and will likely be busy in the coming days.

Malik Reed was a force, Khalfani Muhammad and the running game got going in the third quarter, and punter Colby Wadman had an impressive night as the Broncos concluded the preseason. Keishawn Bierria's fourth-and-goal tackle was one of two fourth-down stops in the red zone that defined an outstanding night for the Broncos' front-seven depth.

QBs Kevin Hogan and Brett Rypien are expected to get the snaps in a game that will likely showcase players competing to provide roster depth. Emmanuel Sanders looked like his usual, explosive self. Given how the Broncos need his vertical speed, that was the best news of the night. There are not many first-team positions up for grabs, but the returner spots are. Kelvin McKnight, who had an yard punt return in the preseason opener, is in the mix. Drew Lock noticed a difference in the energy of Denver's offense, which led to a productive practice.

The 49ers ratcheted up the intensity, which players like Chris Harris Jr. Now "it's time to get serious," as wide receiver Tim Patrick said. Until I saw this. The judge intended the gesture to honor a veteran, but it had the effect of asking the jury to praise someone whose testimony they'll be asked to weigh in a homicide trial.

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