Friday, Dec. 20, 2002 | 10:24 a.m.
Sal DeFilippo's pro football picks column appears Friday. Reach him at [email protected] or (702) 259-4076.
With two weeks to go in the regular season, I know this much about the AFC playoff picture:
Six teams will make the postseason. Cincinnati is not one of them.
Of course, I knew that much 15 weeks ago. But amazingly, no team has managed to so much as secure a playoff berth, much less a division title. Considering the expansion this season to four four-team divisions, that seems odd.
Here's how cluttered the conference is: Thirteen of its 16 teams are at .500 or better, yet nobody is better than 9-5.
In fact, only one team -- Pittsburgh -- can clinch its division title without help from another team. Tennessee can lock up at least a wild-card spot with a victory as well.
From there, everyone is dependent on someone else to do something.
Indianapolis, for example, can clinch a postseason berth if it wins and:
Miami loses or ties; New England loses or ties; or Denver loses or ties.
Also, Indianapolis can clinch a berth in the playoffs if the Colts lose and:
New England loses, Denver loses and Miami wins or ties; Baltimore loses or ties, San Diego loses, Denver loses and Miami wins or ties; or San Diego loses, New England loses, Oakland loses and Miami wins or ties.
As if that's not enough, Indianapolis also could conceivably clinch a playoff spot if it has been determined that after this week's games the Colts will own the strength of victory tiebreaker over teams they are tied with.
Got all that? I thought so. Maybe that's why Cincinnati starts 1-13 every other year. Who needs the hassle of trying to figure that stuff out?
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