[ad_1]
It’s never too early to start talking about the NFL playoff race, so that’s exactly what we’re going to be doing now. The playoff race should be very exciting this year and that’s because for the first time since 1990 the playoffs have been made bigger.
For the 2020 season, there will be a total of 14 teams entering, an increase from the 12 who did from 1990 to 2019.
The beauty of the NFL playoff race right now is that all 32 teams are currently still alive, which might actually come as a slight shock to some Jets fans. While they currently have no wins they are still mathematically alive, so in Lloyd Christmas’s immortal words I tell you there is a chance your team could still end up in the playoffs, Jets fans. .
One of the reasons every team is still alive is because of the expansion of the playoffs. With 14 teams, that means seven teams will make the playoffs in each conference (there’s also a chance we might see 16 teams come in, but we’ll talk about that later).
Fancy even more NFL coverage focused on previews, recaps, news and analysis? Listen below and subscribe to the Pick Six podcast for a daily dose of everything you need to keep up with professional football.
To help you determine who makes the playoffs this year, we’ll be posting a showing each week for the remainder of the season. These projections will be based on data from SportsLine.com’s number-cruncher Stephen Oh. Each week, Oh is going to plug a few numbers into his SportsLine computer and simulate the rest of the NFL season, and using those numbers, we’ll project the 14 teams we plan to make the playoffs.
With that in mind, let’s move on to projections.
Screening of the AFC qualifiers
First team out: Raiders (43.3% chance of making the playoffs)
Note: The first team to come out could end up making the playoffs. The NFL has approved a proposal that will expand the playoffs to 16 teams, but that will only happen if COVID-19 causes the cancellation of several regular season games that affect who could make the playoffs.
Here is a list of playoff odds for all other AFC teams (their percentage odds of entering the playoffs are listed next to them in parentheses): Browns (38.3%), Patriots (9.6%), Chargers (2.3%), Broncos (1.9%), Texans (1.2%), Bengals (0.9%), Jaguars ( 0.0%), Jets (0.0%).
Note II: The Jets and Jaguars weren’t eliminated from the playoffs, but they have a zero percent chance of succeeding because the computer hates them. In fact, the computer neither likes nor hates, it doesn’t have feelings, it just doesn’t think there is a mathematical chance for either team to be successful.
NFC Playoff Projection
First team withdrawn: the bears (53.9% chance of making the playoffs)
Note: The first team to come out could end up making the playoffs. The NFL has approved a proposal that will expand the playoffs to 16 teams, but that will only happen if COVID-19 causes the cancellation of several regular season games in the final eight weeks of the season.
Here’s a list of playoff odds for all other NFC teams (their playoff odds percentage is listed next to them in parentheses): Vikings (16.9%), 49ers (12.5%), Giants (8.9%), Washington (8%), Lions (6.9%), Cowboys (5.3%), Panthers (2% ), Falcons (0.8%)
Note: The Giants, Cowboys and Washington have a higher percentage than several other teams because their computer thinks they have a better chance of winning the NFC East than the Lions, Panthers or Falcons have of winning a wild card spot.
Round joker projection
AFC
(7) Dolphins at (2) Chefs
(6) Colts to (3) Bills
(5) Ravens to (4) Titans
Goodbye: Steelers (Pittsburgh would host Las Vegas in wildcard round of 16-team playoff)
NFC
(7) Cardinals to (2) Seahawks
(6) Rams at (3) Packers
(5) Buccaneers to (4) Eagles
Goodbye: Saints (New Orleans would host Chicago in wild-game 16-team playoff)
[ad_2]
Source link