The National Football League regular season ended this past weekend in exciting fashion as playoff berths and even division titles were decided in the last game. The first round of playoff matchups are set for this weekend and for the 20 teams that didn’t make the post season, coaching changes are already underway.
In the AFC, the Cinderella Cincinnati Bengals had a playoff spot within their grasp. They had to first beat their cross-state rivals the Cleveland Browns to win the AFC North and earn their first trip to the post season in 13 years. They still needed help from the Pittsburgh Steelers in defeating the Baltimore Ravens. None of that happened however, so first year coach Marvin Lewis’ team had to settle for an 8-8 finish and a trip home, all in all a vast improvement over their two wins the previous season.
With the division title wrapped up even before their game against the Steelers Sunday night, the Ravens set out to get running back Jamal Lewis the NFL single season rushing title. Held by former Rams running back Eric Dickerson 19 years ago, Lewis fell 39 yards short thanks to a determined Steeler defense, to finish with 2,066 yards for the season and second place in the record books.
The NFC picture saw two teams with nothing to play for but pride affecting the playoff chances of their competitors. The perennial bottom feeding Arizona Cardinals staged a miraculous last second drive to score a game winning touchdown and beat Minnesota 18-17, knocking them out of the playoffs and putting the Green Bay Packers in.
Detroit went out like Lions, beating the St. Louis Rams 30-20 and squashing the Rams chances of gaining the homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. That distinction now goes to Philadelphia, who easily dispatched Washington 31-7.
Head coaches are falling faster than snowflakes. Arizona, Chicago and Buffalo have fired their’s as predicted. To some surprise, Redskin coach Steve Spurrier has walked away from $15 million to get out of his contract a year early. The successful college coach was just not working out in the NFL, so Washington will now look for their sixth coach since 1999 when Daniel Snyder bought the team. If they could only fire owners, that team might have a chance. The New York Jets asked defensive coordinator Ted Cottrell to leave and take his assistants with him.
Here are the NFL division winners and wild card teams by conference, followed by the matchups for this weekend’s games. My predictions are in bold.
American Football Conference
East
*yz-New England14-2-0
North
y-Baltimore10-6-0
South
y-Indianapolis12-4-0
x-Tennessee 12-4-0
West
yz-Kansas City 13-3-0
x-Denver 10-6-0
National Football Conference
East
*yz-Philadelphia 12-4-0
x-Dallas 10-6-0
North
y-Green Bay 10-6-0
South
y-Carolina 11-5-0
West
yz-St. Louis 12-4-0
x-Seattle 10-6-0
x-clinched playoff berth
y-clinched division title
z-clinched first-round bye
*-clinched homefield advantage
NFL Wild Card matchups
Saturday, 4:30 pm ET on ABC
(AFC) Tennessee Titans (12-4) vs Baltimore Ravens (10-6)
Saturday, 8:00 pm ET on ABC
(NFC) Dallas Cowboys (10-6) vs Carolina Panthers (11-5)
Sunday, 1:00 pm ET on FOX
(NFC) Seattle Seahawks (10-6) vs Green Bay Packers (10-6)
Sunday, 4:30 pm ET on CBS
(AFC) Denver Broncos (10-6) vs Indianapolis Colts (12-4)
Super Bowl XXXVIII will be on Sunday, February 1, 2004 in Houston, TX.