NFL Playoff Picture: Trap Games That Will Shake Up Postseason Race

When you only play 16 games in a season, every week the stakes are off the charts. As we enter the home stretch of the 2012 NFL season, teams will be scrambling to keep an eye on what everyone else around them is doing and taking care of their own business. 

The greatest danger a team faces is the trap game. We have all seen it happen before, when a contender is playing a team it should beat, only to have Lucy pull the ball away at the last possible second and ruin its Super Bowl aspirations. 

In the final two weeks, there are a number of potential trap games that will determine the ultimate course this postseason takes. Here are the games and teams that are making us incredibly nervous right now. 

Week 16: Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles

Given where they were just a month ago, it is amazing to think the Redskins control their destiny in the NFC East. They were able to weather the storm caused by Robert Griffin III's knee injury last week and have all the momentum in the world on their side. 

The Eagles continue to shoot themselves in the foot with bad turnovers and poor execution. Yet for all their issues right now, there is still more than enough talent to compete with the best teams in the league. 

Nick Foles stumbled last week against Cincinnati, though he has very effective in the previous two weeks. 

It also helps Foles and the Eagles that the Redskins boast the 30th-ranked pass defense in the NFL. There will be plenty of big plays for Andy Reid's team in this game, they just have to find a way to execute. We have seen it happen before. 

Plus, the Redskins are in unfamiliar territory. This looks like the kind of game that they will look back on with regret when it is over. 

Week 16: Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs

Like the Redskins, the fact that we are even talking about the Colts as a playoff team in 2012 is remarkable. Andrew Luck turns the ball over far too much, but his execution as a more traditional pocket passer than fellow rookies like Griffin and Russell Wilson makes the future bright. 

The problem is, the future came much sooner than anyone realized. The Colts are still near the bottom of the league in rushing offense, pass defense and run defense, so how are they 9-5?

Well, they have been able to beat up on a lot of bad teams. Seven of their nine wins have come against Cleveland, Tennessee (twice), Miami, Jacksonville, Buffalo and Detroit. 

The Chiefs are just a bad stylistic matchup for the Colts. They have the electric, power-running style with Jamaal Charles that can keep the ball away from Luck for long stretches at a time. They also have a very good pass defense, meaning the Colts will have to establish the run early, which is something they have not done well this season.

Even if the Chiefs are unable to throw the ball down the field, which has been the case most of the season, their running game will open up some play-action passes and allow them to move the chains enough to beat the Colts. 

Week 17: St. Louis Rams at Seattle Seahawks

This game could be meaningless for the Seahawks, depending on what happens with San Francisco the next two weeks.

However, with the Seahawks being the hot team on the block following back-to-back 50-point games, they are getting talked about as one of the most dangerous teams if they get into the playoffs. 

What they have done this season has been incredible. We all expected the defense to be good, though I am not sure anyone expected them to be ranked alongside Pittsburgh and San Francisco. 

Offensively, particularly with Russell Wilson, they have exceeded all expectations. Now that the pressure is on, even with two home games left, we will see what they are made of. 

Don't sleep on the Rams in this situation, though. They have been inconsistent all season, but they already beat Seattle earlier in the year and played San Francisco as well as anyone has, and they did it twice. 

The Seahawks are a different team at home, so perhaps there is no need to worry. But the Jeff Fisher and his staff will make sure the Rams are not intimidated against a good team in the last week of the season, especially with them possibly having the chance to break the .500 mark. 

NFC Playoff Picture

Division Leaders
No. 1 Seed Atlanta Falcons (12-2) Clinched NFC South
No. 2 Seed San Francisco 49ers (10-3-1) Lead NFC West; Clinched Playoff Berth
No. 3 Seed Green Bay Packers (9-4) Clinched NFC North
No. 4 Seed Washington Redskins (8-6) Lead NFC East

Wild Card Leaders
No. 5 Seed Seattle Seahawks (9-5)
No. 6 Seed Minnesota Vikings (8-6)

In the Hunt
Chicago Bears (8-6)
Dallas Cowboys (8-6)
New York Giants (8-6)
St. Louis Rams (6-7-1)
New Orleans Saints (6-8)

AFC Playoff Picture

Division Leaders
No. 1 Seed Houston Texans (12-2) Clinched AFC South
No. 2 Seed Denver Broncos (11-3) Clinched AFC West
No. 3 Seed New England Patriots (10-4) Clinched AFC East
No. 4 Seed Baltimore Ravens (9-5) Lead AFC North; Clinched Playoff Berth

Wild Card Leaders
No. 5 Seed Indianapolis Colts (9-5)
No. 6 Seed Cincinnati Bengals (8-6)

In the Hunt
Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7)
Miami Dolphins (6-8)

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