NFL Playoff Scenarios: What the New York Giants and Every Team Needs To Get in
Going into Week 17 of the NFL season, teams can be in three different situations.
One, they can have a playoff spot locked up.
Two, they can already be eliminated from the playoff race.
Three, they can get into the playoffs with a win or with help in the final week.
Here are the seven teams who fall into the third category and what they need to get in.
Teams That Control Their Own Destiny
1 of 10
Four out of the seven teams don't have to watch any other football Sunday besides their own games.
Complication aside, it's win and in for these squads.
4. Indianapolis Colts
2 of 10
What They Need:
Win against the Tennessee Titans.
How they can do it:
The Titans pass defense has been horrible this season. They're ranked 28th in the NFL.
Peyton Manning should be able to really break out of his slump and shred the Titans secondary.
Will they do it?
Yes, the Titans haven't been the same since their bye week. The Colts should have no problem in a must-win game at home.
3. Green Bay Packers
3 of 10
What They Need:
Win against the Chicago Bears.
How they can do it:
The Bears have a relentless pass rush led by Julius Peppers. The Packers must slow that rush down and keep Aaron Rogers upright to prevent another concussion.
They also must get pressure on Jay Cutler. When Cutler's on, he's almost unstoppable. When he's running for his life, he throws interceptions and loses his confidence very quickly.
Will they do it?
I can't see the Packers beating the Bears here. As huge favorites they could go in overconfident, but the Bears are refusing to rest their starters and are too hot to lose this game.
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2. St. Louis Rams
4 of 10
What They Need:
Win against the Seattle Seahawks.
How they can do it:
All they need to do on defense is slow down the Seahawks passing game. That shouldn't be too hard of a task with Mike Williams and Ben Obomanu as Seattle's starting receivers.
The Seahawks have no running game the Rams need to worry about. They're last in the entire league in rushing yards per game.
Will they do it?
They have the better quarterback, running game, and defense. Yes, they'll win this football game.
1. Seattle Seahawks
5 of 10
What They Need:
Win against the St. Louis Rams.
How they can do it:
They must force Sam Bradford to win the game. If they shut down Stephen Jackson and the running game early, their chances of winning skyrocket.
A big play or two on special teams from the explosive Leon Washington wouldn't hurt either.
Will they do it?
No, they're a year away from making a true playoff push.
Teams That Need Help
6 of 10
For these three teams, it's a lot different.
Their eyes will be glued to their television screens for one or more games on Sunday.
Here are the teams that need help to get in.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars
7 of 10
What They Need:
Jacksonville needs to win against the Houston Texans and for the Tennessee Titans to defeat the Indianapolis Colts.
How they can do it:
They probably don't need to do too much. The Texans morale has to be crushed right now.
If the Texans do actually show up, the Jaguars will have to put points on the board and take advantage of an embarrassing Houston secondary.
Will they do it?
Yes, again, most likely all the Texans players care about right now is their upcoming vacation.
2. New York Giants
8 of 10
What They Need:
The Giants need to win against the Washington Redskins and for the Chicago Bears to defeat the Green Bay Packers.
How they can do it:
Put pressure on Rex Grossman. If Grossman's relaxed in the pocket, he can make plays. If he's under pressure, he turns into a turnover machine.
Eli Manning has to, and will take advantage of the second worst pass defense in the NFL.
Will they do it?
Yes, in a must-win game, the Giants aren't going to let a playoff berth slip away. The Redskins mindset has to be questioned with all the Donovan McNabb drama and season about to conclude.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
9 of 10
What They Need:
Tampa Bay needs to beat the New Orleans Saints. The Chicago Bears must beat the Green Bay Packers and the Washington Redskins must beat the New York Giants as well.
How they can do it:
Hopefully for the Buccaneers they catch the Saints looking ahead after a huge win over the Falcons.
Tampa Bay must do the same thing Atlanta did to slow down the Saints high-octane offense: force turnovers. Except unlike the Falcons, they need to be able to establish a running game.
Will they do it?
No, this just isn't the Buccaneers year. They've overachieved since week one. Next year though, they'll be major contenders.
Final Predictions
10 of 10
It's hard to imagine the Colts losing to the Titans in a must win game. Sorry Jaguars, maybe next year.
Colts clinch fourth seed in the AFC.
The Bears won't rest their starters this week, and despite the Packers being heavy favorites, I see Chicago coming away with a win.
The Giants aren't going to lose to the Redskins with Rex Grossman at quarterback: period. That leaves the Buccaneers out in the cold even if they can pull off the miracle upset against the Saints.
Giants clinch sixth seed in the NFC.
David Daniels is an NFL Featured Columnist and Writing Intern at Bleacher Report and a Syndicated Writer. Follow him at One Yard Short.com or on Twitter.
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