NFL's FARCE Ratings and Week 17 Predictions: Cardinals, Jets Among Fallers

It's not how you start, but how you finish. Five of the 12 playoff spots are still up for grabs.

The crazy year that was (and still is) might end up with two 8-8 teams in the playoffs. If San Diego wins this week, they get in at 8-8, and the Arizona Cardinals (who were among the first teams to clinch a playoff berth, mind you) could limp into the playoffs at 8-8 should they lose.

And yet, an 11-5 team (New England) or four 10-6 teams could miss the playoffs.

Should the Jets, Ravens, Patriots, Buccaneers, Cowboys, Bears, and Vikings all win, then the Jets, Dolphins, Bucs, and Bears would all miss the playoffs at 10-6.

But the real problem isn't who makes the playoffs, but where the games are played.

The Indianapolis Colts, owners of a 11-4 record and an eight-game winning streak, are scheduled to face the AFC West division winner on the road in the first round of the playoffs.

Since when has an 8-8 team hosted a 12-4 team in the playoffs?

In the NFC, the aforementioned Arizona Cardinals will host the 10-5 Atlanta Falcons in round one.

Since when has an 8-8 team hosted an 11-5 team in the playoffs?

The NFL can solve this problem by simply changing up the seeding. Instead of ranking the division winners one through four and giving the wild cards the Nos. 5 and 6 seeds, just seed all six playoff teams by record and tiebreakers, regardless of if they won their division or not. Home field is then based upon the better record of two teams.

Which teams does FARCE believe should make the playoffs? Here are Week 16's FARCE power ratings, with the potential FARCE playoff matchups below.

AFC Playoff Matchups

Wild-card weekend: No. 6 Indianapolis at No. 3 New England; No. 5 Baltimore at No. 4 San Diego

Byes: No. 1 Tennessee, No. 2 Pittsburgh

NFC Playoff Matchups

Wild-card weekend: No. 6 Tampa Bay at No. 3 Minnesota; No. 5 Philadelphia at No. 4 Arizona

Byes: No. 1 New York, No. 2 Carolina

Week 17 Predictions

TAMPA BAY over Oakland, 27-12. Vegas line: Buccaneers -13

GREEN BAY over Detroit, 28-14. Vegas line: Packers -9.5

PHILADELPHIA over Dallas, 23-20. Vegas line: Eagles -1.5

New York Giants over MINNESOTA, 23-19. Vegas line: Vikings -6.5. (Vegas believes Tom Coughlin will rest his starters.)

Chicago over HOUSTON, 23-24 Vegas line: Texans -2.5

Carolina over NEW ORLEANS, 29-25. Vegas line: Panthers -3

Atlanta over ST. LOUIS, 34-11. Vegas line: Falcons -14

CINCINNATI over Kansas City, 21-17. Vegas line: Bengals -3

BALTIMORE over Jacksonville, 25-11. Vegas line: Ravens -12

INDIANAPOLIS pushes Tennessee, 18-21. Vegas line: Titans -3

PITTSBURGH over Cleveland, 23-9. Vegas line: Pittsburgh -10.5

NEW YORK JETS over Miami, 23-19. Vegas line: Jets -3

BUFFALO over New England, 18-24. Vegas line: Patriots -6.5

ARIZONA over Seattle, 29-16. Vegas line: Cardinals -6

Washington over SAN FRANCISCO, 19-18. Vegas line: 49ers -3

Denver over SAN DIEGO, 24-27. Vegas line: Chargers -8.5

Home teams predicted to go 9-6-1 against the spread and 10-6 straight up.