Titans vs. Steelers on Sunday: Is Losing Really So Bad?
Friday, December 19, 2008
I'm a Titans fan and I'll be freezing my ass off on Sunday when the Steelers roll into town. I haven't written that much about the Titans this year, but I've watched every play of every game as usual. There's much hand-wringing in the Music City over what happens if the Titans lose to the Steelers (as Vegas expects them to do). But what no one is talking about so far is with the Colts having locked up the number 5 seed is losing actually advantageous for the first round match-ups?
Barring an absolute collapse by any team here is what the AFC Playoffs are likely to resemble when the season ends in two weeks.
1. Titans/Steelers
2. Titans/Steelers
3. AFC East Champ
4. Denver Broncos (thanks to the Hochuli call they only need to win one of their last two to clinch the division)
5. Indy
6. AFC East Dolphins, Patriots, Jets non-division winner/or, less likely, Baltimore
Okay, the top two teams get a bye. We know who those two teams will be. Now it's just a matter of seeding them. It's a virtual certainty that Indy will be traveling to Denver to play the Broncos. Similarly, it's likely that the Ravens will be headed to the AFC East Champs. This is thanks to the absurd method of seeding the NFL adopts where winning a division is more important than your overall record. (Ergo the Colts would probably be the third best team if we went only by records.)
The Colts are going to beat the Broncos. Book it. If that happens and the 3 seed wins (whoever that might be) then the Colts will go to the number one seed for the divisional round of the playoffs because they'll be advancing as the lowest seeded team and the NFL reseeds after every playoff round.
That's a big deal. Because the Colts have already gone into Pittsburgh and won once this year. Isn't it likely they could do so again? In this scenerio the Titans would draw the AFC East's 3 seed. (Unless the 6 seed goes on the road and wins. Which is much less likely in my mind.) Now I know the Jets have beaten the Titans in Nashville, but isn't this the much more preferable draw anyway?
In other words, I'm not that sure that the one seed will advance to the AFC Championship Game. And if you look at the divisional round games then it's likely, based on predictions, that the 2 seed will have an easier game than the 1 seed. Hardly anyone has talked about this. So while you definitely want to win the game, it's hardly do or die.
Especially considering both the Titans and Colts will be resting their starters next week at Indy. So the Titans won't play another big game for three weeks. Anyway, just something to kick around as the big game gets closer. It's certainly more interesting than what you're likely to hear much more about during the game: Chris Johnson running a 4.24 at the combine this year.
This is the most overreported stat on Titans telecasts this year. Every single person in the free world knows this now. Why don't you tell me his middle name instead? Something, anything different about Chris Johnson. Labels: titans steelers homefield playoff analysis
Posted by Clay Travis at 1:27 PM
 
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