Ideal Scenario Week 9: Will 10-6 Cut It in 2008?

We need this win badly. I could just end it there and enough would have been said. Crucial doesn't even begin to describe every game from now through the rest of the season.

Each year, every team plays 12 conference games (AFC), and 4 non-conference games (NFC). Thus far, the Jaguars have played every game against AFC Conference rivals and are 3-4 as a result. We've lost tie breakers to Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Buffalo. This means our long-term best case scenario would involve Pittsburgh and Buffalo handily winning their divisions, and for Cleveland to fall apart.

Making the playoffs at 10-6 may be a little difficult with all the AFC losses we have. If we win out in the 5 remaining AFC games we have, we may make it at 10-6. However, if we lose even one more AFC game this season, another team with a 10-6 record may have a better AFC record, allowing them to snag a place ahead of us. If we lose more than 2 games the rest of the year, we're out of it. If both our losses come to AFC squads, our record in AFC games would be 6-6 and we likely wouldn't make the playoffs. If we lose twice, but only to NFC teams, we may sneak in at 10-6, provided the Browns aren't 10-6 with another team ahead of us. Confused yet? 

We have only 2 AFC games left against teams outside our division, Cincinnati, and Baltimore. Baltimore is at 4-3 now and plays Cleveland this week. We need Cleveland to lose this game because we still play Baltimore, and hopefully can win and secure the tiebreaker against them. New England is becoming a real threat to gobble up one of the Wild-Card spots at 5-2. They have the league's easiest schedule and are looking like a lock to make the post-season; their collapse can't start soon enough. 

This Week's Key Match-Ups

Jets @ Bills - Buffalo must win their division. The Jets are 4-3 right now and are in direct competition with us to make the post-season as a Wild-Card.

Ravens @ Browns - The Browns must end the season a game behind us. Hopefully we'll win the tiebreaker against the Ravens later this season.

Texans @ Vikings - Always root for the NFC in an AFC vs NFC match-up, unless it is a team we want to win their division.

Titans @ Packers - Always root against Tennessee... Always.

Dolphins @ Broncos - We own the tiebreaker against Denver, but with the Chargers sitting at 3-5, I think it best to hope for Denver to win the West. Miami is 3-4 and is ahead of us in the standings because their conference record is better than ours. They need to continue their losing ways of last season.

Steelers @ Redskins - We want Pittsburgh to win their division because they own the tiebreaker against us. Go Big Ben!

Game of the Week 

Patriots @ Colts - I know this sounds crazy, but hope for the Colts to win. The Pats are 5-2, and like I said, have the league's easiest schedule. We still play the Colts once more, and if we lose that, we'll likely finish behind Indy regardless. We have to assume we'll beat them a second time this season, if we don't we wouldn't make it anyways, so cheer for Peyton for a change. Down with Beel Beelichick, the Pats must fall!

-Collin