Some Continuing Thoughts As We Wrap Up Week Ten

• The Elliot suspension officially started on Sunday, and the Cowboys were routed by the Falcons.
• Vontaze Burfict will either be fined or suspended again -- tossed (for the first time in his career!), contact with a ref.
• Apparent attempt to get people not to show up at the games appears to have failed -- attendance mostly up, according to Yahoo!, who was tracking a proposed Veteran's Day walkout by NFL fans.
• Current storyline watch, with Carolina and Miami to play Monday night:

AFC:

• 1. Pittsburgh
• 2. New England (conference record both at 7-2 (5-1 vs. 4-1 for PIT to win the current tiebreak), the two teams play Dec. 17 in Pittsburgh)
• 3. Kansas City
• 4. Tennessee
• 5. Jacksonville (all 6-3, break the TEN-JAC tie first, Titans won in Week 2, will rematch in Tennessee Dec. 31/Week 17.  KC wins the tiebreak with Tennessee on conference record (4-2 vs. 5-3)  (KC plays neither AFC South team, they played Houston instead.)
• 6. Buffalo at 5-4 -- even if Miami wins tonight, the breaker, at the moment, would still be conference record (3-2 vs. 3-3, both teams 1-1 in the division).  The two teams play twice in the final three weeks, however.

NFC:

• 1. Philadelphia at 8-1.
• 2. Minnesota at 7-2.
• 3. New Orleans at 7-2.
• 4. Los Angeles at 7-2.

This one's complicated.

First, address the NFC South.  Carolina has not had their bye yet, so they would be 7-3 with a win and behind anyway.  Regardless, even if they were tied, New Orleans beat Carolina in Week 3 for the current tiebreaker.  They play again Dec. 3.

LA gets the 4 on the basis of both their losses being in conference, while both the other teams only have 1 NFC loss.  Conference record:  MIN and NO:  5-1, LA:  4-2

Minnesota beat New Orleans in Week 1.  They play the Rams next week.  The Rams then play New Orleans in two weeks.  This means that a similar three-way tie can be broken through a head-to-head sweep.

• The two current wildcards are Seattle and Carolina.  Their order, at least as of the end of the week, depends on the result tonight.  If Carolina wins, they go in front at 7-3, but their bye is next week.  Seattle is 6-3.  If Miami wins, Seattle goes in front.  But they are, regardless, the current wildcards.  The two teams do not play.

And something else I haven't mentioned:  My NFL totals bets on my final day of my Vegas trip in August.  Current status:

• Patriots over 12.5 -- not the most secure of bets.  They have two losses, can only take one more, play at Pittsburgh (see above).  But it does begin to look as if New England is at least being explored.  But, sans a similar NFC opponent with the suspension taking hold...  Mexico City with Oakland next week, Home to Miami, then a three-game road trip BUF, MIA, and PIT, then  home with Buffalo and the Jets.  Get to the Pittsburgh game 11-2, and I think that one's a cash.
• Seahawks under 10.5 -- not looking good now.  NFC running out of options, Seahawks 6-3.  Home to Atlanta next Monday night (and after the Falcons routed the Cowboys this week, could this be an ordering game?), then a bye week at San Francisco, home to Philly, at Jacksonville, home to the Rams, at Dallas, home to Arizona.  Chances are, I probably need the three losses in the next four meaningful games (ATL, PHI, JAC, LAR).
• Packers under 10.5 -- that one's a basic cash with Rodgers out.
• Lions over 7.5 -- 5-4, so I need three more.  At Chicago, home to Minnesota, at Baltimore and Tampa, home to Chicago, at Cincy, home to the Packers.  That SHOULD cash.
• And my Super Bowl ticket is the Patriots at 3-1.  We'll know a lot more about that in Pittsburgh, and not much, barring a key injury, before then.