If you don't believe the NFL is rigged, I think you have your Super Bowl, barring "Any Given Sunday" effects.
After Week 13 with the Seahawks over the Vikings and the Ravens over the 49ers, I think you have a clear on-the-field best team in each conference.
The question people like me are going to ask (especially with the Awful Announcing tweet that the ad-time for Super Bowl LIV is sold out and Brian Tuohy's accompanying suspicions that something has been told to be up as a result) is if the NFL is going to sell everybody a Ravens-Seahawks Super Bowl...
As of right now, you have to put them top of each conference on the Politicals, with a very real caveat on both sides, and the NFC one will shock you:
AFC:
1. Baltimore
New England's loss widens the gap now, and basically places the only real chance of rigging another Super Bowl for the Patriots, in this skeptic's view, on a Tom Brady retirement announcement before the Pats are eliminated from the playoffs.
2. New England
The only reason you can't put Houston over them on the Politicals is the fact of "What would the league be trying to sell?" with the Texans.
3. Houston
You could bandy back and forth between Houston and Kansas City in this spot, but getting Houston over on Sunday night gets Houston to #3.
4. Kansas City
The division now theirs, will the league get back on the Mahomes train, or ride Lamar Jackson the rest of the season and save Mahomes for next year?
5. Pittsburgh
Because... BUFFALO? REALLY???
6. Buffalo
By default.
Current playoff seeds:
1. Baltimore (10-2) head to head over
2. New England (10-2)
3. Houston (8-4) head to head over
4. Kansas City (8-4)
5. Buffalo (9-3)
6. Pittsburgh (7-5, 6-3 in the conference)
Tennessee is out on conference record (5-4 in the conference).
If the Texans beat the Titans, pretty much only the AFC East would be in play, and the second wild-card.
Buffalo is three clear on a wild card.
Baltimore is three clear in the North.
Kansas City is two and a full sweep clear in the West.
So we have, almost certainly, FOUR of the six playoff teams determined already, four weeks to go.
ELIMINATED ALREADY: Miami and Cincinnati
NFC:
1. Seattle
It's all coming together for the Cult. Not only that "Fans who will do anything for football." motif, but they have the best team in the conference, and it probably isn't close.
2. San Francisco
Yeah, they're the wild-card. But if the NFL wants to sell the best game for the NFC title game, it's right here.
3. New Orleans
I still don't think the league wants to put New Orleans over for the Super Bowl because of the lawsuits, but they are the first team to clinch in and win the division, and they did it on THANKSGIVING, which is, more, an indictment on the rest of the division.
4. Dallas
My NFC caveat, even though they are 6-6 and have beaten Jack and Shit this year. (NYG twice (2 wins), WSH (3), PHI (5), MIA (3) and DET (3)).
Why?
RATINGS!
They're still getting among the best numbers in the league when the ratings are taken into account, and all it would take is about a hot couple of months to sell them over.
5. Green Bay
Just... No.
And for all the reasons I've been saying. They could finish 13-3 this year. And they'd be, at best, the FOURTH best team in this conference. Let that process.
One example, on a shoot basis? The NFL record for fewest punt return yards in a season, according to ESPN, is 27. Through 12 games, the Pack are MINUS EIGHT.
6. Minnesota
But don't look now. The Rams might try to get in through the back door.
Current Playoff Seeds:
1. New Orleans (10-2), head to head over
2. Seattle (10-2), who now leads the West with the HTH over the Niners
3. Green Bay (9-3)
4. Dallas (6-6)
5. San Francisco (10-2)
6. Minnesota (8-4)
LA Rams the only team at 7-5, Chicago the only other 6-6!
Probably, again, four teams locked in (the three 10-2s and the 9-3) to get in the playoffs.
ELIMINATED ALREADY: Believe it or not, there are already FOUR NFC teams eliminated: Detroit, the Giants, the Falcons, and the Cardinals. The Redskins are hanging on by a thread.
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