As teams begin to solidify their positions for the playoff, I will begin to use the FredRank table to reflect what's going on. Six teams have already been eliminated from playoff contention; for the Falcons, Cardinals, Lions, Bengals, Dolphins and Giants, the "N/A" designation above is now in bold.
Notably, the Washington Redskins, at 3-9, are still contending for an NFC East title. It's entirely possible that, by winning out and having a couple other things go their way, Washington could end up hosting a playoff game with just 7 wins on the season.
Meanwhile, four other teams sit at 4-8 and still have a chance, with varying degrees of likelihood.
The Baltimore Ravens are now my favorites to win the Super Bowl. Their most likely opponents are the 49ers and Seahawks, both of whom the Ravens have beaten in the regular season. Their Week 9 win over the Patriots also guarantees home-field advantage as long as they win out against the Bills, Jets, Browns and Steelers.
It's fair to say I haven't been high on the Bills this season. A 9-3 record is a good start, but it can be hard to say it's meaningful if the competition isn't great. Until now, it wasn't. Buffalo got a big win last Thursday against the Cowboys, and a close road win at Tennessee is looking better and better with age.
In fact, that head-to-head is what puts the Bills in my playoff projection over the Titans, with the Steelers in the 5 seed with a better conference record.
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