Read the arguments from Bleacher Fan and Sports Geek.
We are at the point in the NFL season now where every game is critical for those who want to be playing in the playoffs. Last night was an absolute must-win for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the team laid a serious egg and lost to the hapless Cleveland Browns, which – trust me – absolutely made Bleacher Fan’s night. At 6-7, the Steelers have essentially been eliminated for playoff contention. Another must win game, for both teams really, takes place down in Jacksonville this weekend as the Miami Dolphins come to town to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars in a game with HUGE playoff implications.
The Dolphins are coming off a thrilling come from behind win over the New England Patriots last weekend and now are not only in contention for the Wild Card at 6-6, but are also just a game back of the Patriots in the AFC East race. Showing how little I know sometimes, I believed the Fish were done when Ronnie Brown was lost for the season a few weeks ago. I thought, “How could a team without Brown and with Bleacher Fan and Sports Geek favorite Chad Henne (sarcasm!) do much of anything?” All the Dolphins have done is rebound from an 0-3 start. Obviously, “the Wildcat” has not been working without Brown. In fact, the Dolphins did not even use the Wildcat last week against the Patriots – coincidentally the team they were playing when using the Wildcat the first time. But who needs that gimmick when Henne is shredding opposing defenses to the tune of 335 yards, as he did in last week’s game against the Patriots?
Meanwhile, the Jaguars are quietly having a solid season and would be in the playoffs if the regular season ended today. Not that anyone in the Jacksonville area has noticed, with an average attendance of 45,500 per game. Yikes! Even this week’s game is blacked out locally. Surprisingly, though, that has not stopped the Jaguars from going 5-1 at home so far this season. The Jags really do not have any stars on the team outside of Maurice Jones-Drew and his 13 touchdowns… and perhaps receiver Mike-Sims Walker, who is one of the best young receivers you have probably never heard of. With a Thursday night game against the Colts and a cold December road trip to New England looming, this game is huge for the Jaguars.
This game is really big for both teams, though. A loss, which would put them at 6-7, likely eliminates the Dolphins from playoff contention. A win, however, improves the Dolphins’ chances and gives the team a key head-to-head tiebreaker over the Jaguars. A win by the Jaguars secures an 8-5 record and, just as importantly, gives the team an impressive 7-2 record against AFC opponents. That conference record plays a huge role when determining playoff teams in a three-way tie.
If you are a resident of northeastern Florida you are not going to get to watch this game. But, to the rest of the country, I advise you to keep an eye on this game. While the teams playing are not the most glamorous teams in the league, they are still good football teams. Everyone loves December football with playoff implications. That is what we get with this game!
