Every franchise wants to avoid pressing the panic button, but five NFL teams are facing for must-win games during Week 14 of the 2015 season.
In some cases, a loss doesn’t completely eliminate a club’s chances of reaching the playoffs. But other squads like the Oakland Raiders aren’t so lucky. If they don’t win this week, preparation for the NFL draft becomes the key focus.
New York Jets
Although the Jets are in decent position overall at 7-5, a potential wild card berth will likely be determined via the conference record tiebreaker and potentially common opponent winning percentages.
The Kansas City Chiefs boast a 6-2 intra-AFC mark and have games remaining against the San Diego Chargers and Cleveland Browns, so New York probably won’t catch them.
However, while Todd Bowles’ crew (5-4) holds a half-game edge on the Pittsburgh Steelers (4-4) but lost to the Raiders, who Pittsburgh beat. The Jets need every AFC victory possible, especially with the New England Patriots looming in Week 16.
On Sunday, New York hosts the 3-9 Tennessee Titans and must notch a victory against the inferior team. Otherwise the Steelers can afford an extra conference loss, which isn’t good news for the Jets.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
While it wouldn’t be wise to hold out hopes for the Buccaneers, a win against the New Orleans Saints certainly would make things interesting.
The Minnesota Vikings are clinging to a two-game advantage over No. 7 Tampa Bay in the NFC wild card standings. But, if they lose on Thursday to the Arizona Cardinals, the Vikings will be 5-4 in conference games.
Tampa, on the other hand, would improve to 6-3 versus NFC foes. The Bucs would still need a little extra help in Weeks 15-17, but a loss to New Orleans drops Minnesota’s magic number to two and allows the Seattle Seahawks to continue their playoff push unabated.
At worst, a victory means the Bucs keep the pressure on Minnesota and Seattle. Perhaps that pressure would cause enough mistakes for Tampa to steal a place in the postseason. Without a win, we won’t find out.
Indianapolis Colts
The AFC South features a pair of 6-6 teams at the top, but the Colts could seal the division crown by Week 15 with the proper two-game execution. And you guessed it, that means a win on Sunday.
Besides, Indianapolis shouldn’t lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars anyway on Sunday. I hear you, Jags fans, your team is better. It truly is. Nevertheless, the Colts have already toppled Jacksonville with Matt Hasselbeck under center and can officially eliminate the Jaguars.
Owner Jim Irsay expects Andrew Luck to return in Week 15 (Week 16 at the latest), which could provide a chance for Indy to eliminate the Houston Texans.
If the Patriots drop Houston to 6-7 on Sunday as expected, then the Colts would be 7-6. Since Indy knocked off the Texans — also with Hasselbeck — it would complete the two-game sweep and reach the playoffs.
The Colts won’t remember the 2015 regular season fondly, but having a chance to reach the Super Bowl is half the battle.
Atlanta Falcons
After ripping off five consecutive victories to open the year, the Falcons seemed destined for a playoff berth. They had plenty of favorable matchups remaining on the schedule.
Entering Week 14, though, 6-6 Atlanta has fallen in five straight games, including a head-scratching loss to the San Francisco 49ers and a pair of shortcomings to the Bucs.
The Falcons are in desperate need of a victory to spark a turnaround, but their opponent — the 12-0 Carolina Panthers — quite literally cannot be any better in the win column.
Minnesota holds a head-to-head tiebreaker over Atlanta, and the Seahawks are slowly flying away in the intra-conference winning percentage column. One more loss and the Falcons will lose their playoff wings in 2015.
Oakland Raiders
Some things are easier said than done. The Raiders briefly looked like a playoff contender but have dropped four of the last five games. If they don’t win on Sunday, fans must officially bid the postseason farewell.
Oakland stands at 5-7, two games behind in the AFC wild card picture. However, the team has already lost to a pair of 7-5 squads in the Chiefs and Steelers, so the Raiders are essentially three back.
Unfortunately for Oakland, Week 14 brings a road matchup with the AFC West-leading Denver Broncos, who managed a 16-10 triumph over Derek Carr and Co. earlier this season.
An eighth loss essentially eliminates the Raiders. Denver has three straight victories with Brock Osweiler under center. Oakland needs a win.