# NFL 2022: Week Sixteen Candles **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-nfl\ **Created:** [December 22, 2022, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966 "2022-12-22T19:08:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2022, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966/41 "2022-12-25T02:35:52Z")
Who else is watching the Steelers/Raiders? C’mon boys, do it for #32! (Are they not going to show the retirement ceremony? WTF, why are we watching commercials!) ---
**Author:** ![SwissMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e79b87/32.png) [@SwissMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwissMan)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2022, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966/42 "2022-12-25T03:05:57Z")
Bengals-Patriots ended in a Scorigami. Eagles-Cowboys was nearly one as well, if the Eagles could have scored and made it 41-40. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2022, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966/43 "2022-12-25T03:25:21Z")
Love scorigamis! Happy the Chiefs won. Glad Ravens won. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2022, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966/44 "2022-12-25T16:00:16Z")
> [@SwissMan](#): > > Bengals-Patriots ended in a Scorigami. Eagles-Cowboys was nearly one as well, if the Eagles could have scored and made it 41-40. Are there people who try to guess, or wager, what the next scorigami will be? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2022, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966/45 "2022-12-25T19:33:50Z")
So is there something about being in a division labelled “South” that just makes a team suck ass? How do they BOTH have no teams at .500? The fact division champions always rank above wild card champions makes the NFC, especially, look gross, where your 6-8 and aspiring-to-mediocrity Bucs rank ahead of the 11-4 Cowboys. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2022, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966/46 "2022-12-25T20:55:15Z")
TBF, the first time (was it the the first time? Trying to remember) that this happened with Seattle they won a home playoff game as a 7-9 division winner. But yeah, it’s for sure weird in the NFL when sub .500 teams make the playoffs. This isn’t the NBA, man! So I have been gone awhile and I would be remiss if I did not mention how well my Bengals are doing and I am reveling in it. Coming out of college, I _knew_ Burrow was the man, but you never know until you know, y’know? I dropped off on here, was battling alcoholism (won/winning), liver cirrhosis (won/winning/stable) and I was about to get a hernia repaired that I got years ago related to the liver disease’s symptoms. I had everything lined up, then got a cancerous growth in my mouth, had that removed and now I am in the midst of radiation treatment on my mouth/face/neck. It’s been brutal. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2022, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966/47 "2022-12-25T21:12:00Z")
Sorry to hear that, hope you recover fully. Welcome back! ---
**Author:** ![3AxisCtrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/ecd19e/32.png) [@3AxisCtrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3AxisCtrl)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2022, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966/48 "2022-12-25T21:33:48Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > So I have been gone awhile … Sounds rough - hope you can stick around. This place is better with you than without. ---
**Author:** ![3AxisCtrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/ecd19e/32.png) [@3AxisCtrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3AxisCtrl)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2022, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966/49 "2022-12-25T21:39:07Z")
Tua T. did NOT look sharp at the end of the game. Three interceptions killed 3 drives. At least two of them were borderline inexplicable choices. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2022, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966/50 "2022-12-25T22:48:50Z")
> [@3AxisCtrl](#): > > Three interceptions killed 3 drives. Three consecutive drives. Ugh, @#%$& Packers. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2022, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966/51 "2022-12-26T00:50:45Z")
Hope this is an okay place to ask this. Titans are 7-8. So are four other teams in the AFC, including the Jaguars in the same division. There are three teams apart from division leaders with records better than that with only the Ravens at 10-5 having clinched a playoff, plus three division leaders, Chiefs, Bills and Bengals in. That leaves three spots up for grabs (one of which will go to the Jags or Titans whoever wins the AFC South) 538 has the chances of the Titans winning the division at 26% and the chances of making the playoffs also at 26%. Is there really a zero chance of them making it in as an 8-9 team? ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2022, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966/52 "2022-12-26T01:03:46Z")
Thank you, I appreciate that. I am paused at radiation treatment #14 of 30 after pretty crazy surgery to reconstruct the floor of a part of my mouth and the base of a part of my tongue with tissue donated from my thigh. Let’s just say the mouth sores and radiation blisters from the radiation treatments are far, far worse than recovering from my 9 hour surgery…and I was in ICU for awhile. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2022, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966/53 "2022-12-26T01:04:44Z")
Thanks to you as well, though I do not recollect you and wonder at how you would me. This is the NFL thread, there’s no empty platitudes in football! ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2022, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966/54 "2022-12-26T01:09:38Z")
Isn’t it almost as likely that the Jags and Titans would enter the game against one another at 8-8, play to a tie, both finish 8-8-1, the Jags would then win the division with a tiebreaker over the Titans with their prior win, then host the Titans in Jacksonville and lose in overtime? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2022, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966/55 "2022-12-26T03:34:28Z")
Hey man, good to see you back. Sorry to hear about the health troubles, and I was a bit worried about you over the last year or two as you mentioned some things going on. I’m happy to hear that some of your demons have been dealt with, and I wish you the best in your continued recovery. ---
**Author:** ![borschevsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/97f17d/32.png) [@borschevsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/borschevsky)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2022, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966/56 "2022-12-26T04:31:46Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > Is there really a zero chance of them making it in as an 8-9 team? I don’t think there’s a way for the Titans to get in as an 8-9 wild card. Buffalo, KC, Cincinnati, Jax, and Baltimore would be in, so only 2 wild cards are left. The Chargers could lose out to go 8-9, but they have the tiebreaker from beating the Titans. Miami could lose out to go 8-9, but their two games are against NE and the Jets, which would give all those teams 8 wins, and Tennessee doesn’t win that tiebreaker. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2022, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966/57 "2022-12-26T12:05:07Z")
Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2022, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966/58 "2022-12-26T15:47:32Z")
> [@Mighty\_Mouse](#): > > 538 has the chances of the Titans winning the division at 26% and the chances of making the playoffs also at 26%. Is there really a zero chance of them making it in as an 8-9 team? ESPN has a feature called the [NFL Playoff Machine](http://www.espn.com/nfl/playoffs/machine). You can create all sorts of scenarios by picking various winners and losers, as well as tie games. I played with it a bit, trying to create such a scenario where the Titans beat Dallas and then lost to the Jags to finish at 8-9, and then won the last wild-card slot. I failed. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2022, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966/59 "2022-12-26T18:25:05Z")
Hackett is finished in Denver. > **[Broncos fire Hackett after 4-11 start to season](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/35323346/denver-broncos-fire-coach-nathaniel-hackett-4-11-start)** > > Nathaniel Hackett has been fired by the Broncos after a 4-11 start to the season and a day after an embarrassing 51-14 loss to the Rams. Senior assistant coach Jerry Rosburg will be the interim coach, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2022, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966/60 "2022-12-26T19:13:07Z")
Thanks. I figured 538 had gone through every possible result in the 40-odd games remaining and concluded that either there was no possibility of Titans getting a wildcard or the probability was so small a fraction of one percent that the chances of qualifying as rounded to 26% with and without that possibility. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-2022-week-sixteen-candles/976966.md?page=4)