# NFL Week 15 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 15, 2011, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/606327 "2011-12-15T19:48:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/606327/201 "2011-12-20T05:20:43Z")
> [@furt](#): > > One can only assume it was sarcasm. No, it was something one of the ESPN guys said. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/606327/202 "2011-12-20T05:29:20Z")
Well, on one hand I’m happy the Steelers lost and that last TD run from Gore got me an unlikely victory in the Super League of Doom. On the other hand this means that the Packers are now playing a must win against my Bears next week in a game I’m attending on Xmas night. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/606327/203 "2011-12-20T05:47:39Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Well, on one hand I’m happy the Steelers lost and that last TD run from Gore got me an unlikely victory in the Super League of Doom. On the other hand this means that the Packers are now playing a must win against my Bears next week in a game I’m attending on Xmas night. meh. The Bears are pretty much out anyway. I bear (heh) them no ill will, I just don’t see them catching either the Lions or my Falcons with only two games left even if they won out. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/606327/204 "2011-12-20T05:55:30Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > meh. The Bears are pretty much out anyway. I bear (heh) them no ill will, I just don’t see them catching either the Lions or my Falcons with only two games left even if they won out. Who cares. It’s 1) about beating the Packers whatever the circumstance and 2) about my actually seeing a Bears victory in person. ---
**Author:** ![armedmonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@armedmonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/armedmonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/606327/205 "2011-12-20T06:03:20Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Who cares. It’s 1) about beating the Packers whatever the circumstance and 2) about my actually seeing a Bears victory in person. You have a point, good sir. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 6:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/606327/206 "2011-12-20T06:08:48Z")
Steelers = Losers ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/606327/207 "2011-12-20T13:05:59Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > No, it was something one of the ESPN guys said. Ah. On those rare occasions when I find myself watching the ESPN pre/post-game, I assume everything they say is meant ironically, sarcastically, or as a parody. It’s the only way to keep my food down. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/606327/208 "2011-12-20T14:17:12Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Well, on one hand I’m happy the Steelers lost and that last TD run from Gore got me an unlikely victory in the Super League of Doom. On the other hand this means that the Packers are now playing a must win against my Bears next week in a game I’m attending on Xmas night. “Must win” is a bit much. I think you mean “not meaningless”. ---
**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 20, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/606327/209 "2011-12-20T15:41:37Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > Not anymore. The guy looks to me like he is playing with pain, and that the pain is getting to him. That’s because he’s so dreamy and heroic. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/606327/210 "2011-12-20T20:52:12Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > That’s because he’s so dreamy and heroic. And a Warrior. Don’t forget he is a warrior. It must be true since the ESPN guys kept saying it over and over, lest we forget. ---
**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/606327/211 "2011-12-20T20:55:41Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > “Must win” is a bit much. I think you mean “not meaningless”. Well, for Green Bay to secure the home field edge, either Green Bay _must win_ one of their last two games or someone who plays the 49ers _must win_ one of their last two games. I like the Packers’ chances, at home for both games, against Detroit and the team that used to be the Chicago Bears. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/606327/212 "2011-12-20T21:23:45Z")
Meanwhile in the AFC, with Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Houston all losing, the Patriots have a clear path to the #1 seed (bottom-ranked defense and all) – they play Miami and Buffalo, both in Foxboro. Pittsburgh would need to win out and have the Pats drop one of those games to jump to #1. I’m not sure how the tie-breakers with Baltimore or Houston would shake out. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/606327/213 "2011-12-20T22:14:55Z")
Baltimore owns the tiebreakers with everyone (or did, before this past weekend - I’m not sure if the loss to SD changed anything). ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2011, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/606327/214 "2011-12-20T22:23:39Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Meanwhile in the AFC, with Pittsburgh, Baltimore and Houston all losing, the Patriots have a clear path to the #1 seed (bottom-ranked defense and all) – they play Miami and Buffalo, both in Foxboro. Pittsburgh would need to win out and have the Pats drop one of those games to jump to #1. > > I’m not sure how the tie-breakers with Baltimore or Houston would shake out. Baltimore has the tie breaker on Pittsburgh, so they’d also have to drop one. Because of the earlier loss to Houston, Pittsburgh needs the Texans to also drop a game for a tie breaker. The following scenarios are possible if Pittsburgh wins out: #1 seed: New England, Baltimore, and Houston all must drop a game. #2 seed Scenario A: New England wins out, Baltimore and Houston must drop a game (NE gets #1 seed). #2 seed Scenario B: Houston wins out, New England and Baltimore must drop a game (Houston gets #1 seed). #3 seed: New England and Houston win out, Baltimore drops a game (NE gets #1, Houston gets #2). The following scenarios play out if Pittsburgh wins 1 and loses 1: #1 seed: New England, Baltimore, and Houston all lose twice. #2 seed Scenario A: New England wins at least 1, Houston and Baltimore lose twice (NE gets #1). #2 seed Scenario B: Houston wins at least 1, New England and Baltimore lose twice (Houston gets #1). #3 seed: New England and Houston win at least 1, Baltimore loses twice (NE and Houston get #1 and #2 in some order). Otherwise, it’s pretty much a #5 seed for Pittsburgh, no matter how many wins it has (0, 1, or 2). The Steelers need a ton of luck to even get a division title, much less a first round bye. ---
**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 20, 2011, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/606327/215 "2011-12-20T22:50:58Z")
> [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](#): > > And a Warrior. Don’t forget he is a warrior. It must be true since the ESPN guys kept saying it over and over, lest we forget. 🙂 How could I have forgotten when the meme gets pounded into me like a bad religion every time I see the Steelers play? And actually…I needed the Steelers to win to help out my Bengals (Ravens resting starters against Cincinnati in the final game of the year, potentially). Really though, I just need the Bengals to win out and the Jets to lose one of their last two and I believe they still get in. I hate rooting for the Steelers. ---
**Author:** ![Mince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@Mince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mince)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/606327/216 "2011-12-21T07:49:24Z")
John Elway: “Tim Tebow isn’t going anywhere.” Of course, that statement has dual meaning. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2011, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-15/606327/217 "2011-12-21T11:21:39Z")
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