# NFL Week 16 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [December 20, 2012, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/644658 "2012-12-20T19:48:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/644658/41 "2012-12-24T03:07:17Z")
I freely admit the intentional grounding call againts the Titans was probably wrong. I would entertain spotting the Titans 7 points. In exchange, all the NFL has to do is reverse the call in the Seattle game. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Sampsiceramos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Sampsiceramos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampsiceramos)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/644658/42 "2012-12-24T03:25:18Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > Fans always look at the game from their teams side. > > To a Gints fan (like me), if they are winning, it’s because of their strong play, not the opponents weak play. And if they are losing, it’s their pathetic play, not the other teams strong game. > > Easier to judge games where one doesn’t have a vested interest. I’m aware, and I agree. Still, putting this particular loss down solely to bad Giants play would be severely disingenious by even the most die-hard fan. You guys certainly weren’t great (Chris Snee, hell, the O-line in general, was abjectly horrid, and your receivers couldn’t hold onto stickum), I’ll admit that, and I’m still worried the Ravens will be one and done in the playoffs… But you saw those circus catches by Boldin, Rice, and Smith, and the tricky playcalling, and Flacco’s crazy completions into breadbasket-size windows in triple coverage. Ravens get too little credit when the offense plays well, and they played well today. ---
**Author:** ![Agent\_Foxtrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc29f/32.png) [@Agent\_Foxtrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agent_Foxtrot)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/644658/43 "2012-12-24T03:39:48Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Assuming they don’t stage one hell of a comeback (right now they’re down by 23), that takes the Giants out of the NFC East picture. No, the **Giants** still have a chance since Dallas lost today. We have to win our final game in order to stay in the playoff picture and our final game is against… the Failadelphia Eagles! O merciful God! ---
**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 24, 2012, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/644658/44 "2012-12-24T03:58:51Z")
Every third game, we play like shit. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/644658/45 "2012-12-24T04:11:00Z")
> [@Agent\_Foxtrot](#): > > No, the **Giants** still have a chance since Dallas lost today. We have to win our final game in order to stay in the playoff picture and our final game is against… the Failadelphia Eagles! O merciful God! How’s that? If the Redskins win next week, they’re 10-6 and win the East outright, no matter what the Giants do. If the Cowboys and Giants win next week, then there’s a 3-way tie at 9-7. In that case, the three teams would all be 1-1 against each other, head to head, so the next tiebreaker is NFC East record. The Redskins and Cowboys would be 4-2, and the Giants only 3-3, which drops them out. (The Cowboys would win the next tiebreaker over the Redskins, fwiw.) Sure, the Giants have some minuscule chance for a wild card, but I didn’t disagree with that to begin with. IIRC, the Giants and Redskins would both need to win, and the Vikes and Bears would both have to lose. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/644658/46 "2012-12-24T04:11:04Z")
Can New England win Home field? ---
**Author:** ![Sampsiceramos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Sampsiceramos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampsiceramos)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/644658/47 "2012-12-24T04:11:19Z")
Okay, so maybe I thought **dem 'Hawks** would squeak this one against the Niners, but this is just sodomy. Straight up. On national TV. I mean, barring something unexpected, we’re looking at 50+ points three weeks in a row. That’s gotta be some sort of record. ---
**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 24, 2012, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/644658/48 "2012-12-24T04:38:53Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > Ooof! Sometimes it seemed like Pitt didn’t even want to go into the playoffs! Who misses a FG from that distance? > > Congrats to Cincy and their fans. It was a 52 yarder, only a little shorter than the one Josh Brown missed as well. What an ugly game…defensive slugfest. I will take it but I am utterly concerned about the Bengals offense and their inability to run the ball or score points. Without the Leon Hall INT TD…well…you know… ---
**Author:** ![piepiepie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e47774/32.png) [@piepiepie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/piepiepie)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/644658/49 "2012-12-24T05:10:01Z")
The past month or so I’ve been assuming the Bengals were the best team in the North. Certainly better than the Ravens. Now it seems like the Ravens might have a chance in Cinci next week? Not that they need to win, but maybe they could win. I’d prefer a win. I’d like to think the Ravens did well today because I wasn’t watching. Maybe it was the right combination of my lucky O’s shirt without my Boldin jersey. That’s gotta be it. ---
**Author:** ![Bootis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e8c25b/32.png) [@Bootis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootis)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/644658/50 "2012-12-24T05:35:37Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > Can New England win Home field? NE wins #1 seed with a win next week plus both a Houston loss vs colts (very possible) and a Denver loss vs. Chiefs (unlikely) ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/644658/51 "2012-12-24T05:41:17Z")
> [@Sampsiceramos](#): > > Okay, so maybe I thought **dem 'Hawks** would squeak this one against the Niners, but this is just sodomy. Straight up. On national TV. The House of the **Sound** is a really hard place for anyone to win. #12 is on the field for every play that matters. Yeah, they were making excuses, the Niners had 2 tough road games in a row, I always say, “Excuses don’t pay the rent.” ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/644658/52 "2012-12-24T05:45:02Z")
TY **Bootis** -I thought that would be the answer. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/644658/53 "2012-12-24T11:43:19Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > How’s that? If the Redskins win next week, they’re 10-6 and win the East outright, no matter what the Giants do. If the Cowboys and Giants win next week, then there’s a 3-way tie at 9-7. In that case, the three teams would all be 1-1 against each other, head to head, so the next tiebreaker is NFC East record. The Redskins and Cowboys would be 4-2, and the Giants only 3-3, which drops them out. (The Cowboys would win the next tiebreaker over the Redskins, fwiw.) > > Sure, the Giants have some minuscule chance for a wild card, but I didn’t disagree with that to begin with. IIRC, the Giants and Redskins would both need to win, and the Vikes and Bears would both have to lose. Quite correct. From [Giants101.com](http://Giants101.com): > [@](#): > > In order for their title defense to continue, the Giants now have to beat the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday and have the Detroit Lions upset the Chicago Bears, the Green Bay Packers to beat the Minnesota Vikings and the Washington Redskins to win the NFC East by defeating or tying the Cowboys. > > Then, and only then, would the Giants find themselves in the playoffs as a #6 seed. > > In this scenario, the Giants would then travel to either Seattle or San Francisco to take on either the Seahawks or 49ers depending on the outcome of their respective games. > > Yes, it’s a long-shot, but it is possible. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2012, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/644658/54 "2012-12-24T12:40:33Z")
The Redskins are now in sole possession of the NFC East lead, but it turns out that that really doesn’t mean anything. The winner of next week’s Redskins-Cowboys game wins the NFC East, full stop. The game is on December 30, 2012. Reminds me of another Dallas at Washington game, almost exactly 40 years earlier, [on December 31, 1972](http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/redskins/history/rfk/articles/123172.htm). May it turn out similarly. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nfl-week-16/644658.md?page=2)