Mailbag: AFC Playoff Craziness

Q: How is it Week 17 and we don’t have a single thing decided in the AFC yet? – Chris Norssgodt

A: You must have listened to Philip Rivers’ press conference on Wednesday because I asked him pretty much the same thing. It’s ridiculous to think that we’re ending the last week of the season and not a single seed in the AFC has been determined yet. In fact, according to NFL Network, there are a whopping 128 different scenarios at play. Anyway, here’s what Rivers had to say when asked about the AFC playoff craziness:

“I think (it says something about the conference). I mean, you look and there are a couple (teams) fighting for position in the NFC, but for the most part, that one is pretty settled. All of the division races are settled and those top four are kind of situated for the most part. Yeah, it is (odd). I think it just shows, again, there are a lot of teams and how close it is. We always talk about it. You’re just that far off, last year, from getting in and being on the outside looking in — and how far you are from us not being where we are sitting at 11-4. There are a couple of things. We made some big plays in some close games where that thing could be flipped. In the years we were 5-11, we used to say, ‘Gosh, we’re a few plays away from being 9-7.’ I think a lot of teams are saying that. This Broncos team is one of them that are right there. I had a feeling when they got out of here that day we played them and then they beat Pittsburgh that they were going to be sitting at 9-6 when we played them. I was like, ‘They’re going to be 9-6 and we’re all going to be right in the hunt.’ It didn’t happen that way, but it’s a tough league. It’s a week-to-week league. It’s a one-score league and you see it over and over again each and every week.”

Q: Do you believe Philip Rivers will go to the Hall of Fame? (I think so) – Samuel Watanabe

A: If he doesn’t, there’s something severely wrong with the process.