By Jordan J. Michael
There are seven National Football League teams — five in the AFC and two in the NFC — that sit at 5-5 after Week 11. The Baltimore Ravens, Miami Dolphins, Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboys are all on the cusp of a playoff spot. But which team has the best shot at winning a postseason game, let alone getting in?
All of these teams will not make the playoffs, and telling by how unpredictable the NFL is, none may make it. However, it’s fun to break down mediocrity.
Baltimore Ravens, 5-5, AFC North
The Ravens finally won a game (24 to 21 over the Bengals) after losing three straight. And it came with rookie Lamar Jackson (from Louisville!) at quarterback; he had 150 yards passing, no touchdowns and one interception in relief of an inactive Joe Flacco. Baltimore is giving up 18.1 points per game while scoring 23.7. Sounds like a .500 football team, no?
Edgar Allan Poe’s favorite team currently has the final wildcard slot in the AFC thanks to a 21-to-0 victory over the Titans and a better division record than Cincinnati. Upcoming, the Ravens have favorable home games — Oakland, Tampa Bay and Cleveland — but hard road contests — Atlanta, Kansas City and Los Angeles Chargers.
With or without Flacco, Baltimore seems to be headed for an 8-8 regular season; it could be enough. Then again, I haven’t seen enough from this team to say anything of any significance.
Miami Dolphins, 5-5, AFC East
The Dolphins have gone 2-5 since starting the season 3-0. Miami’s only saving grace is a win over Tennessee and a victory over the surging Chicago Bears. The Dolphins don’t score enough points (19.9 per game) and struggle on the road (1-4). Most signs are pointing down.
Despite playing the Bills twice, Miami’s four other remaining games don’t bode well: at Indianapolis, vs. New England, at Minnesota and vs. Jacksonville. The Jaguars are a mess, but they’ll probably be hella mad in five weeks, not wanting an interstate rival to embarrass them further.
Don’t expect the Dolphins to do much, especially if quarterback Ryan Tannehill isn’t 100-percent when he comes back.
Cincinnati Bengals, 5-5, AFC North
Head Coach Marvin Lewis is in the midst of his 16th season with the Bengals. Over that time, Cincinnati has a record of 130-117 and no playoff wins (lost all seven). In Lewis’ first four seasons, the Bengals finished at 8-8 on three occasions. If any NFL team is a nonentity, it’s Cincinnati.
Having a win over the Colts and the Dolphins gives the Bengals a potential advantage down the line, but existing road games with the Chargers and Steelers seem problematic. Cincinnati is in the bottom third for both total offense and defense; here they stand with a chance. Even if the Bengals produce a playoff berth, there is no historical evidence to predict advancement.
Indianapolis Colts, 5-5, AFC South
Not only have the Colts won four consecutive contests — by an average of 19 points — quarterback Andrew Luck has thrown at least three touchdowns in seven straight. Luck has 29 TDs so far, which is second to Patrick Mahomes’ unruly 37. On the contrary, Indianapolis lost for straight before winning four in a row.
A big loss to the Jets in Week 7 is the Colts’ lone misstep. Future match-ups with the Jaguars and Giants is hopeful; games against the Dolphins and Titans will determine a playoff berth. It seems like Luck is back to his old consistent form; six of his receivers have 200 yards or more. Having the better quarterback than all the other teams you’re racing against can make a difference.
Tennessee Titans, 5-5, AFC South
Loss, win, win, win, loss, loss, loss, win, win and loss. That’s the Titans’ roller-coaster season to this point; they’re untraceable. Tennessee beat up on Dallas (28 to 14) and New England (34 to 10) in successive weeks, but have also lost to Miami and Buffalo. In an opportunity to surpass the Colts last week (riding high after that Pats victory), the Titans lost by 28 points.
Hercules’ main crew doesn’t score a lot (16 points per game) and doesn’t give up a lot (17 per game). Fourth-year quarterback Marcus Mariota is not getting it done: zero touchdown passes in five of the nine games he’s started, and five games of 129 passing yards or less. The Titans win games with defense and random spurts of offense. Hey, whatever it takes, right?
Seattle Seahawks, 5-5, NFC West
There is no way that the Seahawks can catch the magnificent Rams. A wildcard playoff spot is all Seattle has worth playing for. Luckily, neon green has a tiebreaker over Dallas — 24 to 13 win in Week 3 — if the two are knotted up at the end of the regular season. Also, the Seahawks have a win over the Packers and the Lions, which are right below in the standings.
Seattle’s outstanding schedule is relatively tough: at Carolina, vs. Minnesota and vs. Kansas City. Quietly, Russell Wilson has tossed 23 touchdowns (fifth in the NFL) and been picked only five times; his 23rd-ranked passing yardage needs to increase. Wilson is supported by a healthy rushing attack: Chris Carson, Mike Davis, Rashaad Penny and Wilson have combined for 1,479 yards.
Remember what I said earlier about having an experienced quarterback when making a playoff push? That applies to the Seahawks.
Dallas Cowboys, 5-5, NFC East
After an embarrassing home loss to the Titans at home (28 to 14) on Monday Night Football, the Cowboys recoiled with road wins against the Eagles and the Falcons. Dallas’ next four contests — Washington, New Orleans, Philadelphia and Indianapolis — will determine its fate. The way recent work has been going, especially Ezekiel Elliott’s play-making, I think the team is prepared for the test.
The Cowboys are playing the Redskins on Thanksgiving on a really short turnaround, but Alex Smith broke his leg; Dallas’s defense gets to feast on an offense with a back-up quarterback. My surprise level would be the same if the Cowboys either won its next four games or lost them.
Either way, all these 5-5 teams make for some entertaining situations over the next six weeks.
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