Christmas Miracle Weekend Begins... [aka Week 16 & 17 Scoreboard Watching]

HPF Bob · #1 12-25-2009, 11:27 AM

Here's your live (well, semi-live) thread detailing the 12th-place Texans' pursuit to a playoff berth in just two weeks. How? Well, here's how:

Friday, Dec. 25th:

6:30 p.m. Chargers must beat Titans. Will the already-clinched Chargers have a let-down on the road in a short week or is locking down a first-round bye enough to get their juices flowing?

Sunday, Dec. 27th:

Noon Patriots must beat Jaguars. This win is crucial for our playoff hopes, both in helping us leap into second place in the AFC South but also to soften up the Pats for their final-week game in Houston.

Noon Steelers must beat Ravens.* This game is not really crucial but if the Ravens win, then the rest are playing for the last playoff berth. If the Steelers win, they stay in the playoff hunt but you'll have more teams sharing the same fate for Week 17.

Noon Texans must beat Dolphins. Nothing else matters if this doesn't happen but the Texans are undefeated lifetime against the Fins so I have confidence in them to win a close one.

3:15 p.m. Eagles must beat Broncos. Eagles get Westbrook back. The Broncos fired Shanahan for a late-season collapse. New coach, same collapse.

3:15 p.m. Colts must beat Jets. Hate to root for Manning and his quest for perfection but you can't choose your friends when you're begging for miracles.

If the miracle happens, the Texans will be 8-7 along with the Ravens, Steelers and Broncos while the Dolphins, Jets, Titans and Jaguars sit at 7-8 and in need of their own miracle next week. There would be two wild card slots up for grabs, so Houston would need to win Jan 3rd while any two of the Broncos (vs KC), Ravens (@ OAK) and Steelers (@ MIA) lose in order to make the playoffs.

*Should Baltimore beat the Steelers on Sunday, Baltimore clinches the #5 seed and it will be down to the Texans and Broncos for the #6 seed if the rest of the scenario plays out.

painekiller · #2 12-25-2009, 11:53 AM

Thank you Bob for laying that out so I could understand the road we have ahead of us..

WMH · #3 12-25-2009, 02:28 PM

From Yahoo via Kuharsky's blog:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/playoffs...hm=yahooranker

Basically, you can mix and match, and it will calculate who's in, and who's not. From the looks of it, we need to all favorites, except the Titans (and I still don't understand how they are favorites) to win this weekend. That happens, and a Denver loss to KC in week 17, and we are sliding into playoff in the 6th seed.

It will be a great weekend of football, with a lot on the line for a host of teams.

Of course that will all depend on whether or not we show up against Miami, and then play balls out against NE.

Keith · #4 12-25-2009, 03:30 PM

Well, a Titans win tonight won't eliminate the Texans, even if you expect the Titans to win in Seattle the following week.

But the road will get immensely more difficult if the Chargers can't find a way to win tonight in Nashville. The Titans are hurting at LB now though without Keith Bulluck and David Thornton. Hopefully that opens up the Charger rushing attack.

After a slow start, the Chargers rush defense has improved. Of course, they haven't had to face Chris Johnson with the threat of Vince Young running it, either. Should be a good one.

HPF Bob · #5 12-25-2009, 03:33 PM

Nice.

According to that, there's one scenario where we become the fifth seed (and face a rematch with the Patriots) as the only 9-7 team while the Jaguars survive as the sixth seed at 8-8.

NBT · #6 12-25-2009, 04:19 PM

If IF and BUTS were candy and nuts, what a wonderful Christmas it would be.

HPF Bob · #7 12-25-2009, 07:03 PM

L.T. with a one-yard TD late in the first quarter to make it 7-3 Chargers.

HPF Bob · #8 12-25-2009, 07:29 PM

Rivers to Gates for 36 Yds...TD...Tennessee challeges... Replay confirms!...TD!

XP good - SD 14, Titans 3 with 8:46 left in the second.

Keith · #9 12-25-2009, 07:35 PM

2nd VY turnover. Between the flags and TOs, the Titans are really helping out the Texans here.

and I love it.

HPF Bob · #10 12-25-2009, 07:47 PM

A 52-yd TD pass is overturned by penalty but the Chargers shrug it off and march down the field anyway... TS pass to Sprout...XP good.

Chargers 21, Titans 3 3:13 left in the second qtr. If the Titans can't score before the half, this one can be put on cruise control.

Same ol' Oilers. Hey Bud! This finger's for you!

James · #11 12-25-2009, 07:47 PM

Should it work out this way, and the Broncos and Texans both finish 9-7 we would tie in conference record, leading to a head to head breakdown, in which we would tie at 3-2 apiece. That leads to a strength of victory tiebreaker. The Broncos are +5 points in those 5 games. We have played 4 of the games, with New England yet to be determined. We are currently +20. Any victory over the Patriots and a finish of 9-7 would give us a tiebreaker victory over the Broncos, thus if the scenario of dreams plays out and Baltimore loses out along with the Steelers losing to Miami would give us a berth.

HPF Bob · #12 12-25-2009, 08:00 PM

Vince comes to life and scores just before half. This one's not over yet.

Chargers 21, Titans 10 as halftime approaches.

TheMatrix31 · #13 12-25-2009, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HPF Bob

so Houston would need to win Jan 3rd while any two of the Broncos (vs KC), Ravens (@ OAK) and Steelers (@ MIA) lose in order to make the playoffs.
.

Only the Broncos or Ravens need to lose. The Steelers/Miami one doesnt make a difference according to the scenario maker on Yahoo.

popanot · #14 12-25-2009, 08:28 PM

Love it when Courtland Fooligan makes an a-hole play. Doesn't look like the Titans are going to be able to hang with the Chargers tonight. Tell you what, the Chargers are probably the scariest team in the NFL right now.

HPF Bob · #15 12-25-2009, 08:32 PM

L.T. caps off a scoring drive to make it 28-10 Chargers. Not looking good for the Bud Boys in Nashpatch.

TheMatrix31 · #16 12-25-2009, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by popanot

Love it when Courtland Fooligan makes an a-hole play. Doesn't look like the Titans are going to be able to hang with the Chargers tonight. Tell you what, the Chargers are probably the scariest team in the NFL right now.

Wouldn't be surprised to see Chargers/Eagles or Chargers/Packers in the Super Bowl.

HPF Bob · #17 12-25-2009, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMatrix31

Only the Broncos or Ravens need to lose. The Steelers/Miami one doesnt make a difference according to the scenario maker on Yahoo.

Indeed, it gives the Texans the tiebreaker with Pittsburgh if they are both 9-7 but I'm not sure why. Both will have the same crappy conference record so it must come down to common opponents in which case our win over Cincy while they lost to them twice is probably huge.

HPF Bob · #18 12-25-2009, 08:44 PM

Sprout gets another TD. It's 35-10 and this one's over.

Step one accomplished.

TheMatrix31 · #19 12-25-2009, 09:01 PM

42-10. Beatdown.

nunusguy · #20 12-26-2009, 08:17 AM

The fact that the Titans loss starts to give us more than just a glimmer of hope of making the playoffs if we win out makes it more unlikely we win in FLA tomorrow, IMO.
I can't help but be pessimistic since this team has had so many chances in key games (especially intra-division games) this year to step up and make a statement and in each opportunity it's flunked the test.