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In the AFC east three teams are tied for first place.  In the AFC west the Chargers and the Broncos face off in a Sunday night sudden death showdown.  And in the NFC north the Minnesota Vikings want to hang onto their top spot and Chicago wants to steal it as it is their only road into the playoffs.  It is an unusual and exciting treat for the last Sunday of regular season to be such a factor, so let’s break it down.

New England @ Buffalo

If the Patriots win their battle with the Bills, which is not exactly out of the realm of possibility, and the Jets win their face off with the Dolphins, then New England will claim the division championship for the 6^th year in a row.  This should be an absolute no-brainer for the Patriots.  Not only are they the superior team, but they are in a do-or-die spot and that adds up to a win in my book.

Miami @ NY Jets

If the Pats and the Dolphins win then Miami will be in the playoffs as the division champs and New England will have to hope that Baltimore chokes against the Jaguars.  The Dolphins can hang onto their surprising success story with a win over the Jets on Sunday.  If they lose the Patriots and the Ravens will also have to lose for NY to claim the last AFC wild card spot.  For the Jets to make it to the post season they will need a win over the Dolphins and both the Patriots and the Ravens will have to lose.  This is an improbable scenario, but in this topsy-turvy season nothing is impossible.  Do I think it is likely to happen? No.  I think the Dolphins see their opportunity and, like their AFC South counterparts, are going to take their one shot at glory and win the division title.  On a side note, it pains me to think that Brett Farve is losing another close shot at a ring, but he has not only proved he can still play, but he won yours truly, a huge skeptic, back in his corner.

Denver @ San Diego

Wow-ey wow!  As I said earlier this season, I think this whole division should be cut out of the conference.  I still think this is true, but now it is not because I think they suck and want them to fade to black, but because I do not want to meet the Chargers in the post season.  And, unfortunately, I think it a very likely scenario.  San Diego has clawed their way back from mediocrity and Denver has squandered nearly every opportunity that has come their way.  I think the AFC West top spot will go to the Bolts.

Chicago @ Houston AND Minnesota @ NY Giants

In the NFC the only playoff spot that isn’t locked up is the northern division champ.  Right now the Vikings own it, but if they lose to the Giants on Sunday and their challengers, the Bears, win against the Texans they’ll fall out.  There are quite a few “what-ifs” tied up in these two match ups.  Obviously the Giants have had their post-season fate sewn up for some time and this final game means nothing to that schedule.  However, it is almost a superstition for quote-unquote shoo-ins that if you rest all your starters in that final game, things will not turn out well for you in the post-season.  I like the underdog story of the Vikings and think that the Bears have been awfully sporadic.  Minnesota won four in a row before their defeat by the Atlanta Falcons last week (one of those wins was against the Bears, by the way).  Chicago has a good chance at beating the Texans, but they have had some powerful showings over the last few weeks and could be wanting to make a last stand.  Meanwhile the Giants have no reason to lie down this week, so the Vikings had better bring their A-game.  NY has had couple of bad slips in recent weeks and want to go into the post-season looking like the defending champs.  Minnesota at their best has a fighting chance of beating the sub-par NY, so it comes down to how well the Giants show and how hungry the Vikings are.