The Beautiful Game

A google search of Tagliabue and "competitive balance" yields about 3420 hits. This is a testimony to the importance of promoting the ability of each of the 32 teams in the NFL to field a competitive team during Paul Tagliabue's reign as NFL Commissioner from 1989 to his retirement in September before the 2006 season. As he enjoys his retirement, he should be happy that with the New York Giants' 34-28 win at the Washington Redskins on Saturday night, all 15 of the NFL games on Sunday, December 31, the final day of the regular season, will at the start of the day at least have some impact on the playoffs.

Nine teams have already clinched playoff spots leaving 3 spots remaining. The Giants win eliminated Carolina, St. Louis, and Atlanta, and so either the Giants or Green Bay will be the last wild card in the NFC. (SportsCenter says that in Vegas, a $1 bet that Green Bay wins the wild card pays off at $45,000.) Over in the AFC, the wild cards will be two of the New York Jets, Denver, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Jacksonville, and Tennessee.

The games at 1:00 PM EST:

• Oakland (2-13) at New York Jets (-11.5) (9-6)
  • Jets clinch wild card with win or tie.
  
  
• Pittsburgh (7-8) at Cincinnati (-6) (8-7)
  • Cincinnati clinches wild card with win AND either a Jets loss OR {Denver loss AND Kansas City win}
  
  
• Jacksonville (8-7) at Kansas City (-2) (8-7)
  • Kansas City clinches wild card with a win AND a Denver loss AND a Tennessee loss or tie AND and a Cincinnati loss or tie
  • Jacksonville clinches wild card with a win AND a Jets loss AND a Tennessee loss or tie AND and a Cincinnati loss or tie.
  
  
• New England (11-4) at Tennessee (-3) (8-7)
  • Tennessee clinches wild card with a win AND a Denver loss AND a Kansas City win AND and a Cincinnati loss or tie
  • New England has clinched their division title. If they win and Indianapolis loses or ties or tie and Indianapolis loses, then New England will be the 3rd seed in the AFC, otherwise New England will the be 4th seed. The practical differences between 3rd and 4th are not very significant.
  
  
• Detroit (2-13) at Dallas (-13) (9-6)
  • Dallas has clinched at least a wild card, and will clinch the division with a win AND a Philadelphia loss or tie OR a tie and Philadelphia loss.
  • Detroit must win for Green Bay to have a better Strength of Victory than the Giants.
  
  
• Seattle (8-7) at Tampa Bay (-3.5) (4-11)
  • Seattle has clinched their division and will be the 4th seed in the NFC.
  • Tampa Bay must lose for Green Bay to have a better Strength of Victory than the Giants.*
  
  
• Carolina (7-8) at New Orleans (+3) (10-5)
  • New Orleans has clinched their division and at least a wild card, and will clinch the division with a win AND a Philadelphia loss or tie OR a tie and Philadelphia loss.
  • Carolina must win for Green Bay to have a better Strength of Victory than the Giants.*
  
  
• St. Louis (7-9) at Minnesota (+2.5) (6-9)
  • Minnesota must win for Green Bay to have a better Strength of Victory than the Giants.*
  
  
• Cleveland (4-11) at Houston (-5.5) (5-10)
  • Houston must lose for Green Bay to have a better Strength of Victory than the Giants.*
  
  

The games at 4:15 PM EST:

• Atlanta (7-8) at Philadelphia (-8.5) (9-6)
  • Philadelphia has clinched at least a wild card, and can clinch the division with a with win OR a Dallas loss OR Philadelphia and Dallas both tie.
  
  
• Arizona (5-10) at San Diego (-14) (13-2)
  • San Diego has clinched their division and will clinch home field advantage with a win or tie OR a Baltimore loss or tie.
  • Arizona must lose for Green Bay to have a better Strength of Victory than the Giants.*
  
  
• Buffalo (7-8) at Baltimore (-9.5) (12-3)
  • Baltimore has clinched their division and will clinch home field advantage with a win AND a San Diego loss.
  
  
• San Francisco (6-9) at Denver (-10) (9-6)
  • Denver clinches a wild card with a win.
  • San Francisco must win for Green Bay to have a better Strength of Victory than the Giants.*
  
  
• Miami (6-9) at Indianapolis (-9) (11-4)
  • Indianapolis has clinched their division title and can clinch a first round bye with a win AND a Baltimore loss.
  • Miami must win for Green Bay to have a better Strength of Victory than the Giants.*
  
  

The game at 8:15 PM EST:

• Green Bay (7-8) at Chicago (-3) (13-2)
  • Chicago has clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs.
  • Green Bay must win AND beat the Giants in Strength of Victory*

*--It is possible for either one of Arizona, San Francisco, and Miami to tie instead of win OR one of Carolina, Houston, and Tampa Bay to tie instead of lose in order for Green Bay to beat the Giants in Strength of Victory. It is also possible for Green Bay to the Giants in Strength of Victory and beat them in Strength of Schedule if {either one of Arizona, San Francisco, and Miami lose OR one of Carolina, Houston, and Tampa Bay win} AND Jacksonville and Tennessee lose AND St. Louis, Buffalo, and the Jets win.