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Just over a year ago, the dropped their fifth game of the season. With a six-point lo s to the , they fell to 1-5 overall. They were all but mathematically eliminated, especially considering had already lost his season to a torn ACL. NFL Week 10 They ended up winning their last 10 games of the regular season. They booked a wild card spot. Andy Reid ... They stretched that streak to 11 games with a dominant showing against the in the postseason. Their run ended with a lo s to the the next weekend, which featured perhaps in that it actually took five minutes. Reid jokes aside, what the Chiefs achieved last season likely won't be replicated by some other team this year (or next season or the year after). But that doesn't mean a sub.-500 team that is currently lagging in the standings can't overcome a brutal start to the season. In fact, given the current climate of the NFL -- a bunch of bad teams with a few good-not-great teams sprinkled in -- I'd argue that at least one team that is below .500 entering Week Ty Rattie Kids Jersey 10 will journey into January. As it stands, 14 teams are currently below .500. Let's run through all 14 teams and their chances to make the playoffs.Group 5: Win a game first 14. (0-10): Can the Browns win a game this season? Take a look at their remaining schedule:Steelers Their best hope is that the Steelers will have a playoff spot booked before Week 17 and will opt to rest some starters. Or maybe an asteroid will hit Earth the next time the Browns take an early lead and then we'll have to award them the win. SportsLine's playoff chances: 0 percent.Group 4: Go get that draft pick 13. 49ers (1-7): I'm a fan of Chip Kelly and But Kelly won't win until the front office supplies him with a roster that isn't completely devoid of talent. The best they can do is lose and snag a top-level player in the draft.SportsLine's playoff chances: 0 percent. 12. (2-6): The Jaguars need a new coach and quarterback. So no, they're not close to becoming a playoff team. Hang in there, Duval. Pa s the time by SportsLine's playoff chances: 1.5 percent. 11. (3-6): is not an NFL starting quarterback -- he's a fine backup -- so I . Instead, they dragged out a contract stalemate that lasted until training camp and ended in the one way everyone knew it would end: They gave him money and handed him the starting job. So, I do not feel bad for the Jets, who are the worst team in the AFC East. For the Jets to Ryan Stanton Men Jersey somehow rescue their season, they'll need Fitzpatrick to stop playing like the quarterback he's played like for the past decade. To this point, Fitzpatrick ranks dead last in completion percentage (56.4), 26th in yards per attempt (6.65), tied for 26th in touchdown pa ses (8), first in interceptions (13), and dead last in pa ser rating (67.6). They still have to play the Patriots twice, which means they're guaranteed to lose at least eight total games. I just don't see a path to the postseason.SportsLine's playoff chances: 2.3 percent.Group 3: I mean, it's not impo sible 10. (3-5): I would've included the Rams in the group above, but they can't really go get a high draft pick considering they parted ways with their 2017 first rounder to land -- the quarterback who still can't beat out . Without a top draft pick, there really isn't an incentive to tank. So, the Rams must march onwards to an inevitable 7-9 season. On a serious note, if the Rams want to earn a playoff berth, they'll need to navigate this schedule:JetsPatriots49ers There are some totally Ryan McLeod Jersey winnable games on that list. They can beat the Jets, Dolphins, Saints, and 49ers. But the problem with the Rams is that they could also lose every one of those games. That's how bad their offense is. They've managed to turn into the 19th best running back in terms of yards. You know it's bad when linebacker says SportsLine's playoff chances: 2.1 percent. 9. (3-5): The Buccaneers have been inconsistent in large part due to injuries -- seriously, they're down to like their 50th running back -- a horrible defense, and 's up-and-down play. Drake Caggiula Jersey I'll say this, though: They're not out of the playoff race. A year ago, the Falcons collapsed. They could do that again. The Buccaneers are only two games back in the lo s column. Still, some tough matchups loom, including the Chiefs, Seahawks, Chargers, , and . For the Buccaneers to mount a second-half comeback, they'll need Winston to develop into the elite quarterback that so many thought he'd become in his second season and they'll need to start winning games at home. are 0-4 on road this year; Buccaneers are 0-4 at home. Tampa Bay's 3-17 home record since start of '14 season is worst in NFL. Larry Mayer (@LarryMayer) Given the weakened state of the division, there's a chance. Not to mention, returned to practice And cleared so he can continue rescuing Winston's errant pa ses. If the Buccaneers want to have any chance, they'll need to take care of busine s at home against the Bears. SportsLine's playoff chances: 2.3 percent. 8. (2-6): I know what you're thinking: The Bears suck. Just hear me out. You're right. The Bears suck(ed). The Bears sucked in the first half of the season because they couldn't score points, which I'm led to believe is a super important thing to do in football. And they couldn't score points because they lost their quarterback to an injury. How many teams are equipped to score points without their quarterbacks? Not many. completed a ton of pa ses and didn Mark Letestu Jersey 't throw any interceptions, so folks immediately decided he was better than . But that was so, so wrong. Cutler makes more mistakes than Hoyer -- that part isn't up for debate -- but he makes up for those mistakes by generating plays that lead to the end zone. It took Cutler one game -- a win over the Vikings, by the way -- to demonstrate that. Let's run through two examples. In the second quarter, the Bears held a 3-0 lead and faced a third-and-8 near midfield. On the play, Cutler handled the shotgun snap and immediately dealt with pre sure coming around the left side of the offensive line. Instead of throwing the ball away or taking the sack, Cutler stepped up in the pocket and then -- at the last second -- flipped the ball to his running back, . Howard gained 34 yards, leading to a Bears field goal. That's the kind of play that doesn't always work out for Cutler. If that scenario played out 100 times, Cutler maybe gets sacked and even fumbles on a decent number of them. But when it works out, it's a brilliant football play. On the Bears' first drive of the third quarter, they faced an early third-and-5. Cutler knew he had in one-on-one coverage on the outside, so he decided to give him a chance to win a jump ball. Jeffery won (and a few plays later |
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