3 way AFC wild card tie - who gets in?

Tom1975 · #1 12-19-2005, 05:34 PM

If Pittsburg, San Diego and Jacksonville all finish 11-5, who gets the wildcards? (Assuming Denver beats Oakland and still wins the West).

moose47 · #2 12-19-2005, 05:46 PM

San Diego gets in by virtue of having the best conference record.

I mean, Pittsburgh gets left out by having the worst conference record...

Tom1975 · #3 12-19-2005, 05:48 PM

OK...who gets the other spot?

kenberman · #4 12-19-2005, 05:53 PM

I'm almost positive it would be Jax.

but you prolly want to hear from someone who IS positive [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Zurvan · #5 12-19-2005, 06:29 PM

Doesn't Pittsburgh get in over San Diego, because Pittsburgh beat them? Isn't the first tie-breaker head-to-head matchup?

moose47 · #6 12-19-2005, 06:35 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Doesn't Pittsburgh get in over San Diego, because Pittsburgh beat them? Isn't the first tie-breaker head-to-head matchup?

[/ QUOTE ]

From here

Since none of those 3 teams beat the other two (or lost to the other two) the next tiebreaker used is conference record. In the above scenario it would be SD (9-3) and Jax (8-4) getting in ahead of Pittsburgh (7-5.)

McGahee · #7 12-19-2005, 09:47 PM

yeah I just heard about this today - Pittsburgh would get the shaft if jacksonville decided to lay down vs. Tennessee

thatpfunk · #8 12-19-2005, 10:16 PM

Go Titans!

sam h · #9 12-19-2005, 10:59 PM

[ QUOTE ]
yeah I just heard about this today - Pittsburgh would get the shaft if jacksonville decided to lay down vs. Tennessee

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow. San Diego would still need to win out. But think about what Jack Del Rio's situation might look like going into that last week - a choice between (a) playing all your starters, risking injury, and winning such that you get the 5 seed and a trip to New England or (b) resting your starters, getting people healthy, and making a trip to Cincinnati or Denver.

If I'm him, there's no way I'm playing anybody who is remotely dinged up in that last game. And I'm probably resting other guys too. I don't think they match up very well with New England right now. Neither Denver nor Cincinatti looks better enough to make it worthwhile trying to avoid them.

lastchance · #10 12-19-2005, 11:04 PM

They haven't clinched the Wild Card as is right now. Pittsburgh and San Diego are both capable of winning out, they're good enough, and so was KC.

Jacksonville doesn't match up with NE well, but Denver and Cincinatti would absolutely pwn Jacksonville.