Now that Week 12 of the NFL season is upon us, those annual and sometimes perplexing playoff scenarios have made their official entry into the fans' consciousness.
For better or for worse.
The 0-10 Detroit Lions , for example, are the only team mathematically eliminated.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Arizona Cardinals are in position to clinch a playoff berth Sunday.
Seeking their first playoff berth since 1998, the Cardinals need to defeat the defending Super Bowl champion and 9-1 New York Giants at home and get some help, too, to clinch:
*The San Francisco 49ers need to lose to the Cowboys in Dallas.
*The Seattle Seahawks have to lose or tie at home vs. the Washington Redskins .
The Tennessee Titans, the league's only unbeaten team at 10-0, could have earned entry with a win against the New York Jets and losses or ties by the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Steelers, however, threw a wrench into the works with their 27-10 win against the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night. So the Titans will have to wait at least another week to celebrate.
Granted, it's a bit early to consider such scenarios, but it's there, and the next several weeks will amplify the possibilities. "Yep," former Giants coach Jim Fassel said this week. "It's that time of the year. Things really start to get interesting now."
Play FOX Pro Football Pick'em Today >
