Houston Texans can clinch NFL playoff berth Sunday

[Fili]

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap100...f-berth-sunday

The 9-1 Houston Texans can be the first team to punch their ticket to the dance if the following goes down in Week 11:

Convoluted scenario No. 1:

Texans win + Titans loss or tie + Dolphins loss or tie + Jets loss or tie + Bengals loss + Chargers loss or tie

Sounds unlikely? Yeah, probably. How 'bout this one?



The intense race for the playoffs is in full gear. Check out the latest situation in the postseason chase. More ...
Convoluted Scenario No. 2:

Texans win + Titans loss or tie + Dolphins loss or tie + Jets loss or tie + Bengals loss or tie + Steelers loss

What have we learned? Well, the Texans are unlikely to clinch a playoff spot in Week 11. But it is possible, which tells you a lot about how their season is going.

Keep up to date on the race to the postseason with our "Playoff Picture" page. Even you, Eagles fans.

[TexansFanatic]

First team to clinch. That would be incredible.

[DX-TEX]

Originally Posted by TexansFanatic

First team to clinch. That would be incredible.

Scary IMO. I would rather they be in a dogfight to the bitter end.

[TexanSam]

Titans vs Jags
Dolphins vs Seahawks
Jets vs Patriots
Bengals vs Raiders
Chargers vs Ravens

There would have be a few big upsets for us to clinch this weekend.

[76Texan]

Hooray!

I hope we clinch the number one seed early so we can take it easy on some of the guys, but one game at a time, one game at a time.

[Malloy]

Originally Posted by TexanSam

Titans vs Jags
Dolphins vs Seahawks
Jets vs Patriots
Bengals vs Raiders
Chargers vs Ravens

There would have be a few big upsets for us to clinch this weekend.

Everything short of the Raiders winning sounds plausable

[76Texan]

Originally Posted by TexanSam

Titans vs Jags
Dolphins vs Seahawks
Jets vs Patriots
Bengals vs Raiders
Chargers vs Ravens

There would have be a few big upsets for us to clinch this weekend.

Just the Bungals and the Tacks.

The Tacks can lose for all we care, right?

[76Texan]

Originally Posted by Malloy

Everything short of the Raiders winning sounds plausable

Boy, you are quick on the trigger; especially on the bet last week

[ObsiWan]

Originally Posted by DX-TEX

Scary IMO. I would rather they be in a dogfight to the bitter end.

If you mean by the "bitter end" the Super Bowl and that we're playing in the it, I agree.

If you mean that we won't know whether we've made the playoffs until the last week of the season, then I think that's nuts.

So which is it?

[76Texan]

Originally Posted by ObsiWan

If you mean by the "bitter end" the Super Bowl and that we're playing in the it, I agree.

If you mean that we won't know whether we've made the playoffs until the last week of the season, then I think that's nuts.

So which is it?

Not just that but we should'nt be in a dog fight 'less we already forgot about Vicks, LOL.

I need a JJWatt's finger waving emoticon here

[Thorn]

We're 9-1. We'll be in the playoffs. No need to worry or rush things.

[ObsiWan]

Originally Posted by Thorn

We're 9-1. We'll be in the playoffs. No need to worry or rush things.

Still, it wouldn't hurt my feelings one little bit if all those guys lost and we clinched a playoff berth in freakin' November!

[The Pencil Neck]

Originally Posted by Thorn

We're 9-1. We'll be in the playoffs. No need to worry or rush things.

Remember that one year when Shanahan's Broncos went 8-0 to start the season and then went 0-8 to finish it and missed the playoffs.

Yeah.

I won't believe we have the #1 seed until we have the #1 seed.

[Thorn]

Originally Posted by ObsiWan

Still, it wouldn't hurt my feelings one little bit if all those guys lost and we clinched a playoff berth in freakin' November!

That would be nice, and it might just get us a few seconds extra on NFLN if you can make it past them talking about the Jets or Cowboys. We could win 50,000 super bowls and be well on our way to the next stage of human evolution and they'd still be talking about the Jets and Cowboys before us.

Originally Posted by The Pencil Neck

Remember that one year when Shanahan's Broncos went 8-0 to start the season and then went 0-8 to finish it and missed the playoffs.

Yeah.

I won't believe we have the #1 seed until we have the #1 seed.

The number 1 seed will still take some doing, that's for sure. I hope we get it as well. Just making the playoffs at this stage is a done deal. Seriously.

[TexansFanatic]

Originally Posted by Thorn

The number 1 seed will still take some doing, that's for sure. I hope we get it as well. Just making the playoffs at this stage is a done deal. Seriously.

Agreed --- there's hardly any way the Texans don't make the playoffs at this point.

But clinching a spot early means the team can then focus exclusively on clinching home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

[OzzO]

Originally Posted by The Pencil Neck

Remember that one year when Shanahan's Broncos went 8-0 to start the season and then went 0-8 to finish it and missed the playoffs.

Yeah.

I won't believe we have the #1 seed until we have the #1 seed.

I think I read in the chronic today that if we win 3 more, we clinch home field. But I ain't gonna try to figure all that fancy math to confirm... just let me know when we do.

[brakos82]

We need to finish 14-2 to clinch HFA...

13-3 would still give us the division, an 81% chance of HFA, and 99% Top-2 seed.

[TexansFanatic]

Originally Posted by OzzO

I think I read in the chronic today that if we win 3 more, we clinch home field. But I ain't gonna try to figure all that fancy math to confirm... just let me know when we do.

I wish that were true, but my math tells me that three more wins for the Texans equals 12 wins.

The Ravens have only lost 2 games and could thus conceivably win as many as 14 games. If the Ravens win 13 or 14 games while the Texans win only 12, then the Ravens win home field advantage.

The Patriots and Broncos have only lost 3 games and could thus conceivably win as many as 13 games, thus eclipsing a 12-4 Texans record.

[ObsiWan]

Is it time to visit the playoff machine again?

http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs/machine

You know, if you set "Offensive Ranking" as the determining factor. The Colts win the division and we get in as a wild card.

Oh, it gets better; we have to go play the Steelers IN Pittsburgh because they're division winners and we're the wild card team.

Yeah... forget patience, the sooner we clinch, the better.

[DocBar]

Meh. Just win out and go 18-1 for 2012. That would be tons better than NE's 18-1 season.