NFL playoff pics, week 13

The playoff picture in the NFL is becoming clearer with each passing week. We have seen some surprises such as the fallout of the reigning Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers (sigh, and side note, I am still not shaving until the win again) and the New England Patriots’ defense being exposed (however they are still leading their division). The one-loss Minnesota Vikings (at the time) even fell to a somewhat un-heralded Arizona Cardinals team that looks to forcefully seize the NFC West for a second straight year. However, if the season ended this week, these teams would be taking top seeds and home field advantage in their respective conferences.

             
In the AFC, the Indianapolis Colts are the top dogs beyond a shadow of a doubt. Currently standing undefeated at 12-0, they have already locked up the AFC South and barring 3 straight losses will take the top seed in the AFC. The NFL’s man in the media quarterback Peyton Manning (who I find funny in most of his commercials/TV appearances, on a side note) leads in passing yards at the end of Week 13 with 3,685 yards. The Colts as a team lead the NFL in passing yards per game averaging 302.8 yards courtesy of Manning and his two leading receivers: wide receiver Reggie Wayne and tight end Dallas Clark. Wayne is fifth in the league in reception yards with 1,035, tied for second in the league in total receptions with 83, and tied for third in the league in receiving touchdowns with 3. Clark is fifth in the league in receptions with 77, has 859 receiving yards on the season, and 5 touchdowns. On the other side of the ball, defensive end Dwight Freeney has led Indianapolis’ defense with 10.5 sacks on the year that currently is good for third highest total sacks in the league.

             
As it stands, despite the tie, according to nfl.com the San Diego Chargers at 9-3 would take the second seed in the AFC and home field advantage over the 9-3 Cincinnati Bengals if the season ended today. San Diego’s offense has been the cornerstone of the team this year averaging a NFL third-best 28.5 points on average per game. The Chargers are taking primarily the same approach to their offense as they have done in the past: give the ball to running back LaDainian Tomlinson. While Tomlinson's total rushing yards are down and there is a chance he may not finish with over 1,000 yards rushing this season, he is still tied for fourth in the league for rushing touchdowns with 9. However, the major story on offense for San Diego this year is QB Phillip Rivers. Rivers is sixth in the league in total passing yards with 3,311, 21 touchdowns, and is tied for fifth in the league for least amounts of interceptions with 6. Rivers’ favorite target this season has arguably been TE Antonio Gates who is sixth in the league in receiving yards at 994 and has 4 touchdowns on the year.

             
The top seed in the NFC is more hotly contested than the AFC. The New Orleans Saints are the arguably unpredictable other undefeated team in the league having also clinched the NFC South at 12-0. Unlike the Colts however, the Saints have been winning many of their games by coming late from behind, but this should not take away from the record. If anything, it should answer some questions about this team’s ability to play without a lead and what we can perhaps expect to see in the playoffs. New Orleans sports perhaps the most prolific offense in the NFL this season. They lead the league in offensive yards per game with 429, first in the league in points per game with 36.7, third in passing yards per game with 286.4, and fifth in rushing yards per game with 142.6. QB Drew Brees is third in the league in passing yards with 3,536 and leads the NFL with 29 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions. These stats collaborate with others to give Brees a league-leading 111.3 QB Rating as well. WRs Marques Colston and Robert Meachem have been perhaps benefiting the most from Brees’ airborne attack – they are tired for seventh in the league for receiving TDs with 8 each. On defense, free safety Darren Sharper is second in the league in interceptions with 8 – a career best, 3 so far have been returned for TDs. DE Will Smith has contributed in the trench racking up a fifth-in-the-league 10 sacks and an interception this season.

             
The team that is nipping at the Saints’ heels in the NFC is the 10-2 Minnesota Vikings. QB Brett Favre is having one of the best seasons of his lengthy career, currently standing at seventh in the league with 3,149 passing yards, second in the league with 26 touchdowns, second in QB Rating with a 108.5, and tied for second in the league for least INTs with 5. Favre’s favorite targets this year have been WR Sidney Rice and TE Visanthe Shiancoe. Rice is fourth in the league in receiving yards this season at 1,036 and has 4 touchdowns. Shiancoe has only 389 receiving yards but is Favre’s favorite target in the end zone having hit Shiancoe for a league third-best 10 TDs this season. RB Adrian Peterson has not slowed since last season; he stands at third in the league in rushing yards at 1,103 and second in the league in rushing TDs with 12. These stats give the Vikings the second-highest scoring offense in the league at 29.9 points per game this season behind only the Saints. On defense, the Vikings are the third best in rushing yards per game only allowing 84.2 yards. Six-year veteran DE Jared Allen is second in the league in sacks with 12.5 this season and was able to pull down his second career INT this season.