With just one week left in the regular season, the NFL playoff landscape is in disarray.
The top seed, and with it the all-important home field advantage, is still up for grabs in the AFC and NFC. There are currently two playoff spots yet to be determined. Only one team has a lock on a playoff seed. It requires a spreadsheet, a calculator and every screen you can find to keep up with next weekend.
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Very confusing. Glorious chaos. It’s yet another example of the NFL’s dominance in this country that no other sport can match.
Every league will claim that all of its games are important, but the truth is usually far from the truth. The sheer volume of most league schedules creates a clear distinction between contenders and teams that never stood a chance, with the latter playing out the final month, and possibly even two months.
Just look at the current NBA standings. Do you really think the Indiana Pacers or New Orleans Pelicans are worth watching in March? The Chicago White Sox and Colorado Rockies were almost irrelevant after Major League Baseball’s All-Star break.
In the NFL, however, games were chaos until the very end.
Even if some teams, like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, have a slim chance, half of the league’s 32 teams are still in playoff contention heading into the final weekend. Only five of the final 16 games next weekend are truly meaningless.
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Aside from the annoying Aaron Rodgers, there’s even a reason to tune in to Sunday night’s game between the 8-8 Baltimore Ravens and 9-7 Pittsburgh Steelers!
More: 32 things we learned in NFL Week 17: A tight race for the top playoff seed
NFL dominance short-lived
The NFL has its dynasties, and for years a Super Bowl championship seemed a foregone conclusion. For example, the New England Patriots led by Tom Brady. Or, before this year, the Kansas City Chiefs with Patrick Mahomes.
But the structure of the NFL, which has a hard salary cap and requires teams to spend at least 90% of the salary cap, means it is built for upheaval. With the exception of the New York Jets, every team and its fans can start the season believing they have a chance.
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At least half, and as many as seven, of the NFL’s eight divisions will have new champions this year. Of the 12 teams that have locked up playoff berths, five did not make the playoffs last year. Four of them had losing records last season.
Please note that this is not a one-time event. This is the 36th consecutive season that at least four teams have qualified for the playoffs after failing to make the playoffs the previous year. Of the past 23 years, 21 teams have missed the playoffs and at least two have won their division this season.
And what about the Chiefs, who have won three of the past six Super Bowls and appeared in two others? They’ll be sitting on their couch at home, finishing below .500 for the first time in Andy Reid’s tenure.
The big game or…Snoop Dogg Bowl?
Some may find the fight for the fifth seed boring, or not care who returns to the playoffs since they are the Misfit Toys division champions this year. But it’s worth mentioning that there are so many games that make sense this time of year, ensuring there’s at least some peripheral interest beyond just fans of both teams.
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Or do you prefer the absurdity of a college football system where the “sanctity of the bowl” (and ESPN’s thirst for programming) gives us such great games like Fresno State’s 18-3 victory over Miami Ohio State in the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl?
Give me the Commander Eagle any day and make me the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Even Jets-Bills, Buffalo is trying to improve its seeding. While deep down we know the Ravens are probably screwed, we’ll still be watching to see if Derrick Henry can hold another team to 200 yards.
(And, of course, the aforementioned Rodgers hate-watching.)
This is what competitive balance looks like. As confusing as it can be, it’s fun. It keeps us watching until the bitter end.
Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armor on social media @nrarmour.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The NFL had us watching until the very end. This is the superpower of the Alliance
