Yesterday I wrote that the Patriots had locked up the #1 seed. While not mathematically accurate, it was based on the presumption that the Jets have virtually no shot. Reader Cory Joseph correctly called me out, and I changed the language to reflect that New England hasn't 100% locked it up yet.
A few hours later, Pittsburgh lineman Marcus Gilbert suggested in an interview that the Steelers are fully aware the Jets have virtually no shot: "We'll have Landry Jones in there. We won't have Ben. Or 8-4 [Antonio Brown]. Or Le'Veon Bell."
It all makes sense, of course. Pittsburgh's Super Bowl aspirations were dashed two years ago when Brown got hurt at the very end of their win over Cincinnati. That same season, Bell was knocked out in early November after an MCL tear. And earlier that year, Ben--who's had his share of concussions--missed four games with an MCL sprain. Clearly Mike Tomlin wants his key guys healthy and fresh for the postseason, so they're now looking at a three-week break.
All that said, the Steelers should still be able to beat the winless Browns, even with Landry Jones and Stevan Ridley leading the charge. So expect New England's starters to play most of their game, just in case the Jets make it competitive (again, highly-highly-highly doubtful).
In the NFC, the Vikings are playing early on Sunday, meaning they won't have the luxury of seeing how the Saints and Falcons fare in real time. Because if Minnesota, New Orleans, and Atlanta lose, Carolina will leapfrog Minnesota as the #2 seed, forcing the Vikings to play in first round of the playoffs.
So expect the Vikes to throw everything at the Bears--a team they beat on a late field goal in October. It's great news for fantasy managers rostering any key Viking players.
A few hours later, Pittsburgh lineman Marcus Gilbert suggested in an interview that the Steelers are fully aware the Jets have virtually no shot: "We'll have Landry Jones in there. We won't have Ben. Or 8-4 [Antonio Brown]. Or Le'Veon Bell."
It all makes sense, of course. Pittsburgh's Super Bowl aspirations were dashed two years ago when Brown got hurt at the very end of their win over Cincinnati. That same season, Bell was knocked out in early November after an MCL tear. And earlier that year, Ben--who's had his share of concussions--missed four games with an MCL sprain. Clearly Mike Tomlin wants his key guys healthy and fresh for the postseason, so they're now looking at a three-week break.
All that said, the Steelers should still be able to beat the winless Browns, even with Landry Jones and Stevan Ridley leading the charge. So expect New England's starters to play most of their game, just in case the Jets make it competitive (again, highly-highly-highly doubtful).
In the NFC, the Vikings are playing early on Sunday, meaning they won't have the luxury of seeing how the Saints and Falcons fare in real time. Because if Minnesota, New Orleans, and Atlanta lose, Carolina will leapfrog Minnesota as the #2 seed, forcing the Vikings to play in first round of the playoffs.
So expect the Vikes to throw everything at the Bears--a team they beat on a late field goal in October. It's great news for fantasy managers rostering any key Viking players.