Titans Playoff scenarios
With yesterday's win, the Tennessee Titans improved to 8-6 on the season with two games remaining. While the Colts (12-2) have clinched the division, the Titans still have a chance to make the playoffs as a wild card. Right now, Jacksonville (10-4) would get the top wild card spot and Cleveland (9-5) would get the #2 spot. Pittsburgh (9-5) holds the tiebreaker over the Browns for the AFC North division title.
The Titans must win both of their remaining games to make the playoffs. If they were to finish 9-7, they would lose a tie with Cleveland or Pittsburgh because of a worse conference record. So the Titans get in if either Cleveland, Pittsburgh, or Jacksonville lose both of their remaining games. The Titans would win the tiebreaker over Jacksonville based on a better record within the division 4-2 vs. 2-4. The Titans would have a better record than Cleveland or Pittsburgh.
However, as long as Cleveland or Pittsburgh loses one remaining game, the Titans still have a shot. If Cleveland loses at Cincinnati and beats San Francisco to finish tied with the Titans at 10-6, the Titans would earn the wild card based on a better record against common opponents. Ten: 4-1 (0-1 vs. Cin, 1-0 vs. NYJ, 1-0 vs. Oak, 2-0 vs. Hou); Cle: 3-2 (1-1 vs. Cin, 1-0 vs. NYJ, 0-1 vs. Oak, 1-0 vs. Hou). OTOH, if Cleveland wins both its games and Pittsburgh beats the Rams, but then loses to Baltimore, the Titans currently win that tiebreaker. They'd be tied at 10-6 overall, 7-5 conference, and 2-3 vs. common opponents. The next tiebreaker is strength of victory, i.e., record of teams you've beaten. The teams the Titans would have beaten have already won 63 games this year while the Steelers' opponents have only won 56. Because some of those opponents will play each other, the Titans opponents will go at least 4-6 in the last two weeks, putting the Titans somewhere between 67 and 77 wins. The Steelers opponents will be 7-6, so they can finish anywhere from 63 to 70 wins. So there's a chance the Steelers could catch up, but it's more likely the Titans would clinch this next week. If this somehow ended up tied, the Titans have already clinched the Strength of Schedule tiebreaker.
The Titans must win both of their remaining games to make the playoffs. If they were to finish 9-7, they would lose a tie with Cleveland or Pittsburgh because of a worse conference record. So the Titans get in if either Cleveland, Pittsburgh, or Jacksonville lose both of their remaining games. The Titans would win the tiebreaker over Jacksonville based on a better record within the division 4-2 vs. 2-4. The Titans would have a better record than Cleveland or Pittsburgh.
However, as long as Cleveland or Pittsburgh loses one remaining game, the Titans still have a shot. If Cleveland loses at Cincinnati and beats San Francisco to finish tied with the Titans at 10-6, the Titans would earn the wild card based on a better record against common opponents. Ten: 4-1 (0-1 vs. Cin, 1-0 vs. NYJ, 1-0 vs. Oak, 2-0 vs. Hou); Cle: 3-2 (1-1 vs. Cin, 1-0 vs. NYJ, 0-1 vs. Oak, 1-0 vs. Hou). OTOH, if Cleveland wins both its games and Pittsburgh beats the Rams, but then loses to Baltimore, the Titans currently win that tiebreaker. They'd be tied at 10-6 overall, 7-5 conference, and 2-3 vs. common opponents. The next tiebreaker is strength of victory, i.e., record of teams you've beaten. The teams the Titans would have beaten have already won 63 games this year while the Steelers' opponents have only won 56. Because some of those opponents will play each other, the Titans opponents will go at least 4-6 in the last two weeks, putting the Titans somewhere between 67 and 77 wins. The Steelers opponents will be 7-6, so they can finish anywhere from 63 to 70 wins. So there's a chance the Steelers could catch up, but it's more likely the Titans would clinch this next week. If this somehow ended up tied, the Titans have already clinched the Strength of Schedule tiebreaker.