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Wednesday, December 4
 
Only 12 will survive confusing playoff picture

ESPN.com

With four weeks left in the regular season, which 12 teams do you believe will make the playoffs?


Andrea Kremer
NFC: Eagles, Packers, Bucs, 49ers, Falcons, Saints
AFC: Chargers, Raiders, Steelers, Colts, Dolphins, Patriots

The Titans are tough to leave out because they've won six of their last seven. Steve McNair showed tremendous resiliency last week, fighting through two big injuries. Eddie George is looking more consistent and more like a workhorse back again. And the Titans know what they've missed out on and want to prove last year was a complete anomaly. However, the AFC is so tough this year that it's practically impossible for every really good team to make it. Unfortunately, Tennessee will come out on the short end.


Mike Golic
NFC: Eagles, Packers, Bucs, 49ers, Falcons, Saints
AFC: Raiders, Colts, Dolphins, Steelers, Patriots, Chargers

The hardest to leave out is the Titans because they are playing good football. It's a big week for Tennessee, playing the Colts at home. If they can beat the Colts, they would have the upper hand in the AFC South because they would have swept Indianapolis this season. The Titans are on a pretty good run after putting themselves in a hole early.


Mark Schlereth
NFC: Eagles, Packers, Bucs, 49ers, Falcons, Saints
AFC: Raiders, Colts, Dolphins, Steelers, Patriots, Chargers

I still think Tennessee could win the AFC South, and the Titans host the Colts on Sunday. People may think the Broncos are tough to leave out, but they have to play at the Jets, home against Kansas City and at Oakland before finishing at home against Arizona. I think the Broncos will have to go 11-5 to make the playoffs, and I don't think they will.


Joe Theismann
NFC: Eagles, Packers, Bucs, 49ers, Falcons, Saints
AFC: Raiders, Colts, Patriots, Steelers, Chargers, Broncos

Tennessee is the toughest to leave out at this point because the Titans are playing well. In the NFC, nobody is tough to leave out. It's pretty cut and dried, barring a miracle. The big thing will be which teams win their divisions, not who makes it. The AFC East and West divisions will go down to the wire. In the East, Miami plays at New England in Week 17. Although the Jets' loss to Oakland hurt them, they could still run the table.


Mark Malone
NFC: Eagles, Packers, Bucs, 49ers, Falcons, Saints
AFC: Chargers, Raiders, Steelers, Titans, Dolphins, Patriots

The Jets, Broncos and Colts are hard to leave out. That's why the AFC is so difficult; everybody is jumbled together. You can make arguments for all three. And they may end up in the playoffs. The Jets have played well down the stretch, but they are buried in the AFC East.


Sean Salisbury
NFC: Eagles, Packers, Bucs, 49ers, Falcons, Saints
AFC: Raiders, Colts, Dolphins, Steelers, Patriots, Chargers

The Broncos were tough to leave out because I thought they would win the AFC. I'm disappointed with their inability to close out games. I have a hard time not picking them. I'm sentimental toward two teams because I like their effort -- Kansas City and Buffalo. I also want to pick Tennessee because Jeff Fisher is as good as any head coach in the league. He gets the Titans to play, despite injuries.





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