NEW YORK – The playoffs races became clearer this weekend. And cloudier.
As if anyone ever doubted it would happen, the Packers earned a first-round bye and the Saints secured a postseason berth on Sunday. Green Bay (13-0) will own NFC home-field advantage with another victory as it pursues perfection. New Orleans will win the NFC South by beating Minnesota this week if Atlanta loses to Jacksonville.
Houston, for the first time since the Texans were born in 2002, made the parade, winning the AFC South — a foregone conclusion almost since the day Peyton Manning had neck surgery and was sidelined in Indianapolis.
New England, as it always seems to be, is on the verge of capturing the AFC East. Baltimore and Pittsburgh might go all the way to New Year’s Day to decide the AFC North and possibly AFC home-field advantage, but both have comfortable leads for a wild-card spot, too.
San Francisco grabbed its first division crown in nine years a week ago, then apparently celebrated too much and blew a game at Arizona on Sunday. Still, the Niners and Saints should battle for the other first-round bye in the NFC.
The rest of the picture is about as well-defined as the
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