Browns, Jets, Falcons join NFL playoff party
The NFL’s playoff berths were finally filled Sunday when the New York Jets beat Green Bay to win the AFC East, knocking out defending Super Bowl champion New England. The Jets’ victory also pulled the Cleveland Browns into the postseason in only their fourth year. While those two 9-7 teams made it, three others with the same record – the Patriots, Dolphins and Broncos – were out.
In the NFC, the Atlanta Falcons backed in, losing to the Browns but getting the last wild-card berth when New Orleans, another 9-7 team, lost at home to Carolina to miss the playoffs.
The Jets’ win also gave Philadelphia the top seeding in the NFC and home-field advantage in the conference playoffs.
It was a day of churning emotions as games changed from moment to moment, particularly in the AFC, which has been jammed all season.
If the Jets had lost, New England and Miami would have been in. Denver was eliminated after the early games but beat Arizona anyway.
The Patriots still provided a lot of excitement, both for their fans and those of the Jets, who needed New England to beat the Dolphins.
When New England came from 11 points down in the last five minutes against Miami, fans in the Meadowlands were paying rapt attention. When Adam Vinatieri’s field goal won the game in overtime, the cheers were as loud as they were for a home team touchdown.
The Patriots and Dolphins had to wait three hours for the outcome of the Packers-Jets game. A win by the Packers would have put both in the playoffs.
Now, for the first time since 1999, both Super Bowl participants missed the playoffs. St. Louis was eliminated long ago.
“It’s kind of like waiting for a baby in the delivery room, but it could have been a lot worse. We could have lost that game,” Patriots safety Lawyer Milloy said as he watched the Packers-Jets game.
Atlanta, meanwhile, wasn’t thrilled with the way it got in.
“I’m really, really, really down,” tight end Alge Crumpler said. “Maybe a lot of guys are. I feel like we backed in to these playoffs.”
In the AFC, Oakland (11-5) has the top seeding and home-field advantage while Tennessee (11-5) is second and will be off next week.
They are followed by Pittsburgh (10-5-1) and the Jets (9-7), both division champions. Indianapolis (10-6) will be at the Jets next weekend and Cleveland (9-7) will play at Pittsburgh in the wild-card round.
Philadelphia (12-4) gets the top seeding in the NFC and Tampa Bay (12-4) earned the second spot by beating Chicago Sunday night.
Green Bay (12-4) is third and San Francisco (10-5), with a game in St. Louis Monday night, is locked into fourth. The New York Giants (10-6) will be at San Francisco next Sunday and Atlanta (9-6-1) is at Green Bay.
Coincidentally, both of those games are rematches of opening day games, although the Giants-49ers contest was played at Giants Stadium.