Going for Two: Week Seven Records Redux

So I said, in the last post, that the projected end-of-season records are different now, but never posted the results, so here they are.

Here are my recent playoff projections.

Original Calculation AFC 1. New England (16&0) 2. Cincinnati (16&0) 3. Denver (13&3) 4. Indianapolis (6&10) 5. New York Jets (13&3) 6. Pittsburgh (10&6) Next-best records were 8&8, and yes, the AFC South was projected to be that bad. NFC 1. Carolina (16&0) 2. Green Bay (15&1) 3. Arizona (12&4) 4. Philadelphia (10&6) 5. Atlanta (13&3) 6. Minnesota (10&6) Next-best team is St.Louis with a 10&6 record. Minnesota is projected to defeat them in Week 9.

Mid-Season Calculation AFC 1. New England (16&0) 2. Cincinnati (16&0) 3. Denver (13&3) 4. Indianapolis (7&9) 5. New York Jets (13&3) 6. Pittsburgh (10&6) Next-best records are 9&7, but they aren't in the AFC South. NFC 1. Green Bay (16&0) 2. Atlanta (15&1) 3. Arizona (12&4) 4. New York Giants (9&7) 5. Carolina (13&3) 6. Minnesota (10&6) Next-best team is the same team with a 10&6 record, but they're still not projected to win in Week 9.

Miami is nowhere to be seen, but Arizona is still in the running, and perennial favorites New England, Green Bay, Denver, Carolina, Pittsburgh, and Indianapolis are there too. Seattle ends the season with a dismal 7&9, and both teams from Super Bowl 47 do even worse. By far, the biggest embarrassment is the AFC South, which will, like the NFC South last year, offer up a team with a losing record as its best. But if history repeats itself next year, 2016 could be very good for them too. In 2015, NFC South is projected to be the strongest division, with two playoff teams and New Orleans at 9&7. In the end, I sh*t you not, the two teams playing on Super Bowl Sunday will be Green Bay and Cincinnati. Yes, I am a Packer shareholder, and yes, my mother grew up in and was the only one to leave Cincinnati (my cousin is so much of a Bengals fan that her wedding garter was orange and black, and yes, it was hideous), but I swear that I did not rig these calculations. I don't even know HOW I would have been able to rig that outcome, ferchristsakes.

AFC South   IND 7 & 9 JAX 7 & 9 HOU 4 & 12 TEN 1 & 15 NFC South ATL 15 & 1 CAR 13 & 3 NO 9 & 7 TB 3 & 13