Author: /u/NintendoNuc

What’s good gamers, I recently did a post on r/detroitlions calculating how they could reach the #1 seed in the NFC. I wanted to gift you all some Kool-aid, please be generous with consuming it.

Everything on this list gives the best possible chance for the Texans to clinch the #1 seed. I used NFL Playoff Predictor to calculate this.

Some notes:

1. NFC matchups are pretty much irrelevant. AFC vs NFC matchups should result in a win for the NFC team to give the best chance for the Texans to clinch the #1 seed.
2. Wins and losses must be balanced between the best in the division and the worst. You cannot just let the worst team in other divisions keep winning, otherwise, they will clinch the #1 seed.
3. We will assume no ties will occur.
4. To even clinch the division, what’s highlighted in BOLD must occur.

Week 11:

• HOU wins over TEN
• SF wins over JAX
• IND wins over BUF
• NYJ over MIA
• LV over CIN
• LAC over PIT
• NE over ATL ✅ (Doesn’t matter, but hey, you got this one!)
• CHI over BAL
• DET over CLE
• DAL over KC

Week 12:

• HOU over NYJ
• ATL over JAX
• NE over TEN
• TB over IND
• PIT over CIN
• DEN over LAC
• CLE over BAL
• DAL over LV
• NO over BUF
• CAR over MIA (Doesn’t matter, just giving it to CAR to make it easier to follow)

Week 13: (TEN on bye)

• HOU over IND
• LAR over JAX
• LAC over CIN
• KC over DEN
• BAL over PIT
• BUF over NE
• NYG over MIA
• PHI over NYJ
• WAS over LV

Week 14: (IND on bye)

• HOU over SEA
• JAX over TEN
• CLE over BAL
• LV over KC
• MIN over PIT
• SF over CIN
• NO over NYJ
• DET over DEN
• NYG over LAC
• TB over BUF

Week 15:

• HOU over JAX
• IND over NE (What’s up with this? Well, if we give NE the win, this gives them the opportunity to clinch the #1 seed. We don’t want that, so we balance it out with an IND win, which at this point, the Colts are suffering. Just like you!)
• PIT over TEN
• KC over LAC
• LV over CLE
• MIA over NYJ
• DEN over CIN
• CAR over BUF
• GB over BAL

Week 16:

• HOU over LAC
• NYJ over JAX
• ARI over IND
• SF over TEN
• CIN over BAL
• BUF over NE
• PIT over KC
• DEN over LV
• GB over CLE
• NO over MIA

Week 17:

• HOU over SF
• LV over IND
• JAX over NE (Again, if we give NE the win, this gives them the opportunity to clinch the #1 seed. We don’t want that, so we balance it out with a JAX win.)
• MIA over TEN
• CIN over KC
• LAC over DEN
• CLE over PIT
• ATL over BUF
• TB over NYJ
• LAR over BAL

Week 18:

• HOU over TEN
• JAX over IND
• NYJ over BUF
• CIN over CLE
• MIA over NE
• BAL over PIT
• DEN over KC
• LAC over LV

And with that, CONGLATURATIONS HOUSTON! You have officially secured the number 1 seed in the playoffs!

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WOO HOO! YOU DID IT! AT WHAT COST THOUGH?

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AFC standings after Week 18

This is the cost.

Full AFC standings with explanations:

1. HOU (9-8) – AFC SOUTH CHAMPIONS! Wins #1 over LAC with Top of Division/head to head
2. LAC (9-8) – AFC West Champions
3. PIT (8-8-1) – AFC North Champions
4. BUF (8-9) – AFC East Champions
5. DEN (9-8) Wins tiebreaker over LV based on % vs Div
6. LV (9-8)
7. NE (8-9) Wins tiebreaker over CLE based on % vs Conference
8. CLE (8-9) Wins tiebreaker over CIN based on % vs Conference
9. CIN (8-9) Wins tiebreaker over BAL based on % vs Conference
10. BAL (8-9) Wins tiebreaker over TEN based on % vs Conference
11. TEN (8-9) Wins tiebreaker over KC based on head to head
12. KC (8-9)
13. IND (7-10) Wins tiebreaker over MIA based on head to head
14. MIA (7-10)
15. NYJ (5-12) Wins tiebreaker over JAX based on head to head
16. JAX (5-12)

Here’s the end result for what I calculated on Playoff Predictors. You are free to play around with this god-forsaken scenario to see if the Texans have a shot.

I’m almost certain you guys won’t make it in. But at least you can confide in the fact that you aren’t the Lions.

Never lose hope…? I guess?