Broncos in control of AFC West race
With good reason, a lot of the attention around these parts of late has been paid to the - pardon the term - race for the NFC East, where three teams with middling records are limping toward the finish line.
With good reason, a lot of the attention around these parts of late has been paid to the - pardon the term - race for the NFC East, where three teams with middling records are limping toward the finish line.
But don't forget about the AFC West, where the Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, San Diego Chargers, and Kansas City Chiefs (no, seriously) still have a shot at the division title.
According to RJ Bell, founder of the handicapping site Pregame.com, the Broncos (8-6) have an 86.5 percent chance of winning the division. They're favored this week in Buffalo and likely will be next week, when they host the Chiefs.
The Raiders, with games against Kansas City and San Diego, have the second-best chance at 6 percent. The Chiefs are at 5 percent, and the Chargers, who close with games in Detroit and Oakland, have a 2.5 percent shot at the division title.
Turnovers bad (usually)
Washington Redskins quarterback Rex Grossman has turned over the ball 22 times this season, tied for most in the league with the Chargers' Philip Rivers. Of course, in that race, Grossman is fighting the handicap of having been benched for three games earlier this year.
Washington offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, showing the keen offensive insight he inherited from his boss - who's also his father - said that's "way too many turnovers, which is not acceptable."
It doesn't always turn out poorly, however. Grossman, who has thrown a pick in 10 straight games, threw two interceptions in the first quarter on Sunday against the Giants - a quarter that ended with the Skins holding a 3-0 lead on the way to a 23-10 victory.
(In case you're wondering, the Redskins have a 0 percent chance of making the playoffs, according to simple mathematics. So, yeah, turnovers are bad.)
Peyton good (if healthy)
The confluence of the Colts' march toward victory in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes and Peyton Manning's missing the entire season has some speculating the Colts might deal their QB this offseason.
Not so, says Colts owner Jim Irsay.
"I think the situation is if [Manning's] back and he's healthy, I see him coming back and playing here," Irsay said on NFL Network Thursday night.
Of course, that should have been a no-brainer: If you have one of the greatest signal-callers of all time, you should hold on to him.
But now the question is: Do the Colts draft Luck anyway or trade the pick?
Infirmary report
Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger sat out practice to rest his sprained left ankle and will be a game-time decision when the Steelers face St. Louis. . . . Chris Johnson practiced in a limited fashion for Tennessee. . . . Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Anquan Boldin will miss two weeks after having surgery on his knee to deal with slightly torn cartilage.