MFN says the Birmingham Stallions (8-7) have clinched the final National Conference playoff spot. However, we know from experience that MFN can be wrong. It is possible that four teams—Birmingham, Tampa Bay (7-8), Pittsburgh (7-8), and the New York Stars (7-8) could all finish 8-8. Then we go to the NFL tiebreaker procedures.
There are many potential scenarios. I did go through the tiebreakers for a four-way tie and (after first eliminating the Stars and Maulers due to conference records) had Birmingham coming out on top with a better record than Tampa Bay against common opponents.
The American Conference isn't much easier to figure. It is possible for Michigan, Denver, Memphis, and Cleveland to all finish 10-6. One of them would be out. But, what if they all lose in Week 16?
Suddenly, Memphis is in at 10-6 and the other wild card would go to a team that finishes 9-7—which could be Michigan, Denver, Cleveland, Los Angeles, or Chicago.
All we can tell you for sure is, don't believe everything you read, and be ready.
Week 15 Roundup
- The Michigan Panthers clinched their first-ever Midwest Division title with a 20-3 shutdown of Cleveland that completed a season sweep of the Thunderbolts. Michigan limited Cleveland to 117 yards passing and the offense scored when the Panthers recovered their own fumble in the end zone.
- Houston QB Mario Valencia passed for 481 yards and seven TDs as the Gamblers (14-1) clinched the No. 1 seed in the American Conference by outscoring the Jacksonville Bulls, 59-35. Rookie WR Gabriel Ahrens caught six passes for 255 yards (42.5 per catch) and TDs of 14, 69, 69, and 75 yards.
- Four pass interceptions by the Pittsburgh Maulers helped lead to a 17-0 win over the Baltimore Stars. Eric Reed recorded two sacks, Thomas Chau six tackles and a pickoff.
- Oklahoma stopped San Antonio's 2-point conversion attempt with 17 seconds to play to walk away with a 19-17 victory over the Gunslingers.
Week 16 Preview
Pretty much every game in the league has some potential playoff implications for at least one of the teams. One that doesn't will take place in Washington, where the Honolulu Hawaiians (12-3), champions of the Pacific Division, meet the Federals (12-3), champions of the Atlantic Division. Honolulu will try to end the season on a 10-game win streak. Memphis (10-5) and Houston (14-1) could meet again in the playoffs.Coach's Profile
Private Snowflake, Memphis Showboats
Hometown (town, state): Cincinnati, OH
Current residence (town, state): Milan, IN
Day job: Construction estimator
Favorite teams (all sports): Reds, Bengals, Bearcats
A real-life sports experience: Homering in my first AB of the first game my newborn was in attendance.
A fantasy sports experience: The Good: Being lucky enough to have selected a then-unknown Chris Johnson and him leading me to a league championship. The Bad: Dumping Adrian Peterson after his injury, only for him to come back with 2k yards.
Coach's Corner: (tip for a new MFN coach): Success in MFN does take time, so take the time to be successful by reading the Help Forum. Your enjoyment will increase ten-fold.
