The losses by the Steelers and Broncos turned around a lousy day of playoff news for the Ravens.
The Ravens now have multiple paths to the playoffs. Plan A, a division title, appears likely with a 3-0 finish and possible with 2-1. Since that involves only 6 game outcomes, and most readers don’t care about my probability estimates, you can figure that one for yourself.
What I can simplify is the Wild Card tiebreaker situation.
For that, we’ll need some simplifying assumptions:
- Assumed division winners: New England, Pittsburgh, Houston, Kansas City
- Wild Card contenders: Baltimore, Miami, Indianapolis, Tennessee, Denver, LA Chargers
- Assumed Out (can’t finish 9-7): Buffalo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, NY Jets, Jacksonville, Oakland
An important thing to note is that divisional ties are broken first, before WC ties are resolved.