Wait.... What?
This playoff scenario involving the Colts, Raiders and Chargers is so uniquely ridiculous that we need it to happen
By losing to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts delayed what feels like the inevitable one more week, that being a win and they are in scenario. Beat the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 18, and Indy is playoff-bound, somewhat miraculously after a 1-4 start to the 2021 season.
That said, life would have been much easier had the Colts just handled business on home field against the Raiders, who are now fully back in the AFC playoff picture thanks to three straight wins over the Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, and the aforementioned Colts. On Sunday Night Football in Week 18, they face the division rival L.A. Chargers, who, like Las Vegas, are 9-7. The winner of that game gets into the playoffs. Simple as that.
There is, however, a uniquely ridiculous circumstance in which both the Chargers and Raiders get into the playoffs - a tie, which would also have to be followed by a Colts loss to the Jaguars. Yes, it's real and it's spectacular. Credit to NFL insider Adam Beasley who first pointed out this hilarious scenario on Twitter Monday morning:
Now, this all hinges on the Jaguars first beating the Colts, a highly unlikely scenario given the Jags are 15.5-point underdogs, they flat out stink, and the Colts will almost certainly get out of Jacksonville with a win by any means necessary, even if it means winning 2-0. Stranger things have certainly happened—like that time the Jags beat the Buffalo Bills 9-6—but this is one of those times stranger things definitely will not happen.
If you're a true sicko who likes to watch the world burn, though, you can humor us for a second and imagine the Jags do win. Then yes, the Chargers and Raiders could simply kneel it out, tie 0-0, and say see ya in the playoffs. The Chargers in particular would benefit the most from this, as a loss to the Raiders would mean they are completely eliminated since the Colts own a tiebreaker over them. The Raiders could actually still get in with a loss to the Chargers and a Colts loss to the Jaguars AND a Steelers loss on Monday night OR in Week 18. If you're head is completely spinning like ours, we apologize. Colts ain't losing to the Jags so this is all irrelevant (famous last words).