The teams who can crash playoff parties

His team has won but twice in 14 outings, endured painful losing streaks of four and six games, was officially eliminated from 2001 playoff contention somewhere around the time the annual Thanksgiving tryptophan overdose was kicking in, and is likely to finish with its worst record since the 1985 season.

Possible Playoff SpoilersBuffalo Bills[1]: The Bills ceased to be a factor themselves in the AFC East race before midseason but, with games against the Jets (Sunday) and Dolphins (Jan.

6), should still have a lot to do with who wins the division championship. Rookie coach Gregg Williams is seeking a dose of positive reinforcement on which to build some impetus for 2002.

Atlanta Falcons[2]: At this point at least, the Falcons aren’t technically “spoilers,” as they still cling to an outside chance of qualifying for a wild-card spot. Their status could change by game time Sunday, though, if Tampa Bay defeats Baltimore on Saturday night, a scenario that would nudge Atlanta into elimination.

The Falcons play at Miami on Sunday, then finish at St. Louis, which despite its 12-2 record, hasn’t yet won the NFC West or claimed homefield advantage through the playoffs. New York Giants[3]: Like Atlanta, the Giants aren’t yet traditional “spoilers,” since they can still win the NFC East championship.

To do so, they have to defeat first-place Philadelphia on Sunday and likely beat Green Bay in the season finale. A win at Veterans Stadium would force the Eagles to have to win a difficult road game at Tampa Bay in the final weekend. A loss and the Giants still could scuttle the playoff seeking of the Packers.

Detroit Lions[4]: The toothless Lions get the low-scoring Bears in the Silverdome on Sunday, and would like nothing more than to keep Chicago from its first division title since the 1990 season. Detroit nearly upset the Bears in their earlier meeting. Denver Broncos: The team coach Mike Shanahan loves to hate, the Raiders, roll into town this weekend on a slide.

One of the preseason favorites to contend for the AFC title, but a team that has suffered through injuries and ineptitude, the Broncos would take some glee from a victory that could prolong Oakland’s slump.– Len Pasquarelli[5] But amid the carnage of a transitional year largely spent cleaning up the salary cap mess that the new football regime inherited and trying to accelerate the learning curve for one of the league’s youngest rosters, Buffalo Bills[6] general manager Tom Donahoe offered Monday that head coach Gregg Williams has done a terrific job in his rookie season. “We’ve played hard every time out, and that’s all you can ask,” said Donahoe. “This time of year, when you look at a team in the position we’re at and see that the players aren’t just going through the motions out there, it’s gratifying.

No (opponent) can simply take us for granted.” OK, so the Bills aren’t quite as dangerous as, say, the housewife who unwraps her Christmas gift and finds that for the fourth year in a row the husband has sprung for a Crockpot. This difference too: Dinner doesn’t spoil in a Crockpot, insists the manufacturer, but the playoff hopes of several teams could be spoiled over the next two weeks by Buffalo and other also-ran franchises who are still looking to take something positive from their shattered seasons.

Lurking on the remaining schedules of several teams still trying to confirm a playoff reservation is some seemingly innocuous opponent, but one that could still provide a hurdle — a beaten-up club with just enough residual pride and moxie to cause problems. It happens virtually every season so there is no reason to believe this year will be different. At some point over the next two weekends, there will be an upset, one that will either preclude a favored team from qualifying for the postseason or alter its seeding in the playoff bracket. “This is the time of year,” allowed Dallas coach Dave Campo, “for a ‘spoiler’ team to make its mark.”

No club wants to be cast in the role of “spoiler” because, by definition, the term suggests your own season has been a bust. But for those non-postseason contenders who have demonstrated they are not just playing out the string and not counting the days until the Caribbean cruise embarks, it is a time of the season for doing some damage. “If you’re being called a ‘spoiler,’ it basically means you’ve been a failure this year and that you are trying to drag somebody down with you,” said Lions tailback James Stewart[7]. “It’s not exactly a positive term, that’s for sure, but if the shoes fits … you try to make the best of the situation.”

The Bills nearly derailed Atlanta last Sunday afternoon, the Falcons needing a 52-yard field goal by Jay Feely[8] as time expired to keep their foundering playoff possibilities on life support. Buffalo finishes with two road games — at the New York Jets[9] on Sunday and Miami on Jan.

6 – and the results of those matchups could have a significant bearing on the AFC playoff bracket. There’s no reason to believe that the Bills, who have lost six games in 2001 by seven points or fewer, are going to fold against a couple of division archrivals.

Or for that matter that the Denver Broncos[10], eliminated on Sunday night, will roll over when the Oakland Raiders[11] arrive this weekend. Credit the Tennessee Titans[12], whose playoff chances were all but nil when they faced Oakland last week, for upending the spasmodic Raiders on Saturday night with a tremendous road effort. Among the teams already eliminated from the playoffs but who could this weekend disrupt the plans of clubs still in contention for the postseason or alter the seeding, Buffalo faces a Jets club that can still claim the AFC East title by winning its two remaining contests.

Although Chicago has earned a playoff berth, it still hasn’t secured the division crown and must play at Detroit. The underachieving Indianapolis Colts[13] play at St. Louis, where the Rams are still trying to clinch the NFC West title and homefield advantage.

“If you’re being called a ‘spoiler,’ it basically means you’ve been a failure this year and that you are trying to drag somebody down with you.

It’s not exactly a positive term, that’s for sure, but if the shoes fits … you try to make the best of the situation. “— James Stewart, Lions running back

Minnesota could wreck Green Bay’s chances for still winning the NFC Central in a game at Lambeau Field. Denver could further hinder the Raiders’ shot at homefield advantage in the AFC bracket. The Bengals can delay the Steelers from having the Heinz Field edge throughout the AFC playoffs.

Dallas can eliminate San Francisco, which is already in the playoffs, from the NFC West title chase. Washington can drive the final nail into the hearts of the slumping New Orleans Saints[14]. “In short, it’s a typical late-season weekend, where the teams who are still in the hunt had better be careful,” said Campo.

The misperception among fans and some media members, though, is that also-rans like Buffalo and Detroit use the “spoiler” angle as inspiration. For the most part, that isn’t the case, and there are few examples in the NFL of where loser teams have celebrated perversely after having beaten an opponent with some postseason significance on the line. Every player wants to finish the year with a strong performance, since coaches tend to remember that final impression when they evaluate video during the offseason.

And while it is often viewed as trite to note that pride is an inherent commodity in every game, especially in a league in which money is the overriding motivator, the mano-a-mano nature of NFL competition usually results in individuals offering a solid effort. “You’re still playing for yourself and for the guys in the locker room with you,” said Titans quarterback Steve McNair[15], after his gutsy Saturday night performance against the Raiders. “No matter what people think, there’s still some measure of pride in every win, no matter what team it comes against. But I guess when you have time to sit back and think about it, after the season is over for you, there’s probably some satisfaction you get from hurting someone else’s chances.”

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.

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References

1. ^ Buffalo Bills (football.espn.go.com)
2. ^ Atlanta Falcons (football.espn.go.com)
3. ^ New York Giants (football.espn.go.com)
4. ^ Detroit Lions (football.espn.go.com)
5. ^ Denver Broncos (football.espn.go.com)
6. ^ Buffalo Bills (football.espn.go.com)
7. ^ James Stewart (football.espn.go.com)
8. ^ Jay Feely (football.espn.go.com)
9. ^ New York Jets (football.espn.go.com)
10. ^ Denver Broncos (football.espn.go.com)
11. ^ Oakland Raiders (football.espn.go.com)
12. ^ Tennessee Titans (football.espn.go.com)
13. ^ Indianapolis Colts (football.espn.go.com)
14. ^ New Orleans Saints (football.espn.go.com)
15. ^ Steve McNair (football.espn.go.com)