The Jets will make the playoffs due to two teams laying down:

[MaineDolFan]

By virtue of Baltimore's loss, in addition to Miami and Denver's, the Jets controlled their own destiny:  Win your last two and you are in.  The Colts laid down last night.  Cincy will do the same this week.

I have a REAL issue with a team basically cake walking into the playoffs while others (Denver, Houston, Baltimore, Pittsburgh) are fighting their asses off to get in.

I believe the fans in Indy deserved better last night.  I believe the fans in every city fighting for a playoff spot deserved better.  It's one thing to lay down in a meaningless game - another when the game has playoff implications.  If Cincy doesn't go balls to the wall and TRY next week my head might explode.

What a bunch of crap.

[ethurst22]

If there was any team that I would have love to see go undefeated, it was the Colts but they sold out.

Honestly, if the Patriots go back to Indy, they will beat the Colts in the playoffs. The Bolts are going to the Super Bowl and they are playing as if they are on a mission

Indy should have played for the undefeated season.

[Brian Fein]

I don't think Cinci will lay down.  Here's why...

Assuming the Patriots beat Houston, the Bengals need to win to maintain their #3 seed.  This way if the Bengals end up playing the Patriots in the championship game, it'll be in Cincinnati, not in New England, and we know that the Patriots are a different team on the road.

However, this game being flexed to Sunday night, should the Texans beat the Patriots, the Bengals very well could lay down.

I am sick of teams benching their players in "meaningless" games.  It doesn't seem fair that the Patriots and Dolphins got losses from the Colts, while the Jets and Bills get freebie wins.  Of course it doesn't matter for the Bills, but the Jets are in the playoff race, and this should not be allowed.

How can the commish prevent this?

[Spider-Dan]

Sour grapes.

If someone asked you at the start of the season who you'd rather have on your schedule in WK17: PIT or IND, who would you have picked?

[Brian Fein]

^^ Indy, because Pitt was the defending super bowl champion and the best defense in the league.

[dolphins4life]

I don't think Cinci will lay down.  Here's why...

Assuming the Patriots beat Houston, the Bengals need to win to maintain their #3 seed.  This way if the Bengals end up playing the Patriots in the championship game, it'll be in Cincinnati, not in New England, and we know that the Patriots are a different team on the road.

However, this game being flexed to Sunday night, should the Texans beat the Patriots, the Bengals very well could lay down.

I am sick of teams benching their players in "meaningless" games.  It doesn't seem fair that the Patriots and Dolphins got losses from the Colts, while the Jets and Bills get freebie wins.  Of course it doesn't matter for the Bills, but the Jets are in the playoff race, and this should not be allowed.

How can the commish prevent this?

A better question to ask is, how can the Dolphins prevent this?

Answer:  By winning their own games and taking care of business

[Denver_Bronco]

By virtue of Baltimore's loss, in addition to Miami and Denver's, the Jets controlled their own destiny:  Win your last two and you are in.  The Colts laid down last night.  Cincy will do the same this week.

I have a REAL issue with a team basically cake walking into the playoffs while others (Denver, Houston, Baltimore, Pittsburgh) are fighting their asses off to get in.

I believe the fans in Indy deserved better last night.  I believe the fans in every city fighting for a playoff spot deserved better.  It's one thing to lay down in a meaningless game - another when the game has playoff implications.  If Cincy doesn't go balls to the wall and TRY next week my head might explode.

What a bunch of crap.

Excellent post Maine. It's complete garbage.

And the NFL wants to add 2 more games so we can see nonsense like this? Uh, no thanks. I'll pass.  Pre-season is what 3rd stringers are for.

[Dave Gray]

I think there's nothing you can do.  I believe the the Colts have "earned" the right to play however they want.  If their goal is to win the Super Bowl and not risk injury, I think that it's within their right.  If I were the coach, I would play for 16-0.

If Indy had had 1 loss going into that game, would there still be as much disappointment around the league.

Luck will, at some point, play into it.

I think dolphins4life is right.  If you want to get into the playoffs, win your games; don't depend on other teams to lose.

[prthd1958]

I don't think Cinci will lay down.  Here's why...

Assuming the Patriots beat Houston, the Bengals need to win to maintain their #3 seed.  This way if the Bengals end up playing the Patriots in the championship game, it'll be in Cincinnati, not in New England, and we know that the Patriots are a different team on the road.

I think if you look at the playoff standings the Pats were listed ahead of the Bengals (as of yesterday anyway) due to strength of schedule. If the Pats win Sunday I do believe they will be the 3 seed. Since the Jags had a better record than KC I don't tink anything has changed.

But then again maybe I am wrong.

[MaineDolFan]

First:

Sour grapes.

If someone asked you at the start of the season who you'd rather have on your schedule in WK17: PIT or IND, who would you have picked?

How is this sour grapes?  The fact of the matter is that Indy laid down.  Plain and simple.  People didn't pay to see a god damned pre season game last night.  They paid to see the starters. 

Secondly, if a team gets two bullshit wins over cake walk / lay down teams and makes the playoffs over a team that busted it's ass all season but had a couple hard luck losses, how is that fair (or "sour grapes")? 

A better question to ask is, how can the Dolphins prevent this?

Answer:  By winning their own games and taking care of business

How the hell does any of this have to do with Miami?  They sealed their own fate with losses to the Bills,Titans and Texans.  I'm talking about integrity of the league and the game.  Could care less about how this relates to Miami because, frankly, it doesn't.

[bsmooth]

Just curious, bu exactly how many teams lost star players by not sitting them prior to the playofs, and therefore ruined the teams chances at SB glory??
If it is not many, then this whole "what if" scenario is bs.

[SportsChick]

Pats are currently locked into the #3. If they win and Cincy wins, the Pats keep the #3

[Brian Fein]

Pats are currently locked into the #3. If they win and Cincy wins, the Pats keep the #3

Not according to NFL.com...

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I am sick of teams benching their players in "meaningless" games.  It doesn't seem fair that the Patriots and Dolphins got losses from the Colts, while the Jets and Bills get freebie wins.  Of course it doesn't matter for the Bills, but the Jets are in the playoff race, and this should not be allowed.

How can the commish prevent this?

You mean like the Jets not giving it their all week 17 last year, because they would rather have the Fins win the AFCE than the Patriots. 

[Spider-Dan]

How is this sour grapes?  The fact of the matter is that Indy laid down.  Plain and simple.  People didn't pay to see a god damned pre season game last night.  They paid to see the starters. 

Secondly, if a team gets two bullshit wins over cake walk / lay down teams and makes the playoffs over a team that busted it's ass all season but had a couple hard luck losses, how is that fair (or "sour grapes")?

Because if it was MIA in that position, no one would be complaining.  When the schedule was released, people on this board were happy that we were playing PIT in WK17, because it was believed that the defending champs would have already sewn up their playoff spot and have nothing to play for.