As we turn the corner into the post-Thanksgiving portion of our schedule, we'll see some playoff jockeying going on and teams gearing up for a fight down the stretch. November will be torn off the calendar, leaving one lonely sheet containing the final few weeks of the season, and these contests have never meant more. We've had a lot of fun and watched a lot of Jeff George concussions, but now it's time to see who passes the test and makes it into those exclusive 6 spots per conference. Some of our teams have sat back on their heels like Mark Rypien preparing a pass, and now it's time for them to kick it into gear if they want to keep up in the race. Let's take a look at some of the meaningful match-ups occurring in the first of our final weekends.
The AFC West is really the only division with a clinching scenario this weekend, which is the only reason we're highlighting the Seattle versus Denver contest. With a win, the Broncos can hold off the streamers in San Diego as they continue their quest to claw out of the muck after 5 wins in their last 7 games. Seattle surprised many with their wild card steal last year. That won't happen this time around, however their position of spoiler will have eyes in the AFC West on whether or not Stan Gelbaugh faces the right way when he lines up behind center.
Dallas and Washington play important divisional contests, both trying to keep up with the soaring Eagles in Philadelphia. Minnesota, suddenly feeling the salivating teeth of Mike Ditka at their heels, will need to play tough against the unpredictable Rams, while Buffalo goes for another important win at the expense of Indianapolis' 10th straight loss. The Jets look to bounce back from another lackluster performance on Monday Night Football, and as long as the 'Savior' Dave Krieg doesn't wake up at the bottom of the Missouri River they'll have a good chance at a much-needed victory. Detroit will follow up a strong Thanksgiving performance against a formidable foe in Houston, and New Orleans and Miami will wrap up our early schedule in a dogfight of divisional leaders. Bobby Hebert will hope to continue hanging with the big boys as he tries to out-throw Dan Marino, while each teams' running back coaches will take the day off to shuck crab shells in the Bayou.
Cleveland has struggled under the watchful eye of The Tecmo Bowl team of writers after flying under the radar and knocking off 5 straight wins. Since then, they've stumbled backwards, rolling off 3 losses and find themselves fighting off a rabid Bears team with a divisional title suddenly in their sights. Atlanta and San Francisco have taken a step back from New Orleans after weeks of imitating Cerberus in the NFC, and will have some late games to jump back into the bouncy castle of the Wild West.
The day ends in a pivotal AFC Central melee to whet the appetites of anyone looking for mustaches to get tangled as Neil O'Donnell tries to avoid the hungry Carl Zander to get his Steelers their 7th win in a row. The Bengals were the talk of the division last year, but after falling behind early on they'll need to slowly work their way back up a ladder that's had a few rungs slightly sawed in half by the fiery Barry Foster, who's heating up at the most dangerous time.
Monday night has San Diego returning to the stage after a short standby, with their game taking on exponentially more meaning should Denver lose Sunday. They'll take on the Raiders of Los Angeles, which may stand as their final hurdle in claiming the first divisional crown in our 1992 Tecmo Bowl season. As the Raiders await the return of their fearless leader, Jay Schroeder, from "injury" (see: Rogaine sponsorship tour), they'll perhaps be looking toward Todd Marinovich and hoping the side of the bed he wakes up on is the side his father isn't waiting for him with a wooden paddle. Stan Humphries has followed up his MVP performance in the NFC playoffs with an equally solid year, quietly bringing his Chargers into the fold of perhaps the top 3 teams in the league. They've proved it once on Monday Night Football, and this week they can prove it even more with a trophy presentation under the hot bulbs of TheTecmoBowl.com's fancy set design.
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AFC
NFC
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