If the oddsmakers are correct, Denver will likely pick #1

[MHS831]

Cincinnati's best chance for a win comes this weekend vs. SD. They will play in the elements vs. a warm-weather team. However, I don't see any more wins in them. At the moment, the Panthers have a slight edge in the Strength of Schedule tie breaker.

Denver wins the tie breaker.

First, we have to win one game. It probably will not be Pittsburgh. What would happen to help us beat Atlanta? Atlanta beats New Orleans Monday night. If that happens, and the Broncos lose to Houston, I would think that Denver is the new favorite to get the first pick.

Lets say that New Orleans loses to Atlanta and Denver beats Houston. Parade time? Not yet. Cincinnati loses to San Diego and we enter the final week vs. Atlanta's scrubs and Cincinnati travels to Baltimore. Since Baltimore split with Pittsburgh and both teams are 10-4, it is unlikely that Baltimore rests. Meanwhile, Atlanta would have home field advantage throughout the playoffs wrapped up. They will play scrubs vs. the Panthers.

According to the oddsmakers, Atlanta should beat New Orleans and Carolina, Denver and Cincinnati should lose this weekend. The odds would then favor Denver, who play San Diego in the final week of the season. San Diego may be eliminated from wild card contention by then; it looks like the wildcard teams are going to be Pittsburgh/Baltimore and NY Jets. However, that gives them no reason to rest the starters. I would think that Carolina would be favored vs. Atlanta if they bench Ryan and Turner on offense, and a few players on D. Furthermore, Atlanta would rest for the playoffs and keep Luck out of the NFC South. Win Win.

In other words, we need either NO to beat Atlanta or Denver to beat Houston this weekend (assuming we lose to Pittsburgh). Even if Cincy loses out and we beat Atlanta, we still have a chance to win a tie breaker. Denver is the biggest threat right now, and barring upsets, they will pick first.

If I am Richardson, I tell Fox to play people like Armanti Edwards, reserve linemen, Pike, Norwood, Pugh, etc. to see what they can do. I tell him to treat it like a preseason game.

If we still end up with the second pick, Denver will have a great trade set up. We would have to give Denver next year's first rounder and maybe our third rounder to move up 1 spot. Would you do it? I would. Now that shows me how important it is that we lose.

[Lumps]

Would Denver even take a QB? I mean they already chose Jesus Christ himself in the first round of last year, can't get much better.

Denver beating Houston (whose defense is non existent) winning is possible.

NO winning over ATL is very possible.

CAR beating the steelers is impossible.

CAR beating Falcons is highly unlikely.

Sorry but so far I think the odds are still in our favor.

I think all teams will lose the rest of all their games. We are still good then right?

[Ricky Spanish]

Would Denver even take a QB? I mean they already chose Jesus Christ himself in the first round of last year, can't get much better.

no they will try and trade down. it makes a lot of sense for them to do that.

[mav1234]

they'd probably trade the pick to someone who would take Luck if they didn't want Luck.

denver still has a shot at a win this weekend though. Houston hasn't been playing all that great lately...

[Lumps]

yea I guess there is pretty much no possibility Luck will be #2.

Hurney don't f**k this up.

Maybe we should play our 'scrubs'...what a sight that would be.

[car5nc]

Saints need to beat Atlanta. Everything else won't matter. I do agree Denver won't take a QB - Their "D" is a big mess...

[Stroupe-a-loop]

Hello AJ Green.

[pantherfan81]

Don't jinx it.

[CharlotteBeer.com]

Maybe we should play our 'scrubs'...what a sight that would be.

You mean we're not already?

[Davidson Deac II]

I don't see the oddsmakers picking us to win in Atlanta even if they are resting their starters. That doesn't mean we couldn't win, but I don't see them picking it. If thats the case, then they wouldn't be correct would they?

[rayzor]

the last couple years the broncos have been trading for picks quite a bit under the delusion that it will make them better.

how many picks did they get for cutler? how many times did they trade down in the draft last year? what's their record now?

all of that was under mckid who was for some dumb reason given a lot of power so i don't know what they are going to want to do this year. i just know that he and the broncos as well as many other teams that aren't the pats proved that it rarely if ever proves to benefit the team by passing up on talent for picks.

[tondi]

I would expect Atlanta to play its starters for at least a significant portion of the game even if they have the bye week locked up. They don't want to give their starters what would be, in effect, two consecutive weeks off going into their first playoff game. Especially, as well as they have been playing. I can see them blowing us out with the starters and then putting it in cruise control with their scrubs and still beating us convincingly.

[Stroupe-a-loop]

Don't jinx it.

I thought a jinx would be saying "We got him. 100 percent certain. Book it."

[CatMan72]

Don't forget that Denver will be looking for a coach after this season and Bowlen likes to hire offense-minded HC's so if they are in line for the # 1 overall pick and Luck declares that might be enough for them to lure Harbaugh away from Stanford and he would most certainly select Luck with the 1st pick...

I really hope NO beats ATL on Monday night... if that happens I think we've got a lock on the # 1 pick.