How Colts could cause wild NFL Week 18 playoff scenario for Chargers and Raiders
The outcome of the Indianapolis Colts game could cause one of the oddest playoff scenarios ever.
On Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts play the Jacksonville Jaguars in the final week of the regular season. With a win, the Colts clinch a spot in the playoffs and that’s obviously the goal.
However, if Indianapolis loses, it opens the door to the possibility of one of the most bizarre playoff-clinching scenarios ever.
The Las Vegas Raiders and the Los Angeles Chargers will also be playing on Sunday for a spot in the playoffs. They play each other in the last regular-season game of the year on Sunday Night Football.
That means that both teams will know the result of the Jaguars and Colts game. That’s important because if Jacksonville can somehow do the unthinkable and upset Indianapolis, it will win anyone brave enough to bet on the Jaguars a lot of money, and it also clears the path for both the Raiders and Chargers to make the playoffs with a tie.
Ultimately meaning, they can agree to just kneel out the clock and end the game 0-0, knowing both teams will be playing at least one more game.
"How do we know they will?"
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 5, 2022
On @GMFB, a look at what happens if the #Jaguars win and the #Chargers and #Raiders can get into the playoffs by consecutive kneeling and tying 0-0. pic.twitter.com/V6hyEeJBqy
Raiders and Chargers could call a truce if Colts lose
This would mean Indianapolis doesn’t make the playoffs, so obviously it’s best for Indy if it doesn’t come to this and the Colts just win on Sunday. However, it’s still pretty wild to imagine.
Two division rivals in a primetime matchup for the last game of the season with major playoff implications, and they just decide to continuously kneel until the clock expires. That would be one of the rarest things NFL fans would witness.
As crazy as it would be, it’s extremely unlikely that it will happen. For starters, Indianapolis should defeat the Jaguars handily. In the event the Colts somehow lay an egg, the Raiders and Chargers wouldn’t agree to coast into the playoffs in that manner. Los Angeles’ head coach, Brandon Staley, has already made that clear.
With all the Twitter talk about #BoltUp + #RaiderNation tying on @SNFonNBC to both make the #NFLPlayoffs, we HAD to run it by Chargers head coach Brandon Staley — it went about how we thought:#NFL#MBVans pic.twitter.com/58H4KPk7R9
— Rich Eisen Show (@RichEisenShow) January 4, 2022
Unless Staley is keeping his cards close to his chest, this assures that viewers won’t be seeing this play out. Staley also probably feels that it won’t even come to this.
Indianapolis will go on the road and get a victory to clinch a playoff spot and the Raiders and Chargers will have to fight it out for the final playoff spot.
