Former NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle is somewhere in the afterlife giggling himself silly this weekend. What he advocated decades ago in the NFL continues to be true today. I have to think it's better than he ever imagined.
Rozelle's vision of the NFL was parity. Each team, no matter the city, no matter the stadium, no matter the ownership could compete for a championship. A shared TV deal would provide all teams with an equal chance. So would the college draft, allowing the worst teams to pick first.
According to the NFL figures, 17 teams are in contention for a trip to the Super Bowl with one Sunday of football left to play. The Bengals and Jets are two of those teams. They'll battle Sunday night in the final game at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.
According to the NFL figures, a lot of teams in 2009 still have a chance, but it's not an all-time high. In 2006, 20 teams still had playoff aspirations entering the final weekend of the season. In 2002, it was 19 teams. There was 18 teams still alive in the 2008 and 1995 seasons.
There are a total of 12 games Sunday that could have playoff implications. Three games are very important to the Bengals. The Patriots play at Houston. A Texans victory can affect the Bengals seeding in the playoffs.
The Ravens play at Oakland. A Baltimore win means the Ravens are in. And then comes the Bengals game at New York. The Jets earn a playoff spot with a win.
The Bengals could see either the Ravens or the Jets in week one of the playoffs in Cincinnati.
It's no wonder why the NFL has enticed so many. While baseball seasons can be over by August, football seasons go to the very final weekend. To the very final game.
