NFL Standings, Week 11

But first, a few thoughts on the ending to Monday Night's game. 

First off, if you didn't see it, here are a couple of looks at the play: 





- This is not a call you can expect to get at the end of the game. Whether that should be true or not is a completely different discussion, but as last year's Super Bowl showed us, the officials do not want to make a judgment call like this at this time of the game if they can help it. 

- In addition, a better pass by Tom Brady or more fight back to the ball from Gronk and this penalty likely gets called. 

- That being said, in the environment I described above, the official with the best perspective threw the flag and thus made a call. At that point you need an air-tight reason to pick up the flag, and I don't believe you have such evidence to do so. 

- Many have been saying, "Well if you don't want to call pass interference there call defensive holding or illegal contact." Not an option. Both of those are only penalties while the quarterback still has the ball in his hands. In this case, the ball was in the air when contact occurred, so it was pass interference or nothing. 

- In the end, the officials were looking for an out to not make what they felt would be a game-deciding call. The interception gave them that out, and they determined (incorrectly, based on replays) that the contact didn't happen until the ball was intercepted, giving them that out. Had the official not thrown the flag in the first place, the controversy would be 10% of what it is, as like I said above, it's not a call you can count on at that time of the game. 

- Finally, to not provide an on-field explanation for picking up the flag was a horrendous decision on the part of referee Clete Blakeman. The public watching the game deserved an explanation of what happened there. 

Here are the NFL Standings through week 11:

AFC
AFC EAST
Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference	Division	SOV	SOS
New England Patriots	7	3	0	0.700	4-2	3-1	0.423	0.480
New York Jets	5	5	0	0.500	2-5	2-2	0.451	0.476
Miami Dolphins	5	5	0	0.500	4-3	0-2	0.471	0.480
Buffalo Bills	4	7	0	0.364	3-6	2-2	0.525	0.586
AFC NORTH
Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference	Division	SOV	SOS
Cincinnati Bengals	7	4	0	0.636	5-3	2-2	0.493	0.486
Pittsburgh Steelers	4	6	0	0.400	3-4	1-1	0.463	0.480
Baltimore Ravens	4	6	0	0.400	4-4	2-2	0.439	0.490
Cleveland Browns	4	6	0	0.400	3-4	2-2	0.405	0.515
AFC SOUTH
Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference	Division	SOV	SOS
Indianapolis Colts	7	3	0	0.700	5-2	3-0	0.507	0.485
Tennessee Titans	4	6	0	0.400	3-4	0-3	0.425	0.515
Houston Texans	2	8	0	0.200	2-4	1-1	0.400	0.574
Jacksonville Jaguars	1	9	0	0.100	1-5	1-1	0.400	0.624
AFC WEST
Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference	Division	SOV	SOS
Denver Broncos	9	1	0	0.900	5-1	3-0	0.440	0.465
Kansas City Chiefs	9	1	0	0.900	6-1	1-1	0.370	0.422
Oakland Raiders	4	6	0	0.400	4-3	1-2	0.275	0.485
San Diego Chargers	4	6	0	0.400	2-5	0-2	0.463	0.455
x-clinched playoff spot, y-clinched division title, z-clinched first round bye, c-clinched conference title

NFC
NFC EAST
Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference	Division	SOV	SOS
Philadelphia Eagles	6	5	0	0.545	5-2	3-2	0.350	0.473
Dallas Cowboys	5	5	0	0.500	5-2	3-0	0.373	0.545
New York Giants	4	6	0	0.400	3-4	1-2	0.415	0.578
Washington Redskins	3	7	0	0.300	1-6	0-3	0.467	0.520
NFC NORTH
Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference	Division	SOV	SOS
Detroit Lions	6	4	0	0.600	5-2	3-1	0.433	0.475
Chicago Bears	6	4	0	0.600	3-4	2-2	0.426	0.485
Green Bay Packers	5	5	0	0.500	3-4	2-1	0.380	0.471
Minnesota Vikings	2	8	0	0.200	1-7	0-3	0.350	0.535
NFC SOUTH
Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference	Division	SOV	SOS
New Orleans Saints	8	2	0	0.800	6-0	2-0	0.444	0.475
Carolina Panthers	7	3	0	0.700	6-2	2-0	0.386	0.461
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	2	8	0	0.200	1-6	1-3	0.350	0.569
Atlanta Falcons	2	8	0	0.200	2-5	1-3	0.300	0.554
NFC WEST
Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference	Division	SOV	SOS
Seattle Seahawks	10	1	0	0.909	7-0	3-0	0.360	0.391
San Francisco 49ers	6	4	0	0.600	3-3	2-1	0.367	0.535
Arizona Cardinals	6	4	0	0.600	4-4	0-3	0.333	0.475
St. Louis Rams	4	6	0	0.400	1-5	1-2	0.400	0.495
x-clinched playoff spot, y-clinched division title, z-clinched first round bye, c-clinched conference title

Here is the playoff picture if the season ended today:

AFC
CURRENT PLAYOFF PICTURE
Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference	Division	SOV	SOS
Denver Broncos	9	1	0	0.900	5-1	3-0	0.440	0.465
Indianapolis Colts	7	3	0	0.700	5-2	3-0	0.507	0.485
New England Patriots	7	3	0	0.700	4-2	3-1	0.423	0.480
Cincinnati Bengals	7	4	0	0.636	5-3	2-2	0.493	0.486
Kansas City Chiefs	9	1	0	0.900	6-1	1-1	0.370	0.422
New York Jets	5	5	0	0.500	2-5	2-2	0.451	0.476
Miami Dolphins	5	5	0	0.500	4-3	0-2	0.471	0.480

NFC
CURRENT PLAYOFF PICTURE
Team	W	L	T	Pct	Conference	Division	SOV	SOS
Seattle Seahawks	10	1	0	0.909	7-0	3-0	0.360	0.391
New Orleans Saints	8	2	0	0.800	6-0	2-0	0.444	0.475
Detroit Lions	6	4	0	0.600	5-2	3-1	0.433	0.475
Philadelphia Eagles	6	5	0	0.545	5-2	3-2	0.350	0.473
Carolina Panthers	7	3	0	0.700	6-2	2-0	0.386	0.461
San Francisco 49ers	6	4	0	0.600	3-3	2-1	0.367	0.535
Arizona Cardinals	6	4	0	0.600	4-4	0-3	0.333	0.475
Chicago Bears	6	4	0	0.600	3-4	2-2	0.426	0.485

Interesting Notes:

• 13 out of 16 AFC teams currently sit either in a playoff position or within one game of playoff position. 

A Quick Look Ahead to Week 11:
Denver at New England (Sunday 8:30 PM) -
Kansas City at Denver (Sunday 8:30 PM) - 

New England at Carolina (Monday 8:30 PM) -