Pete Rozelle is smiling somewhere

More than 50 years ago NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle said his goal was parity throughout the league. He even joked about a season when every team played .500 ball.

He never saw that dream come true, but he set in motion the wheels that helped most teams become ultra-competitive.

That’s the case this season more than ever. With only three games remaining in the 17-game season, just four teams have clinched playoff spots (49ers, Eagles, Cowboys, and Ravens) and only four have been eliminated (Jets, Titans, Patriots, and Washington). That means 24 teams still have a chance. I don’t make any assumptions, knowing any team can get hot and any team can crash.

Miami and Kansas City are a breath away from qualifying. The Browns are on the threshold.

No division is more undecided than the AFC South thanks to the Jaguars’ current slump. The NFC South is the bottom feeder, with no teams above .500.

Pete Rozelle is smiling somewhere.