Ranking the 10 Best NFL Games of Week 17
The final week of the 2016 NFL regular season has arrived. While the majority of postseason slots have already been filled, there will still be plenty of meaningful action in the week ahead.
All 32 teams will play on Sunday. The last game of the day—and of the regular season—will pit the Green Bay Packers against the Detroit Lions for the NFC North title. Depending on what the Washington Redskins do earlier in the day, the Lions and Packers could be playing for the division crown and for the only remaining spot in the playoffs.
Which side are you on? Tell us in the comments section, and be sure to tell us where you stand on all of the games for Week 17. Not every game is going to have significant playoff implications this week, but we should still have plenty of exciting contests.
We'll be counting down our picks for the 10 best games of the week here.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars at Indianapolis Colts
1 of 10
Sunday's game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Indianapolis Colts might not mean anything in relation to the playoff race, but it should be interesting nonetheless.
The Jaguars fired head coach Gus Bradley two weeks ago and then turned around and won 38-17 over the Tennessee Titans. Under interim head coach Doug Marrone, the Jaguars looked like the breakthrough team many expected them to be this season.
Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles, meanwhile, had one of his best games of the year, a 325-yard outing.
"It was probably, to date, his best game of the season," Marrone said, per Mike Kaye of WTLV. "I was very happy with the accuracy, especially. Overall, he was 68.4 completion percentage, which was the highest of the season. I think more importantly, how good we were able to execute the deep ball."
It will be worth watching to see if the Jaguars can pick up their second consecutive win without Bradley at the helm. Not only might this give us a glimpse of what the Jaguars can be next season, but it could also make the job a bit more attractive for coaching candidates this offseason.
9. Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans
2 of 10
Had the Titans managed to fend off the Jaguars last week, this week's game between Tennessee and the Houston Texans would decide the race in the AFC South. However, the Titans lost that game and also lost starting quarterback Marcus Mariota to a fractured fibula.
Still, there are a couple of reasons why this game should be both fun and interesting.
While the Titans will now rely on Matt Cassel at quarterback, the team still brings a strong offense into the game. The rushing attack, led by DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry, should be the same.
Additionally, the Titans should be fighting hard to knock off the Texans and prove they are good enough to be the top team in the division.
The game will also give us one final look at Houston quarterback Tom Savage before the start of the postseason.
Savage led the Texans to a comeback victory over the Jaguars in relief of Brock Osweiler two weeks ago and got his first start against the Cincinnati Bengals last week. Though Savage got the victory over Cincinnati, he wasn't particularly impressive—finishing with just 176 yards and no touchdowns.
This game will provide the Texans with a chance to further acclimate Savage to the offense and the role of starter.
8. Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3 of 10
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have an incredibly slim chance of reaching the postseason. In fact, they would essentially need specific outcomes from more than a third of Sunday's games.
The Buccaneers can, however, secure a winning season by beating the Carolina Panthers. For a team that was the worst in the league a couple of seasons ago, this would be a huge step and a worthy way to finish the season.
Don't expect the Panthers to just mail it in, though. They'll be looking to finish their disappointing season on a high note as well. Carolina can finish with a 7-9 record one year after going 15-1 in the regular season.
The Panthers have to be hungry for one more taste of victory before the offseason.
All of this should make for a spirited edition of the NFC South rivalry and an enjoyable game to watch.
7. Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
4 of 10
Sunday's game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles should be fun, regardless of whether it has playoff relevance (it doesn't).
This is a rivalry game, after all, and one that both teams should be geared up to win. In fact, the Cowboys seem intent on treating this as a meaningful game, even though they are locked in to the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
According to David Helman of the Cowboys' official website, head coach Jason Garrett plans for "everyone who's healthy to practice and prepare to play."
This suggests that, at least for the start of the game, healthy starters will be on the field to face the Eagles.
It will be interesting to see how long Garrett keeps his starters in the game, though. After watching Mariota and Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr each suffer a broken leg in Week 16, he might not want to keep them in long.
Still, this game should give us some insight into what kind of intensity the Cowboys are bringing into the postseason. If they play to beat their rivals in a game that means nothing, maybe they'll be able to keep that intensity through next week's bye.
6. Kansas City Chiefs at San Diego Chargers
5 of 10
The Kansas City Chiefs have already secured a playoff berth. The San Diego Chargers don't have a shot at getting into the postseason. But the rivalry game between these two on Sunday should be plenty exciting.
It will also carry some playoff implications.
If the Chiefs manage to knock off the Chargers, they'll have a shot at winning the AFC West. They'll also need the Raiders to lose to the Denver Broncos in order to win the division, but there's a chance of it happening.
If it does, the Chiefs and Raiders would both finish at 12-4. Since the Chiefs have already beaten the Raiders twice this season, they would win the head-to-head tiebreaker and the division crown.
San Diego isn't just going to play the role of pushover, though. The Chargers will be trying to play the spoiler role, and their improving defense—which is rated seventh overall by Pro Football Focus—should provide a formidable challenge.
If the Chiefs lose here, they could potentially fall to the No. 6 seed in the conference.
5. New York Giants at Washington Redskins
6 of 10
Unless the Lions-Packers tilt ends in a tie, the Washington Redskins can claim a playoff spot with a win over the New York Giants on Sunday.
The Giants, on the other hand, have little to play for—except for keeping Washington out of the postseason. Seeing as how the Redskins have already beaten the Giants once this season, New York might just want to try ensuring the two teams don't have to meet for a third time.
If the Redskins lose, the loser of the Packers and Lions game can potentially sneak into the playoffs as a wild-card team.
In addition to the playoff implications here, this should be a fun game because of the matchup. We'll be getting a Redskins offense that is rated sixth by Pro Football Focus against a Giants defense that is rated fifth.
A lot will likely depend on whether the Giants choose to rest their star players for any significant portion of the game.
4. New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons
7 of 10
While the Redskins and Giants game will feature a classic offense vs. defense matchup, the game between the New Orleans Saints and the Atlanta Falcons could become an offensive shootout.
Atlanta is rated first in overall offense by Pro Football Focus. The Saints are rated eighth. In terms of total yardage, the Saints rank first with an average of 422.9 per game. The Falcons are right behind with an average of 412.5 per game.
Neither defense has been great throughout the year. Pro Football Focus rates Atlanta 19th and New Orleans 26th in overall defense for the season.
Expect quarterbacks Matt Ryan and Drew Brees to trade blows throughout the contest.
If the 10-5 Falcons manage to win here, they'll take home the No. 2 seed in the NFC and a first-round bye. If the Saints win, however, the 9-5-1 Seattle Seahawks will have an opportunity to steal away that bye.
Seattle would only need to win against the lowly San Francisco 49ers to take the No. 2 seed if the Falcons lose. So you might say that Atlanta has a lot to play for in this one.
3. Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos
8 of 10
With Derek Carr sidelined, the Raiders are now forced to lean on backup quarterback Matt McGloin. The Penn State product hasn't started a game since the 2013 season and will face a stiff test this week on the road against the Denver Broncos.
While the Broncos have been eliminated from playoff contention, they still possess a defense that is rated second overall by Pro Football Focus. They'll also be carrying home-field advantage and looking for a significant slice of that sweet revenge.
The Raiders embarrassed the Broncos 30-20 in Oakland earlier this season. The Chiefs embarrassed Denver 33-10 last week. A win here would allow Denver to save a little face and spoil things for the Raiders.
If Oakland wins, it can potentially snag the top seed in the AFC. If it loses, though, it would lose the AFC West with a Chiefs victory.
This game features some of the most significant playoff implications of the week, and it will also represent Oakland's last chance to prepare McGloin for the looming postseason.
2. New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
9 of 10
The Patriots can lock up the No. 1 seed in the AFC by beating the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Even if this spot wasn't on the line, it feels like New England would be playing to win against its division rival.
"Last year we didn't finish strong," Patriots quarterback Tom Brady said, per the Boston Herald. "We need to keep playing well down the stretch. We've got eight days before we go out there, but I expect to go out there and try to be at my best."
The Dolphins, meanwhile, will be looking to knock off the Patriots for a couple of reasons.
For one, it would give Miami a confidence boost. Going into the postseason knowing you can beat the perceived best team in your conference would be a boon to any squad.
Secondly, the Dolphins still have a shot to move from the AFC's No. 6 seed to the fifth seed. If the Chiefs lose on Sunday, Miami can claim the top wild-card spot. This would leave the Dolphins traveling to face the Texans, the winner of arguably the weakest division in the conference.
Expect the intensity here to be as high as any game of the week.
1. Green Bay Packers at Detroit Lions
10 of 10
A little more than a month ago, the Packers appeared to be dead in the proverbial water. They sat at 4-6, while the 6-4 Lions appeared to have a strong lead in the NFC North. The Packers surged ahead, though, winning their last five games and drawing even with the Lions at 9-6.
Now, the two teams will face off in a game that will decide the NFC North champion.
All the Packers need to do now is win or tie on Sunday to take the division. This is in part because Green Bay has already beaten the Lions once this season. It's in part because the Lions have dropped their last two games.
One more win, though, can save the season for Detroit.
"We're disappointed," Lions receiver Golden Tate said, per Shawn Windsor of the Detroit Free Press, "but we can't waste any more time thinking about it. The most important game on our schedule is the Green Bay Packers. We're back home. We've got a good team. They have a good team. Start the battle."
The Lions have staged eight fourth-quarter comebacks this season. The Packers have battled back after many considered them done for the year. This final face-off should be an excellent one.
This is the proper way to close out a regular season.
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