It’s Week 17 and the AFC East, AFC West, NFC North, and NFC South are all still up for grabs.
To some teams (Patriots, Jets, Dolphins, Ravens, Chargers, Broncos, Cowboys, Buccaneers, and Eagles) the playoffs start a week early. Winning doesn’t necessarily get them in, but losing definitely knocks them out.
Should make for a fantastic final weekend of what has been an unpredictable and exciting NFL season.
KC @ CIN
The NFL should do what the NCAA does when two teams who have no chance of winning anything meet in the last week of December: make it a bowl game!
The Chiefs and Bengals play a meaningless regular season game in week 17 and nobody cares. If they were to play in the Chevrolet Incompetent Management Bowl, then we’d care. OK, not us. But someone would care.
Probably the same person who cares about the EagleBank Bowl.
The Bengals are the Detroit Lions of the AFC. And the Chiefs are talking about bringing Herm Edwards back next season.
It doesn’t get any more incompetent than that!
NYG @ MIN
The Giants are in a position similar to what they were in last season when they faced the undefeated Patriots in Week 17. Their playoff spot is set. A win doesn’t help, a loss doesn’t hurt.
Last season, they played their starters, played well, and it propelled them to the Super Bowl. Will they do the same this season?
The Vikings, on the other hand, have plenty to play for. Or plenty for which they have left to play. Stupid hanging prepositions.
If the Vikings win, they win the NFC North. If they lose, they need help just making the playoffs. If they lose and the Bears win, the Bears win the NFC North and the Vikings would need both Dallas and Tampa Bay to lose just to get the sixth seed.
The Giants learned a valuable lesson last season: You play every game on the schedule. The only team that can turn it on and off week to week is the San Diego Chargers, and for them it’s not exactly voluntary.
The Giants will play to win the game. And they’ll win the game.
DET @ GB
Detroit is one game away from making history. I remember the Patriots last year, going into week 17 just one game away from making history. It begins to weigh on a team. The Patriots nearly lost to the Giants. The pressure was amazing.
The Lions need to make sure they treat this like any other week. They need the same terrible game plans, the same awful players, and the same ridiculous play calling.
One game away from history. Now’s not the time to stop screwing it up.
CLE @ PIT
Normally, I advocate doing what the Giants did last year and not resting starters. The Steelers are a special case. Ben Roethlisberger is beat up. The Steelers need him healthy. I’d get him out of this game as quickly as is humanly possible.
I mean, seriously. They could field a practice squad quarterback and still beat the Browns, who coincidentally ARE fielding a practice squad quarterback.
NE @ BUF
The Patriots need to beat Buffalo, then hope from some help from either the Jets or the Jaguars. The problem in New England is that nobody seems to be talking about the first part.
While everyone’s wasting time worrying about how they’re going to bring themselves to root for the Jets, nobody’s wasting any time worrying about the Buffalo Bills.
Maybe they shouldn't be worried about the Bills. Then again, the Patriots’ defense has made worse offenses than Buffalo look pretty good this season. No game is a lock.
I think the Patriots will win, but it’s not going to be as easy as people seem to think it will be.
TEN @ IND
The Titans have absolutely nothing to play for. The Colts have absolutely nothing to play for. Given Dungy’s history of resting players in meaningless games, I’m not sure this is going to be the game you would hope to get out of these two teams.
OAK @ TB
It’s really simple for the Buccaneers. They need to beat the Raiders (forgone conclusion), then hope Dallas loses to the Eagles. There are other, more complicated ways for them to get into the playoffs that include ties, the Bears, and the Vikings, but that’s way too confusing, so I’m going to assume it won’t happen.
CHI @ HOU
Houston was just recently humiliated by the Oakland Raiders. If there were any justice in the world, that would be enough to get Gary Kubiak and his staff banished to Detroit.
Chicago needs the Giants to take care of business against the Vikings. If that happens, they’ll win the NFC North with a victory over the Texans. If the Vikings win, they’ll need both Dallas and Tampa Bay to lose.
Since Tampa’s playing Oakland (see my earlier comments), the Bears' only real hope for getting into the playoffs is a Vikings loss.
You have to try it out — the best San Diego Chargers articles and videos from around the web delivered straight to you.
10 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete