NFL Picks Week 17: 3 Road Teams That Will Finish Year on High Note

The Pittsburgh Steelers and these teams have played just as great on the road as they have at home. This year, they have gone out on the road and have dominated teams on just they did at home. This week they will do it again to end their season on a high note. 

Pittsburgh at Cleveland

The Steelers travel to Cleveland to play the last-place Browns. The Steelers dominated the Browns three weeks ago in Pittsburgh, holding them to only three points. 

With the Browns still without their starting quarterback, Colt McCoy, it puts the Browns at a disadvantage at trying to score on the Steelers defense. 

Where The Steelers Will Dominate

In their Week 14 game, the Steelers dominated the offensive line rushing for 147 yards on 28 rushing attempts. Pittsburgh’s Rashard Mendenhall led the way with 18 carries for 76 yards, with an 4.2-yard-per-carry average. 

The Browns have one of the worst rushing defenses in the NFL, ranking 30th out of 32 teams. They have given up 146 yards per game and will get pushed around for a second time to the Steelers. 

Pittsburgh's chances at winning: 95 percent

San Francisco at St. Louis

The 49ers will be looking to lock up the No. 2 seed in the NFC. They can secure the first-round bye with a win over the 2-13 Rams. 

When the 49ers hosted the Rams back in Week 13, they shut them out 26-0. The 49ers got a big performance from their rushing game, gaining 144 yards on 34 carries. 

Where The 49ers Will Dominate

Not only did the 49ers control the line of scrimmage and the time of possession, but they were near perfect in the passing game. 

Alex Smith unleashed almost a perfect game. completing 17 of 23 passes for 274 yards with two touchdowns and a QB passer rating of 142.3. Smith will have another huge game this week against a terrible Rams defense. 

San Francisco’s chances at winning: 90 percent

Seattle at Arizona

The Seahawks have played some of their best football over the last several weeks of the season. They have won five of those seven games behind a punishing rushing attack led by Marshawn Lynch. 

In their first meeting, the Seahawks squeaked out a 13-10 win. That game saw Lynch only rush for 73 yards and fail to get into the end zone. However, since their Week 3 contest, Lynch has gone off for 12 touchdowns and six games in which he rushed for over 100 yards.

Where the Seahawks Will Dominate

The Seahawks will have to use Lynch a lot if they want to finish their season with a win. 

Lynch is coming off of a game where he ran all over the No. 1 rushing defense, the San Francisco 49ers, for 107 yards and a touchdown. 

Seattle’s chances at winning: 75 percent

These three teams all have rushing games that will lead them to a victory in their last game of the season. Two of them will head into the playoffs on a high note, while the Seahawks will have a lot to build on heading into the 2012 season. 

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