NFL Picks Week 17: Full Predictions for League's Most Important Games

In most seasons, Week 17 is usually just a time for teams to rest their players before the playoffs. That is not the case this season as almost every game will affect the postseason in some way.

Four of the 12 playoff spots are still up for grabs on the final day of the season, with 10 teams battling for these positions. Meanwhile, only the Kansas City Chiefs are locked into their seed, which means that everyone will be competing for byes and home-field advantage.

This creates a number of games on Sunday where both teams will be fighting their hardest for a spot in the postseason and possibly more.

Here is a full look at the biggest matchups of the week along with predictions for every contest in Week 17.

Away	Home	Pick
Carolina Panthers	Atlanta Falcons	Panthers
Baltimore Ravens	Cincinnati Bengals	Bengals
Houston Texans	Tennessee Titans	Titans
Jacksonville Jaguars	Indianapolis Colts	Colts
New York Jets	Miami Dolphins	Dolphins
Detroit Lions	Minnesota Vikings	Vikings
Washington Redskins	New York Giants	Redskins
Cleveland Browns	Pittsburgh Steelers	Steelers
Green Bay Packers	Chicago Bears	Packers
Denver Broncos	Oakland Raiders	Broncos
Buffalo Bills	New England Patriots	Patriots
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	New Orleans Saints	Saints
Kansas City Chiefs	San Diego Chargers	Chargers
St. Louis Rams	Seattle Seahawks	Seahawks
San Francisco 49ers	Arizona Cardinals	Cardinals
Philadelphia Eagles	Dallas Cowboys	Eagles

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys

After it was originally reported that Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo would miss the game and the rest of the season with a back injury, he is still questionable for Sunday's game, according to Josh Katzowitz of CBS Sports.

Jason Witten was confident that his teammate would try his hardest to compete, according to Reuben Frank of CSN Philadelphia:

However, the reality is that it does not matter much who is starting at quarterback for Dallas. The difference in this game will be on the defensive side of the football.

The Cowboys have allowed the most yards in the NFL this season while struggling to defend either the run or the pass. Meanwhile, the Eagles have showcased a balanced attack on offense that should be able to pile up plenty of points in this game, especially after scoring 54 points against the Chicago Bears.

Dallas has enough playmakers on offense to get onto the scoreboard, but it will not be able to keep up with Philadelphia.

Prediction: Eagles 38, Cowboys 27

Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears

After missing two months with a broken collarbone, Aaron Rodgers will finally return to the field for the Packers, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports:

Scott Kacsmar of Football Outsiders provides a look at the all of the storylines involved in this matchup:

This should be bad for the Bears, who already rank 30th in the league in points allowed per game. If Rodgers comes back sharp, he should be able to move the ball efficiently against this poor-tackling unit.

On the other side of the ball, Chicago's offensive line has been a serious problem in recent weeks. In the last two games, Jay Cutler has been sacked seven times and suffered 13 quarterback hits. 

Green Bay has a strong enough pass rush to force Cutler into mistakes, and it will be enough for the Packers to leave with a road victory to make the playoffs.

Prediction: Packers 31, Bears 17

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals

The battle between the San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals has plenty of importance, but it could end up meaning nothing based on what the Seattle Seahawks and New Orleans Saints accomplish.

On the other hand, there will be a lot of teams in the AFC looking at this matchup to see how it turns out. A Ravens win or loss can decide the fates of the Miami Dolphins, San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers, while the Bengals can affect the seeds of the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts.

While both teams are expecting a strong effort, Baltimore running back Ray Rice had some motivating words for his squad, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN:

Unfortunately, Rice and the rest of the Ravens offense has been held in check recently with only one touchdown in the past two games. This will make it hard to keep up with Cincinnati considering the squad has scored more than 40 points in each of the last four home games.

The Bengals should move to 8-0 on the season while the Ravens lose out on a chance to reach the playoffs.

Prediction: Bengals 28, Ravens 20

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