NFL Picks Week 17: Sam Bradford and St. Louis Rams Will Clinch Playoff Spot
It's the final week of the regular season and we have just a few playoff spots left.
Motivation is the key in Week 17. The season is long and grueling, so who still has the will to win?
The St. Louis Rams and the Seattle Seahawks will play each other for the right to advance. The loser will go home.
Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers need a win and they're in. Otherwise, the door could be left open for the New York Giants or even the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The same situation applies for the Indianapolis Colts. If they win, they're in. But if they lose and the Jaguars win, Jacksonville would earn a playoff berth.
We're in store for lots of excitement in Week 17. Read on to see who will win each game.
Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons
1 of 16
John Fox will most likely be coaching his final game before he and the Panthers go their separate ways. While Carolina has already earned the No. 1 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Atlanta needs a win to secure the No. 1 seed on the NFC side of the playoffs.
After losing last week against the New Orleans Saints in a potential statement game, the Atlanta Falcons are going to take out their frustration on the Panthers.
The Falcons have too much talent to lose this game.
The Prediction: Atlanta Falcons
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns
2 of 16
Even though Aaron Smith and Troy Polamalu will be sidelined for the Steelers, the defense should still be able to pressure Colt McCoy into making some mistakes just like the Baltimore Ravens did in Week 16.
The key to this game is going to be the performance of Peyton Hillis. The Browns running back has struggled the last few weeks and would love to get it going again. But the Steelers won't make it easy.
Big Ben Roethlisberger finally appeared to have it all come together last week and would love to have that momentum carry over into this game and the playoffs afterwards.
The Prediction: Pittsburgh Steelers
Minnesota Vikings vs. Detroit Lions
3 of 16
The Lions are coming off of three straight wins for what seems like the first time in forever. Meanwhile, the Vikings just scored an upset win against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Did anyone anticipate seeing Joe Webb taking the field against Drew Stanton in this game when the season started?
Whichever young quarterback can play better will give his team a huge advantage. Stanton will have the advantage of throwing to Brandon Pettigrew and Calvin Johnson, though.
The Prediction: Detroit Lions
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Oakland Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs
4 of 16
Even though the Kansas City Chiefs are undefeated at home, they have nothing left to play for.
They can't earn a first-round bye and they've already locked up the AFC West, so they're guaranteed to play a Wild Card in the first round of the playoffs.
The Raiders on the other hand would love to finish 8-8 instead of with a losing record. They're also 5-0 in the division and you can bet they'll try to get to 6-0.
Expect Darren McFadden to run wild and for the Chiefs to rest players in the second half.
The Prediction: Oakland Raiders
Miami Dolphins vs. New England Patriots
5 of 16
After losing Wes Welker to injury last year in a meaningless Week 17 game, Bill Belichick is most likely going to rest many of his starters.
Miami may be better off if it rested Chad Henne, but the Dolphins don't have any other options at quarterback that are even the least bit appealing.
Whether or not New England rests its starters, they're the more talented team.
The Prediction: New England Patriots
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints
6 of 16
New Orleans needs a win and an Atlanta Falcons loss to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need to win, have the Green Bay Packers lose and have the New York Giants lose.
Drew Brees is too good to allow Tampa Bay to achieve that goal. Atlanta won't let them achieve theirs either.
The Prediction: New Orleans Saints
Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets
7 of 16
The Buffalo Bills have holes all over their lineup. The Jets don't but they've been playing like they do lately.
Rex Ryan is going to have to do a fantastic job of motivating his team to get out of its recent slump before the playoffs start.
Beating up on a defenseless Bills team that was held to just a field goal by a pedestrian New England Patriots defense could be a good way to get the swagger back.
The Prediction: New York Jets
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens
8 of 16
The Baltimore Ravens need a win and help to both win the AFC North and secure a first-round bye.
I don't know about the help, but they'll get the win because the Bengals aren't that good. Last week's performance by Carson Palmer was most assuredly a fluke.
Marvin Lewis will be coaching hard from the Cincinnati sideline and trying to secure a job for next year, but it will be in vain.
Baltimore has too much talent.
The Prediction: Baltimore Ravens
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Houston Texans
9 of 16
Jacksonville needs a win and some help from the Indianapolis Colts to sneak into the playoffs as the AFC South champion by virtue of a divisional record tiebreaker.
Without starting quarterback David Garrard, it's going to be difficult to put up points against Houston. WIthout Maurice Jones-Drew or with an injured MJD, it's going to be even harder.
Plus Arian Foster, Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson are going to be very difficult for a mediocre defense to stop.
The Prediction: Houston Texans
San Diego Chargers vs. Denver Broncos
10 of 16
The player to whom this game means the most is our favorite media darling. Tim Tebow will be playing his heart out once again to try to get his second win. He needs to continue to play well to keep his job.
San Diego has been eliminated from the playoffs, as has Denver, so this game is devoid of any playoff implications.
Denver is playing better football lately, though.
Prediction: Denver Broncos
Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers
11 of 16
The Packers need to win this game to secure a playoff spot. The Bears on the other hand have already safely secured a spot.
However, these teams don't like each other and Chicago would love nothing more than to end Green Bay's season.
Aaron Rodgers won't make that easy. After his recent Pro Bowl snub, expect him to take out some of his frustration on Brian Urlacher and the Bears defense.
The Prediction: Green Bay Packers
Tennessee Titans vs. Indianapolis Colts
12 of 16
Peyton Manning doesn't lose big games often and the Colts need to win this game to secure the AFC South Division title and a playoff berth.
Enough said.
The Prediction: Indianapolis Colts
Dallas Cowboys vs. Philadelphia Eagles
13 of 16
Michael Vick isn't completely healthy and there's a chance that Andy Reid could hold him out of the game to rest his star quarterback for the playoffs.
Even if Vick doesn't play, DeSean Jackson and LeSean McCoy have too many capital letters in their names to lose. No one on the Cowboys will be able to stop them.
And then there's Stephen McGee starting at quarterback for the Cowboys. Yeah, about that...
The Prediction: Philadelphia Eagles
Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers
14 of 16
The Arizona Cardinals have gone 1-6 on the road. San Francisco has been 4-3 at home.
We'll see if rookie quarterback John Skelton can continue to win over fans by getting the Cardinals win No. 2 on the road.
Alex Smith will be doing his best to avoid losing to Skelton.
This game is the winner for the "Don't Watch This Game or You'll Want To Gouge Your Eyes Out Award" of Week 17.
The Prediction: San Francisco 49ers
New York Giants vs. Washington Redskins
15 of 16
The New York Giants need to win this game and hope that the Green Bay Packers are defeated by the Chicago Bears.
Hakeem Nicks will be out with an a broken big toe and Eli Manning has struggled immensely lately. But Eli still has the Manning blood coursing through his veins (and arteries, but no one ever mentions those), so I think he'll come up big in the most important game of the season for the Giants.
I also can't see Washington stopping the Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs combination.
The Prediction: New York Giants
Seattle Seahawks vs. St. Louis Rams
16 of 16
If the St. Louis Rams win this game. They'll be 8-8 and win the NFC West.
If the Seattle Seahawks win this game, they'll be 7-9...and win the NFC West.
Obviously this game, which will be the final regular season game of the year, is important.
Steven Jackson and Sam Bradford inspire far more confidence than Marshawn Lynch and Charlie Whitehurst, so it's hard to pick against the Rams.
The Prediction: St. Louis Rams
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