NFL Picks Week 17: Green Bay Packers Make Playoffs, Predictions for Every Game
The Green Bay Packers might be one of the most eared offensive attacks in the NFL right now, but they have yet to clinch a postseason berth.
A Super Bowl favorite for many, the Packers now must win against the Chicago Bears in the final week of the season to slide into the playoffs.
With a win, they'd be in, and present a very difficult first round matchup for the Philadelphia Eagles.
How will the final week of the regular season impact the playoffs? It's time to find out.
Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons
1 of 16
Carolina looks completely inept on offense.
QB Jimmy Clausen is clearly not the answer to the quarterback woes that have plagued the Panthers for far too long, and Atlanta's defense has stepped up in a big way this season.
After a 27-3 shellacking at the hands of the Steelers last week, the Panthers will finish their season in the only way that they know how: with a blowout loss to the Falcons.
Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens
2 of 16
The Ravens need a win in the final week and a Steelers loss/tie to clinch a first-round bye, otherwise it's a date with the Colts in the first round.
However, that might not be as feared as it once had been given how the Indianapolis season has gone. Regardless, Peyton Manning is still a scary sight in the playoffs.
Therefore, it's likely that the Ravens will deploy a firm attack to ensure a victory.
And the way Carson Palmer's season has gone, it's almost a certainty that he'll throw the game away. There's little chance he can actually have back-to-back productive weeks.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns
3 of 16
The Steelers are in the postseason no matter what, but a win in Week 17 guarantees them the second seed and a critical first-round bye.
With Troy Polamalu on the mend and making his way back from a nagging Achilles injury, the black & yellow will seek to secure this one early so they have plenty of time to prepare for another Super Bowl run.
The Browns have really been struggling of late, and Peyton Hillis looks like he's beginning to slow down.
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Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions
4 of 16
Despite the fact that there are zero postseason implications in this matchup, it's going to be a very intriguing one to watch.
With both teams looking toward the future, each will be looking to leave a stamp in 2010 and put the rest of the league on notice heading into next year.
The Lions have really stepped up the play of late, and Ndomakung Suh looks like he's going to be a Pro Bowler for a very long time.
Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs
5 of 16
Todd Haley insists that he has no intention of resting his starters.
After a surprisingly successful beginning to the season, the Raiders have regressed back into the mediocrity that has plagued them for so long.
Still without a capable QB under center for the Raiders, the Chiefs should snag win number 11 of the year and secure the No. 3 seed.
Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots
6 of 16
There's no way for the Patriots to lose the number one seed in the AFC.
With the way that the Dolphins have played this season, the Pats shouldn't stumble in this one, either.
Tom Brady has thrown just four interceptions this season and it's unlikely that number five comes in Week 17. It's been a dream season for the Patriots and a nightmare one for Miami.
Dominant isn't an adequate enough adjective to describe New England's play right now.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints
7 of 16
The Buccaneers need a lot of help to get into the postseason.
The team needs to win against the Saints, pray for a Packers loss to Chicago and then hope that the Giants lose as well.
Unfortunately for them, it's not going to matter what the latter two teams do, because they're not going to get by Drew Brees and the surging Saints.
Buffalo Bills at New York Jets
8 of 16
Mark Brunell might play three plays, but he might play three quarters.
If the seasoned veteran winds up seeing significant action on Sunday, the Bills might just sneak one past the Jets and take home the season's largest consolation prize.
Having said that, there's just no way that Rex Ryan lets his team skate into the playoffs while continuing to take criticism from the press.
San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos
9 of 16
Perhaps this will finally be the week that the Chargers prove capable of actually winning a game.
But then again, maybe not.
Tim Tebow has looked impressive in the starting role and with neither team playing for anything, this could actually turn out to be a very entertaining tilt.
Philip Rivers has looked great this season, but that's just about the only thing that the Chargers have to brag about this year.
This one could go either way, but the Chargers should pull it out. But they should have won the division, too.
Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers
10 of 16
The introductory slide kind of gave this one away, so we're not going to spend much time here.
Look for the Packers to win and clinch a postseason berth. They remain one of the most dangerous teams in the league.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans
11 of 16
The Texans have been a massive disappointment this season.
On the other hand, the Jags have been a pleasant surprise.
Despite a valiant attempt to punch a ticket to the playoffs, Jacksonville is going to come up just short.
Starting Trent Edwards on Sunday isn't exactly the way to end a successful season, but then again, neither is a loss to the Texans—and that's what's likely to happen.
Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts
12 of 16
With the Colts needing a win to clinch the number three seed, there's no way that Peyton Manning doesn't make it happen.
The Titans have been a team in flux for most of the season, and even though this may be Jeff Fisher's final game at the helm, Mr. Manning is going to pull out all the stops to ensure victory.
Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
13 of 16
Kevin Kolb is starting.
The Philadelphia Eagles can't change their playoff seeding regardless of what happens.
With the team looking to rest the majority of its starters for the first round of the postseason, look for the Cowboys to finish a rather sad season on a very high note.
Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers
14 of 16
Honestly, could there be a less exciting matchup?
Two teams that have become the butt of everyone's jokes, the Niners and Cardinals head into the offseason with each roster being an absolute mess.
This could be the worst QB vs. QB matchup of the year, but with all the things that have happened with San Francisco this week, Arizona has the upper hand here.
New York Giants at Washington Redskins
15 of 16
If Tom Coughlin wants to keep his job, he'll do everything possible to motivate his players for this week.
With a history of collapsing late in the season, Coughlin's Giants are in danger of doing that very thing. However, a win against the Rex Grossman led Redskins and a Packers loss, the G-Men could find themselves back in the postseason once again.
They need help, but it starts with them; count on a victory for Big Blue, finally.
St. Louis Rams at Seattle Seahawks
16 of 16
When the NFL released the regular season schedule for 2010, I'm sure that this wasn't considered one of the marquee matchups that they had in mind.
Regardless, the winner of this game is going to find themselves atop the NFC West and with a postseason berth.
Sam Bradford has looked as poised as a veteran QB when under pressure, and this week is not going to be any different.
See you in the playoffs, St. Louis.
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