NFL Playoff Picture: Week 17 Games That Will Shape the Road to Super Bowl

With one week of games left in the 2011 NFL regular season, we have a good idea as to which teams will be making a run at the Super Bowl. 

Of course, a lot can change in Week 17 because the playoff bracket is still not completely set. 

The AFC still needs its AFC West winner as well as the final wild card, and the NFC needs its NFC East winner. 

This coming Sunday will pave the way for the playoffs and beyond. The teams headed for the postseason need a win in Week 17 because it will give them great confidence before the most crucial part of the year. 

Here are some Week 17 games that will shape the road to the Super Bowl.

New York Jets at Miami Dolphins

After reaching the AFC Championship Game two years in a row, Rex Ryan guaranteed the Jets would make the Super Bowl this season. 

Instead of using Week 17 as a time to rest star players, the Jets are fighting to get into the playoffs, making Ryan's prediction look pretty bad. 

Still, New York is a dangerous team if it gets in, but that won't happen if the Jets fall on the road to the Dolphins on Sunday afternoon. 

Miami has been playing much better since the Jets last saw them in October. Matt Moore and Brandon Marshall will go to work, and Reggie Bush will be tough to bring down. 

But in the end, Mark Sanchez will do enough to make sure his team gets the victory. The Jets are very frustrated after last week's debacle, and they'll be ready to stick it to the Dolphins to reach the playoffs. 

Of course, New York needs help from other teams as well, meaning Sunday is a very important day for the Jets. 

Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers

The Lions are playoff bound for the first time since 1999, and the Packers were locks for the postseason before this season ever started. 

There's a chance these two division rivals meet in the playoffs, which is one of the reason this game is very important. 

Another would be the fact that it's the final game of the year; losing it would be a devastating blow right before the playoffs. 

Detroit would get a huge confidence boost if it could knock down the mighty Packers, which the Lions came close to doing on Thanksgiving Day. 

Since the Packers are the heavy favorites in the NFC, a home loss on Sunday would force many to think that perhaps Green Bay isn't as strong as we all thought.

Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans

The Houston Texans have lost two games in a row to teams that a division champion should have no business losing to. 

Having a three-game losing streak entering postseason play would crush the spirits of Houston, leaving the Texans with no shot at a first-round bye. 

An extra week of rest would do wonders for the Texans, but it appears that may not happen. There's a chance Houston rests its star players this week anyway, which would give the visiting Titans an easy shot at victory. 

If that happens, Tennessee would then need a little luck from others to reach the playoffs. If the Titans and the Texans were both in the playoffs, the AFC bracket would be much easier for other teams. 

AFC West Showdowns

Denver at Kansas City 

All the Broncos need to do is win and they're in. Of course, that's easier said than done, especially after witnessing Denver get demolished by a Buffalo Bills team that was on a seven-game losing streak. 

Tim Tebow has to play much better this Sunday, or else the Broncos may not win the division and host a playoff game, which is very important to the future of their franchise.

The visiting Chiefs have already been eliminated, but they'd certainly love to have a say in who ends up winning the division, so don't expect them to just hand Denver the division. 

San Diego at Oakland 

The Chargers are out of the playoff picture, but the Raiders still have a fighting chance. Oakland needs to win at home and for the Broncos to lose in order to win the AFC West. 

It would be a remarkable accomplishment for the Raiders, especially given the fact they've been without their top player, Darren McFadden, for months. 

Winning the division would also make the trade for Carson Palmer seem like a fantastic deal, as the Raiders' future would be very bright. 

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals

Few people expected the Bengals to amount to anything this year, and practically no one viewed them as a playoff team. 

However, Cincinnati is currently in a wild-card spot, but it needs to beat the Ravens on Sunday, which won't be easy. 

Rookie Andy Dalton has played far better than anyone thought he would, and since this is a home game it means the Bengals are in a good position to get a victory. 

The Ravens, on the other hand, have to win this game to win the AFC North and lock up the No. 2 seed in the AFC. Having a first-round bye is crucial for Ravens because normally they have to hit the road in the playoffs. 

A win on Sunday would make the Ravens a serious threat in the postseason, but a loss would be very detrimental moving forward for Baltimore. 

Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants

The NFC East coming down to the final game of the year makes perfect sense when you think about how the teams in the division have played this year. 

It's a been a whirlwind, and now the winner of the Cowboys-at-Giants game will be playing postseason football. The loser goes home empty handed and had better be ready to make some changes. 

As the most important game of Week 17, this matchup between rivals will have a huge impact on the playoffs. Reports say that Tony Romo should be fine to play, but there's always a chance he doesn't or gets hurt again. 

Neither team has shown they're capable of winning it all this year, but since both have great experienced players they're still a dangerous playoff team. 

Expect a hard-fought battle that lasts all four quarters (wouldn't surprise me if it went into OT), and the winner to use their great momentum in postseason play.