Quick Picks; Week Seventeen
Every week throughout the season, we make our Quick Picks (in bold) on the upcoming slate of games, focusing on the key points for each match-up. It’s the final week of the regular season, and a few wild card spots are still to be decided, as is the competitive NFC South. Here are Week Seventeen’s picks;
Carolina Panthers @ Atlanta Falcons
The NFC South is going down to the wire. Carolina needs a win in Atlanta, as well as a Saints loss, to win the division. The Falcons were dominated in New Orleans last week, but could hang on for a wild card spot. Carolina’s offense has been inconsistent and struggled against the Buccaneers, and Atlanta could swoop in and take advantage.
Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens
The Bengals played hard for Marvin Lewis last week in what could’ve been his last home game. Against Baltimore though, Cincinnati will struggle to pull off the same feat with Andy Dalton’s limitations likely to be exposed against Baltimore’s defense.
Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions
With Aaron Rodgers back on IR, Brett Hundley will return as Green Bay’s starting quarterback. Detroit’s defense has a field day against Hundley in Week 9, but he may not be so easy this time for a unit that was outplayed by the Bengals last week. That said, the Lions have a much better passing game thanks to Matthew Stafford, which will give the Packers issues.
Houston Texans @ Indianapolis Colts
Aside from an incredible touchdown catch from DeAndre Hopkins, the Texans were dominated by Pittsburgh on Christmas Day. Now with Hopkins likely out, they face a Colts team that is probably playing their last game for Chuck Pagano. While Houston has the edge on defense, Indy has more potential under centre in Jacoby Brissett, if he can get rid of the ball quicker.
Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins
Miami are a mess, especially with Jay Cutler under centre, and were beaten soundly by Buffalo in Week 15. Thanks to good effort and coaching, the Bills have been overachievers this season and could still secure a wild card spot with a win and losses by the Titans and Chargers. Expect the Bills to finish strong in an attempt to end the league’s longest playoff drought.
Chicago Bears @ Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings are legitimate championship contenders in the NFC and will be playing for a first round bye. The Bears don’t have enough around Mitchell Trubisky to keep Minnesota at bay, especially on the road. Trubisky will be under duress all game from Mike Zimmer’s defense.
New York Jets @ New England Patriots
The Patriots won’t be resting starters with the AFC’s top seed still up for grabs. With Bryce Petty at quarterback for the Jets, new addition James Harrison could have a big impact for New England. But the Patriots haven’t been on top form in recent weeks and started slowly against Buffalo last week. Nonetheless, New England should claim a win to stay in pole position for the top seed.
Washington Redskins @ New York Giants
The Redskins are coming off an impressive win against Denver, while the Giants are sleepwalking through the final weeks of the season after being shut out by Arizona. Washington may be banged up but their defense is full of ball hawks and Kirk Cousins has been playing well. New York will likely end the season with another loss to lock up a top three draft pick.
Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles
After clinching the NFC’s top seed on Christmas Day, the Eagles will likely be resting their starters this week. With Dallas eliminated from the playoffs after a loss to Seattle, all the Cowboys can play for is pride. Against second stringers, Dak and Zeke should shine, ending a sour season with some positive momentum.
Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers
After dominating the Texans, Pittsburgh are still in play for the AFC’s top seed, but need a win and a Patriots loss. Still, taking care of business against the Browns should be straightforward, and keep Jacksonville from stealing the second seed. Cleveland now has virtually no chance of winning a game this season, which could cost Hue Jackson his job no matter what ownership says.
New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
With a win, the Saints will clinch the NFC South. But the Buccaneers have been competitive against Atlanta and Carolina over the past two weeks. While some injuries on defense have slowed New Orleans’ momentum, the Saints should secure the division thanks to their offense.
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans
Despite a surprise loss to the 49ers, Jacksonville still secured the AFC South as Tennessee lost their third straight game. With the Jaguars locking up the division, they will be playing for playoff seeding. After a close loss to the Rams, the Titans may not be playing well enough to sweep the Jaguars and secure a wild card spot.
Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos
Having secured the AFC West, the Chiefs are locked into the AFC’s 4th seed and so have decided to get a look at Patrick Mahomes, as well as resting other veteran starters. Meanwhile Denver will be giving Paxton Lynch one final evaluation, but he may not have enough to upset the Chiefs despite potentially facing second-stringers on an inconsistent defense.
Oakland Raiders @ Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers must win and hope for a Titans loss to secure a wild card spot, but struggled to put away the Jets last week. Oakland’s defense played better against the Eagles on Christmas Day, but that game was rife with mistakes and turnovers. The Chargers should secure a vital victory.
San Francisco 49ers @ Los Angeles Rams
Jimmy G is a legitimate franchise quarterback and just pulled off an impressive win against Jacksonville’s league-best defense. Meanwhile the Rams locked up their first NFC West title since 2003 thanks to Sean McVay’s whirlwind offense. With a first round bye out of reach, LA have decided to rest some unconfirmed starters. If key players like Jared Goff and Todd Gurley sit, expect Garoppolo to lead the 49ers to a fifth straight win.
Arizona Cardinals @ Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks are still in contention for a wild card spot, but need a win and a Falcons loss. Seattle’s defense stepped up last week, throttling the Cowboys despite the return of Ezekiel Elliott. Russell Wilson should conjure more wizardry against Arizona as the defense forces turnovers from Drew Stanton.
