Week 17 picks
The Dolphins have lost 11 of 12 road games dating to last season, and five of their last six at the Bills. The forecast calls for cold and cloudy weather Sunday in Buffalo, and that doesn’t favor the visitors.
The Falcons have their confidence up after a couple of wins in a row, albeit against bad teams — the Cardinals and Panthers. It’s a meaningless game, so the Buccaneers might test-drive QB Ryan Griffin.
The Giants are looking to finish strong, and the Cowboys already have the No. 4 seed locked up. Ezekiel Elliott pretty much has his second rushing title in the bag, so he can cool his jets.
The Panthers gave the Saints a scare a couple of weeks ago, putting the clamps on them before losing 12-9. Even though Saints have the No. 1 seed, they’re not going to take their foot off the gas at home.
The Patriots, the only team that’s undefeated at home, can clinch
a first-round bye with a win. The Jets have the potential to be stubborn for a half, at least, so this could be interesting.
The Jaguars can lay eggs, as they’ve shown, but they can also
be scary with their defense and sporadic running game. The banged-up Texans are limping into this one, but they have a lot of incentive to win it.
The Lions have come away victorious in two of their last three trips to Lambeau Field, but they’re running on fumes. Don’t bet against Aaron Rodgers in this one, even though it has been a lousy season.
The Redskins have fought hard at times this season, but they don’t have much left. The Eagles have incentive to win, and Nick Foles has given this team that special something.
It’s highly unlikely the Chargers will get that No. 1 seed, but they still need to play as if it’s in reach. This team needs a running start into the postseason. The Broncos are coming off a disappointing loss to the Raiders.
The Raiders are capable of putting a good game together, as they showed Monday night. And the Kareem Hunt-less Chiefs aren’t as good as they were earlier this season. Still, the No. 1 seed awaits.
The Bears are in the playoffs, and at minimum will host first-round game. The Vikings are hungrier — they still need to clinch a berth — have a solid defense, and they’re playing in front of a home crowd.
The Browns are no pushovers. They’ve won three in a row and have some talented players on both sides of the ball. But the Ravens have an elite defense and their running game is rolling with Lamar Jackson at quarterback.
The Rams can’t sleep on the 49ers, who have played really well the last three weeks. But the Rams showed last week that, even without Todd Gurley, they can grind out a win on the ground.
The Steelers, who still have a flicker of hope to make the playoffs, have beaten the Bengals seven times in a row. The Bengals are banged up and out of contention. Still, anything can happen with division opponents.
This one could get ugly. The Seahawks figure to run it down
the Cardinals’ throat, and Pete Carroll isn’t a big fan of playing backups to preserve his starters for the playoffs. The Seahawks build some momentum here.
In Week 17’s only win-and-you’re-in game, don’t bet against Andrew Luck, who has gotten his second wind with Frank Reich as coach. Marcus Mariota isn’t at full speed, and that’s a tough break for the Titans.
PREVIOUS ARTICLE
