🏈 NFL 2019-20 Week 17 Preview 🏈

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NFL 2019-20 Week 17 Preview 

No Thursday Night Football games, no Saturday games, No Sunday Night Football games, and no Monday Night Football Games for this final weekend of the regular season of NFL action for 2019. Whatever teams are trying to still accomplish by this point, whether it is clinching a playoff spot, or a division title, or one of the top two seeds for a playoff bye, this is their final opportunity to get the job done.

Indeed, there are teams that need to clinch some things as we head in, or they might be going home much earlier.

So, let’s take a closer look at each individual game, with my prediction for each coming at the end of the explanations:

Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants – The Eagles can clinch the NFC East, finally, if they manage to win this game. The Giants are not going to reach the playoffs, much less take the division title this year, no matter what they do in this game. But the G-Men are possibly playing their best football of the season in the last two weeks, and they gave the Eagles a hard time a few weeks ago, during the first meeting between these two teams. So, I expect that the Giants will give Philly a seriously tough time. Yet, that will likely not be enough, because the Eagles will be giving it their all, with literally everything that could be riding on this game for them riding on these results. The Eagles have been inconsistent all season long, without a doubt. But they have played their best football in the past few weeks, as well, winning three in a row when they needed it the most, and maybe even beginning to resemble a team that deserves to be in the playoffs. They can enter the playoffs not as favorites, but as a team that should be getting hot precisely at the right time, and I expect them to do exactly that with a win. My pick: Philadelphia 

N.Y. Jets at Buffalo – This game is the final game of the season for Gang Green, because they, unlike the Bills, are not going to reach the playoffs. That said, this game might mean more for them, because the Bills already clinched a Wildcard spot, and are locked into that fifth spot in the AFC. So win or lose, this game will not mean anything for them. That likely means that they will rest their starters, and make this a de facto bye week for most of the starters. Which, in turn, gives Gang Green a real chance for one final win, and in a tough environment against a playoff team, at that. It will not salvage too much of a lost season, but for the sake of pride, the Jets will likely play well. I expect the Jets to pull off this win. My pick: N.Y. Jets 

Miami at New England – The Pats won the big showdown against Buffalo last weekend, and officially clinched the AFC East title. Yet, they still need to win this game to secure the second seed in the AFC, which would get them that much needed bye week. They need it more than most teams, because while they looked incredibly dominant earlier in the season, they really seemed to run out of gas there for a while. They recovered enough in the past two weeks to secure that division title, once and for all. But a loss here would not only kill that momentum and throw everything right back into doubt, but it would also force them to play a game next week, when they really could use that break. If they are going to advance far into the playoffs, possibly even to the Super Bowl, then I think that the bye week would be an absolute necessity for them, even more than some of the other teams in the league. And really, they should beat the Dolphins. They have a better overall team, both on offense and on defense. They crushed the Dolphins, in Miami, 43-0 earlier this season, and this game will be up at Foxboro, which is still a very tough place for road teams to have to play. The Dolphins are better than they maybe seemed earlier this season, but they really are not likely good enough to beat the Pats up there. The only way I see the Patriots losing this is if they get nervous and have a major, major letdown, and allow Miami to play spoiler. But Belichick will have his team ready, and they know what’s at stake. And let’s face it: the Pats have been in very big games many, many times. The have more experience than any other team. Yes, I think that they will rise to the occasion and finally clinch that second seed with a win here. My pick: New England 

Green Bay at Detroit – The newly crowned NFC North champions go up to Detroit to face the Lions, who want revenge for being cheated from what seemed like a sure win u[ at Green Bay earlier this season. The Lions would love to play spoiler here. But they are not the same team that they were in the first part of the season, when they were competitive and looked like a possibly playoff contender. This team has not won in months, and the Packers are hot, and have something large at stake. They can earn a playoff bye, and have a real shot at possibly earning home field advantage in the playoffs. So, they will have clear motivation, and should manage a win on the road against one of the worst teams in the league. My pick: Green Bay 

Indianapolis at Jacksonville – A battle between two teams that are not going to the playoffs. I know the Colts technically have an outside chance, if several things work out just so. But they will not likely work out just so, and so the Colts will miss the playoffs. That said, it is hard not to be impressed with how well they played in blowing out the Panthers in Carolina. The Jaguars are not a very good team either, and my guess is that the Colts should be able to earn a solid road win again, and end the season on a positive note, looking a bit more like the team that they looked like earlier in the season, and probably like the team that they should have been this year, when many expected them to be a title contender. My pick Indianapolis 

Pittsburgh at Baltimore – The Steelers suddenly have looked bad in recent weeks, and they really desperately need a win. As of right now, they are still on the outside of the playoffs, and need some help to get in. But first, they need to win this game. It might be daunting, playing literally the hottest team in the league. However, the Ravens were so hot, that they really do not need to win this game. It means nothing to them, as they already earned home field advantage throughout as the AFC’s top seed. So, they likely will not have all of their weaponry and starters out there for the full game, which would be good news for the Steelers. And that is why they are the team that should take this game. My pick: Pittsburgh 

Tennessee at Houston – The Titans really, really desperately need this win. They lost the battle to the Texans for the division title a couple of weeks ago. This game still might mean something to the Texans, but I cannot help but wonder just how much it might mean. After all, they will be playing a home game next weekend, and the main incentive is to try and avoid playing the Bills next weekend. But they not only would need to win, but also hope that the Chiefs would lose, which is beyond their control. In other words, they likely will be the fourth seed, and probably know it. And since they likely will have to face Buffalo, they want to be as healthy and prepared as possible. So if this game proves tough and physical, they might want to seriously consider sitting some of their starters, which should allow the Titans to pull off a win here, and finally secure a playoff berth. My pick: Tennessee 

Chicago at Minnesota – The Vikings were seriously humbled last weekend against the Packers. Now, they have a de facto bye week, most likely, as they want to rest up and keep their starters healthy for the all-important playoff game next weekend. They are locked into the sixth and final NFC playoff spot, which means that this game holds no significance for them. The Bears, meanwhile, had a disappointing season, especially the crushing losses right at the end, which eliminated any playoff hopes they once had. But they can beat a playoff team and division rival on the road, in a notoriously tough place for road teams to play. That should be strong incentive, and that is why they are the team I believe will come out on top here. My pick: Chicago 

Cleveland at Cincinnati – Another game that makes you almost wonder why these games should be played. The Bengals have clinched the worst record in the league, regardless of what happens in this game. But they would like to avoid matching the franchise worst ever record, and to beat a division rival, as well as the other Ohio team in the league, all at once. The Browns will likely want to win as well, and they probably are the better team. Yet, this one could be close, and I see the Bengals having a decent shot. My pick: Cincinnati 

L.A. Chargers at Kansas City – The Chiefs need to win still in order to secure at least the third seed, and possibly to even get the second seed, in the event of an admittedly unlikely upset by the Dolphins over the Patriots. So, KC will likely have their guns out in this one, and they just have the better team, plus home field advantage, which helps. No reason to believe that the Chargers will play spoilers here. My pick: Kansas City 

New Orleans at Carolina – The Saints have a chance to be either the first, second, or third seed. Obviously, they likely need to win to achieve either of those first two options. And they have the right opponents, because the Panthers look like one of the very worst teams in the league. Not sure how far the Saints can go, but the higher their seed, the better chance they have. They could use the playoff bye, and they very likely need this win to earn that much. Frankly, I do not see the Panthers being able to stop them from this. My pick: New Orleans 

Atlanta at Tampa Bay – A game that means nothing in terms of the playoff picture, bit which both teams want to win, to end this disappointing season at least on a positive note. The Bucs have home field advantage, and have been playing well lately. But the Falcons have been playing like they are on fire, as if they should have been a playoff team. Who saw that coming after a 1-7 start to this season?  This is a tough game to predict, because I could see either team winning. However, I will go with the hotter team, if ever so slightly hotter. My pick: Atlanta 

Washington at Dallas – Well, the Cowboys lost that big showdown at Philly, and now have lost control of their own destiny. They still have a chance, though they need some help. If the Giants defeat the Eagles - and New York’s Big Blue have won two in a row, and seem to be playing their best football of the season right now – then this would open up the opportunity for Dallas to take the NFC East division title. But first and foremost, they need to take care of business, and win this game. Frankly, it should not be too hard. Dallas is the more complete team, they have far more on the line, and they also have home field advantage. There really is no excuse if they fall short in this one, but I just do not see them losing here. My pick: Dallas              

San Francisco at Seattle – Once the Seahawks defeated the 49ers in San Francisco earlier this season, I kind of expected them to win the second meeting, in Seattle. But the Seahawks just suffered a bad loss to the Cardinals, which maty have been the result of overlooking their opponents in order to prepare for this much bigger, far more important game. But with the situation concerning the brother of 49ers backup quarterback C.J. Beathard, I imagine that an already charged Niners team might play even more inspired. That gives them a real shot, and they have played some solid football all season long. It is also the reason that I am surprising myself, and reversing what I expected to be my pick to win this game. My pick: San Francisco              

Oakland at Denver – A game that will not matter in the long run, but which both teams want to win for pride. The Broncos never looked like a playoff caliber team, frankly. But they showed glimpses at times this season, and they played very well last weekend in earning a home win. Here they are again at home, in the thin air at Mile High, and that should help. The Raiders also won last week, ending a long losing streak that saw them go from seemingly inside the playoff picture, to eliminated outright as quickly as it could have happened after that 6-4 start. They have played well, and maybe I would think that they would win if this was another emotional home game in Oakland, possibly their last. But since it is not, my expectations are at the home town Broncos earn this win. My pick: Denver             

Arizona at L.A. Rams – The Cardinals never looked like a playoff caliber team this year, but they have shown glimpses of what could be a very bright future. They should be riding high after handing the Seahawks a stunning loss in Seattle. Now, they go to Los Angeles to visit the Rams, a team that also looks stunned and down after two straight losses that saw them eliminated from playoff contention. The Rams were the defending NFC champs this season, but things went south quickly following an impressive 3-0 start. They are still a good team, and should be able to win this game, although another impressive road upset of a division rival is certainly not out of the questions for the Cards. My pick: L.A. Rams