It’s must-see weekend in the NFL. Will Baltimore win the AFC North? Can Indy handle the Titans? What will happen to the Steelers? Stay tuned!
It all comes down to this, the regular season’s final Sunday. Thanks to some creative flex scheduling, there are seven 1 p.m. games and eight at 4:25, a rare phenomenon. It creates playoff-spot drama as late in the day as possible.
There’s drama for me, too. I went 12-4 last week, bringing my season record to 147-91-2 (.617). I need to go 10-6 this week to tie last year’s win total of 157.
(Note: All games are on Sunday afternoon unless otherwise noted.)
Dallas 20, New York Giants 12: The Cowboys locked up the NFC East last week and, this week, can’t see their playoff seed improve or decline. I have a feeling many starters will see action in the New Jersey swamps, if only for professional pride. Plus, Dallas will have to play on Wild Card Weekend. That means the circumstances dictate that the Cowboys stay sharp.
Buffalo 17, Miami 13: Here we are, with the season about to end, and I still don’t know what to make of those Dolphins. They stayed in playoff contention much longer than I thought they would before laying a big, fat egg against a below-average Jacksonville team. The Bills aren’t good, either. But at home, Buffalo should at least show more pride.
New England 45, New York Jets 17: Ending the regular season with home games against Buffalo and the Jets is a situation sure to elicit howls of protest from anti-New England conspiracy theorists. But since they are division opponents, they both had to visit Foxborough sometime. Right?
Houston 33, Jacksonville 16: The Texans get to end the season at home against the outclassed Jags–a team that has a lot of soul-searching to do just one year after reaching the AFC Championship Game. Meanwhile, Houston can crow about its best season since the franchise was born in 2002.
Green Bay 31, Detroit 20: Got to admit it: I was sweating bullets last week as the Packers found themselves down by 15 points to the Jets, of all teams. But Green Bay showed lots of heart in getting its first road win of the year. ‘Heart’ is something the Lions rarely show. This year it stopped beating.
New Orleans 23, Carolina 10: This might be a battle of backup quarterbacks, but New Orleans’ Taysom Hill is much more multitalented than the No. 2 signal-callers on most teams. Add to that the Saints’ home-field advantage and better overall depth, and a win should be the result.
Atlanta 24, Tampa Bay 13: A lot of preseason pundits saw big things happening for Atlanta this year. I thought the Falcons would take a step back. Maybe some analysts hoped to see this team play a Super Bowl on its home field (that’s never happened). Well, it won’t take place this year, either.
Baltimore 23, Cleveland 10: Sure, the Browns are going for a rare winning record, and they’ve played better since head coach Hue Jackson left town. But I’m neither impressed nor convinced this team is out of longtime doldrums. Besides, the Ravens are at home with a golden opportunity to nail down a playoff spot and maybe the AFC North title.
Pittsburgh 30, Cincinnati 16: The Steelers are playing a “win and get help” game. It’s their only path to the playoffs. But all they can control is a home game against the flatter-than-flat, last-place Bengals.
Philadelphia 40, Washington 9: The Redskins will end another typically-disappointing season at home, where attendance has fallen off more drastically than it has in other locales. Even though it may be too late to make the playoffs, the Eagles have come to life and are playing well.
Chicago 27, Minnesota 17: The Vikings are the NFC’s version of the Jaguars, that is, a conference-championship game team that took a step back this year. Fortunately, though, Minnesota is still are in the playoff mix. The bad news is that they have to beat the Bears. I don’t think that will happen.
Kansas City 30, Oakland 20: The Chiefs and Rams engaged in a Monday-night classic a few weeks ago. But since then both teams have slumped. Still, though, the Chiefs are buoyed by yet another high playoff seed, something they need to nail-down by beating the visiting Raiders.
Los Angeles Chargers 20, Denver 17: The Broncos are always tough at home, but rumors are swirling regarding offseason changes, including the end of head coach Vance Joseph’s tenure. The Chargers have a division title and top playoff seed in their sights.
Los Angeles Rams 31, San Francisco 13: Forget the holiday card! Last week the Rams got something even better — a “Get Well” bouquet in the form of a big win over hapless Arizona. The 49ers hung tough against Chicago but eventually succumbed. This game should have the same kind of feel to it.
Seattle 34, Arizona 10: The Seahawks will end the season at their noisy home against a hapless Cardinals squad. In what many people thought was to be a rebuilding year, Seattle finds itself in the playoffs again.
Indianapolis 27, Tennessee 26 (Sunday night): This is the week’s most pivotal game. To no surprise, it will occupy the Sunday-night spot. The Titans are at home, but the Colts have Andrew Luck with his 10-0 career mark against the Titans. The winners could find themselves in the playoffs if Baltimore falters and … even, in some scenarios, if it doesn’t. I’ll take Indy in what could be a titanic struggle (no pun intended).
