Week 17 previews
Thursday Night Football
Cowboys @ Titans
In a game that will likely be determined which team runs the ball better as that is the primary strength of both teams it could simply be a matter of which team performs better upfront. This could be an excellent chance for Malik Willis, who has yet to throw a touchdown pass this season to show off what he could against an elite defense. Our Pick: Cowboys
Saints @ Eagles
With Alvin Kamara still needing to brunt the bulk of the running game due to Mark Ingram being hurt the Philadelphia defense could make it a long day for Saints quarterback Andy Dalton. As for the Eagles if Gardner Minshew can prevent turnovers it could very well be yet another win for Philadelphia. Our Pick: Eagles
Bears @ Lions
The Lions have much more on the line in this one as they are on the verge of playoff contention while the Bears, who are only 3-12 are just trying to regroup for next season. One thing to watch for in this one is the Bears league leading running attack in yards against the Lions rushing defense who is ranked 28th in the league. Our Pick: Lions
Jaguars @ Texans
This game is another classic case of one team trying to improve their playoff chances and having a winning season while the other team is trying to figure out what off season changes need to be made. In this case Jacksonville is the one who is trying to improve their chances to make the playoffs. The Texans best bet to win this one is to make sure they avoid turnovers as their quarterback Davis Mills has 13 interceptions for the season and their running back Travis Etienne has three fumbles, however he has been able to get to 1,000 yards this year so it could quite simply come down to which team does a better job upfront. Our Pick: Jaguars
Cardinals @ Falcons
This game could potentially be a futures game in a sense as both starting quarterbacks are currently scheduled to be out. Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray is currently on injured reserve with a knee injury and with the Cardinals having been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs it’s highly unlikely they will be in a rush to bring him back. As for the Falcons, Marcus Mariota is also on injured reserve so this game could be a test as to which team has better depth and the same case is true for Mariota as far as the Falcons wanting to bring him back. As for those who are playing, it will likely come down to the rushing game, an area in which the Falcons are currently third in the league at 160.8 yards per game this season, a promising sign for the offensive line.
Much like the Cardinals Falcons game this one will also likely be one that is determined by the big guys upfront as the Washington defense will have to contend with the likes of Nick Chubb. Another thing to keep an eye on is both defenses are in the top 10 in the league when it comes to third down conversion with Washington being tied for second in the league at 32.6 percent while the Washington defense is eight, only giving up first down on third down 37.5 percent of the time. Our Pick: Cardinals
Dolphins @ Patriots
This one could pretty much determine which team is going to steal the last spot in the playoffs as New England is only one game behind Miami and if they do win will control their own destiny heading into week 18. As for the actual game itself, the New England defense will have a huge test with Tyreek Hill who has seven touchdowns on the year and just under 14 and a half yards per catch. If the game is close it could also be a good time for Patriots offensive play caller Matt Patricia who has been under a lot of scrutiny all year to prove his worth and time may tell if he makes a correct offensive play call against Miami late which could set up a New England playoff berth. As for Miami, if they can get the ball into the hands of speedster Tyreek Hill a lot that could make a long day for New England. Our Pick: Dolphins
Jets @ Seahawks
Both of these teams are at 7-8 so at least one of these teams will put themselves into a better position to grab the last playoff seed. The Seahawks are probably more likely. The Jets would have to hope for two New England losses and Miami would have to lose at least one of the two games remaining while the Seahawks would have to hope for Washington to lose at least one of their last two games. As for the game itself the Jets are gonna have to hope he doesn’t get into a funk much like he did against New England a few weeks ago and the New York defense is gonna have to keep DK Metcalf from making big plays should they hope to win. Our Pick: Jets
49ers @ Raiders
Derek Carr will have a huge opportunity to prove himself this weekend against one of the best defenses in the NFL in San Francisco who is leading the league in total yards (309.8) and total points at 15.3 points per game. If the game stays close then the San Francisco depth could be tested as starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and Deebo Samuel are both listed as injured for this weekend’s game. Our Pick: 49ers
Rams @ Chargers
With Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp still on injured reserve Baker Mayfield will have to continue to prove his worth and hope that the San Diego passing defense has an off day in the secondary as they hope to pay spoiler for the Chargers in an extremely tight NFC wild card race. Our Pick: Rams
Vikings @ Packers
With both teams potentially having at least one man down in the passing game that could at least potentially be a test of their depth (for Minnesota Irv Smith is on injured reserve with an ankle injury while Christian Watson is listed as questionable with a hip injury. Either way for both of these teams, their defense will have their hand’s full as this could be an elite quarterback matchup in Kirk Cousins versus Aaron Rodgers so it could be a matter of which team does a better job of containing the other quarterback. Our Pick: Packers
Ravens @ Steelers
While the Steelers have had the good fortune of getting their starting quarterback into action, Baltimore has not met the same success in doing so and considering they have already clinched a playoff spot it’s highly unlikely they will be in a rush to bring Jackson back until playoff time. The matchup will contain a scenario where Pittsburgh’s strength in the rushing game will also contain the other team’s strength in Baltimore’s rushing game so it will be a matter of which team makes the big passing play and wins the battles up front. Our Pick: Ravens
Bills @ Bengals
In a potential AFC championship matchup this one could have the feeling of a playoff game as the AFC’s top playoff spot could be on the line. With both teams having superior running and passing games it will be a matter of which team will execute their plays better. Our Pick: Bills
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