NFL Week 17 predictions

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

The Steelers' strategy in this one will be interesting, as they at least have to honor the whole concept of "any given Sunday" and play their starters until New England puts their game with the Jets out of reach. There will probably be added incentive to get off to a fast start, as a huge lead at halftime could make whatever the Patriots are doing a moot point. This is a strange game to try to predict, because while the Browns are no doubt motivated to avoid an 0-16 season, but they're also terrible, and likely incapable of staying within two scores of Pittsburgh if the Steelers have something to play for. They probably wouldn't be able to win even if Landry Jones started in place of Ben Roethlisberger. That said, if it is obvious that the Steelers have nothing to play for by around halftime, they'll probably shut everything down and just try to get out of the game injury-free. Could Cleveland take advantage and keep things close? Perhaps. Will they keep it close enough to cover? My sources say yes.

Pick: Browns

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

Jim Caldwell may be coaching for his job, or his fate may already have been decided. Caldwell has taken the Lions to the playoffs in two of his four seasons, and even though Detroit will not make it this year, he seems to have at least imparted some stability on a franchise that was the laughingstock of the league not even a decade ago. If Caldwell's fate is indeed up in the air, a 9-7 finish would look a whole lot better than 8-8. Aaron Rodgers being shut down should make that goal much more attainable, as Packers fans will get to watch Brett Hundley at the controls yet again. That's probably more curse than blessing for all but the most die-hard Cheeseheads, because Hundley was a special kind of awful against Minnesota last week. Hundley did not throw a touchdown at Lambeau Field all year, so perhaps he'll have better luck on the road, against a defense not nearly as tough as Minnesota's. That said, he won't be good enough to do something crazy, like win the game.

Pick: Lions

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

This is probably the worst game of the week, which is saying something considering how many less-than-stellar contests are on the Week 17 slate. That may be a harsh criticism, but the Texans were unwatchable against the Steelers, and the Colts haven't been watchable all season. Houston is so bad at quarterback that it would be much more fun to watch them send Braxton Miller out there under center and simply have him run the Wildcat offense all game long. Given T.J. Yates' anemic performance against Pittsburgh, that might actually represent the Texans' best chance to win. Indy's defense is vulnerable against everyone, and in fairness to Houston, they did manage to gash the Steelers' run defense with regularity last week. If there was anyone around to get DeAndre Hopkins the ball, it would be tempting to pick the Texans. Problem is, there isn't. Indianapolis wins, but for Chuck Pagano, it may be too little too late. 

Pick: Colts

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

Congratulations are in order for John Fox, who finally won a game as a favorite, the first such occurrence during his time in Chicago. Problem is, Fox is all but gone shortly after the final whistle in this one. The Vikings still have to win to guarantee themselves a first-round bye, so they'll be plenty motivated to hammer Chicago early and put them out of this one. Even if Fox empties the playbook, the Bears won't have any answers for Minnesota's defense, which is fresh off of a shutout of Brett Hundley and the Packers last week. While the NFC field looks incredibly strong, a Vikings win would give them a very favorable setup in their quest to become the first team to make it to the Super Bowl in their home stadium. A nearly two-touchdown spread seems high, but the combination of Minnesota having actual motivation to play their starters for the duration and the Bears not being very good means that this one could be a blowout.

Pick: Vikings

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (CBS)

New England will get a chance to see what, if anything, James Harrison has left, and they should have little trouble getting past the Jets and securing home field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. If Josh McCown was still active for New York, this game would likely be much more competitive, but throwing Bryce Petty and possibly Christian Hackenberg out there in this one seems almost unfair. Matt Patricia and Bill Belichick have to be laughing while they prepare their game plan for this one. It is just about impossible to imagine the Jets moving the ball with any success, and equally difficult to imagine them stopping New England with any regularity. The road Minneapolis will once again go through Foxborough. Speaking of roads, the Jets will likely resemble a speed bump in this one. The only intrigue is whether the Jets will score an offensive touchdown, especially in the near complete absence of a passing game.

Pick: Patriots

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

A nightmare season finally comes to an end for the Giants, who have gone through turmoil not normally associated with one of the league's glamour franchises. The latest round of ugliness, one that saw Eli Apple get suspended for "detrimental" conduct, while teammate Landon Collins called him a "cancer" during an interview, is just the cherry on top of a season marred by injury and dysfunction. A win does the Giants no good, which is just as well, because the personnel they have on hand does not appear capable of delivering one. Jay Gruden's situation in Washington is interesting, with rumors floating that the Bengals would like him to replace Marvin Lewis. Thing of it is, Gruden's wins the last two weeks have seemingly silenced calls for his job, and he's otherwise locked into a long-term deal in Washington. One is left to wonder what Gruden and Kirk Cousins could have done this year had they had more skill position talent. As it is, they'll win, but their 8-8 record is about as unsatisfying as it gets.

Pick: Redskins

Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (FOX)

The Cowboys won't make the playoffs, but their most passionate fans may be able to take some small comfort in the fact that they should find a way to beat a Philadelphia team that suddenly has the look of a team ripe for an early playoff exit. Carson Wentz's injury has left Philly without their biggest difference-maker, and Nick Foles, despite an encouraging start, fell back to earth with a very poor outing in a win over Oakland, one forged almost entirely by the Eagles' defense. Dallas' offseason questions are already looming, and most of them have centered on Dez Bryant, who has already said he has no intention of taking a pay cut to stay with the team. For better or worse, Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott are the ones that drive the Cowboys, and Elliott has said he intends to play in this one. Jason Witten, while suggesting that he still feels good, is at a point in his career where it isn't inconceivable to think that this game could be his last. 

Pick: Cowboys

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)

Finally, the good stuff. The NFL decided that all games with direct playoff implications would be played at the same time, and this one is a biggie. The Falcons control their destiny--if they win, they're in. Carolina will know by the start of the game whether they have any chance at a first-round bye, but they need plenty of help for that, and don't hold their fate relative to the NFC South title in their own hands. That having been said, a loss robs them of any chance at a home game unless they and the Falcons make a surprise run to the NFC Championship Game. Atlanta is obviously better at home, but I'm not sold on them delivering a big performance when it matters. Carolina hasn't gotten the press of Minnesota and doesn't have the crazy firepower of the Rams or Saints, but the Panthers have found some real offensive balance, have a vicious defense, and may be the most dangerous team in the NFC.

Pick: Panthers

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)

The Chiefs have nothing to play for, having clinched the AFC West after spending most of the second half of the season trying to give the division away. Patrick Mahomes will get the nod at QB in this one, which is a move some Chiefs fans were clamoring for when the season seemed to be slipping away. The Broncos are favored because the Chiefs will be fielding a team of mostly backups, but it's no guarantee that Denver's moribund offense will be able to take advantage of that reality. Vance Joseph is taking some heat for Denver's miserable free fall this season, but the majority of the blame should be laid at the feet of John Elway, who has butchered the quarterback situation and hamstrung his team at the most important position on the field. A Broncos team with, say, Alex Smith under center might be a legitimate Super Bowl threat. This team will have to settle for playing the "what if" game. It's tempting to pick Denver against a team of subs, but the guess here is that Mahomes makes the most of his start.

Pick: Chiefs

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)

Do the Jags treat this like a meaningful game and try to keep the Titans out of the playoffs, or do they rest their starters and give the Titans, who control their destiny, an easier road to the playoffs? Doug Marrone's decision on that front is one of the most interesting storylines of Week 17. Marrone has said that the Jaguars are "100 percent all in" versus Tennessee, which if true is bad news for the Titans, who appear to be anything but a deserving playoff team. If Jacksonville does indeed go full bore for a win, Tennessee will probably lose, because the Jags are the better team in just about every facet. Marcus Mariota needs a big game and a win to salvage an otherwise disappointing season. The Jags have to be smarting after their loss to the suddenly dangerous 49ers last week, so perhaps Marrone's statements about being "all in" are more a tactic to keep his team focused and hungry. In any case, the Titans will once again look like pretenders, and Jacksonville will win and all but guarantee that they spend the post-season in front of their televisions.

Pick: Jaguars

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)

The Rams can lock up the number three seed in the NFC with a win, though it is worth wondering how much that matters. The entire NFC field looks to be stacked, though if Seattle sneaks in as the sixth seed, it stands to reason that the Rams would be ultra confident about a third battle with them, given that Los Angeles went to Seattle and administered a thrashing a few weeks ago. Jimmy Garoppolo remains the most interesting story in the NFL, with the 49ers having won all four of his starts, and against progressively more impressive competition. Jared Goff, Aaron Donald and Todd Gurley will all sit for Los Angeles in this one, which makes it much more likely that Garoppolo ends the season with a perfect 5-0 record as a starter. Should that happen, San Francisco will be named the recipient of the completely fictional "non-playoff team that no one would want to play if they were actually in the playoffs" award.

Pick: 49ers

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)

Buffalo is very much alive for the post-season, but they need help. The Bills need to win and have Baltimore lose, or win or tie and have the Chargers and Titans lose. The Bills aren't the sexiest team of the four that are jockeying for the final two AFC playoff spots, but they do have certain elements that make them interesting, namely LeSean McCoy and a surprisingly stingy pass defense. Miami pretty obviously played their Super Bowl against New England a few weeks back, and now appear to be playing out the string. Jay Cutler has already said he only wants to play next year if he is going to be a starter, and it's hard to imagine many Dolphins fans are going to start a campaign to keep him in south Florida. The Dolphins should be just sloppy enough and the Bills just good enough for this one to end in a Buffalo victory. Will that be enough to get the Bills to the playoffs? That's much harder to predict.

Pick: Bills

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)

Los Angeles still cuts the profile of the fringe playoff team that seems like it could cause the most headaches for the AFC's best, should they make it to the post-season. L.A. has done an almost total 180 since the first four games of the season, and Philip Rivers is the best quarterback of the bunch that are jockeying for the league's two wild card spots. Oakland has been a massive disappointment, and they were listless, sloppy, and just generally tough to watch against Philadelphia. Los Angeles should be plenty motivated to deliver a command performance here, and it's really tough to envision Oakland doing anything substantial to stop them. The Chargers need a few different things to go their way to actually get into the playoffs, namely a Tennessee loss coupled with either a Buffalo loss or a Baltimore win, but it says here that they'll at the very least hold up their end of the bargain.

Pick: Chargers

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)

Despite appearances against the Rams a few weeks back, the Seahawks are not dead. They bounced the Cowboys from the playoffs last week, and a win or a tie coupled with a Falcons loss gets them in. That said, they simply appear too beat up to be much of a threat should they get there, especially with it already being certain that they can't host a playoff game. Arizona, however, should not be much of a roadblock in Seattle's quest to force Atlanta to earn their way in. Cardinals' Head Coach Bruce Arians called stories that suggested he had agreed to step down from his position "fake news". What is decidedly not fake news is the fact that the Cardinals have been one of the league's least interesting teams since injuries sabotaged their season early on. Larry Fitzgerald will probably put up numbers, as usual, and the Cardinals might keep this one close for awhile, but Seattle will prevail, and probably do so comfortably in the end.

Pick: Seahawks

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (FOX)

A Saints win gives them the NFC South crown, and ensures that they play at least one home game during the playoffs. It feels like that home game would be an almost automatic win for New Orleans, so this game takes on added importance. They could not ask for a better opponent than the Buccaneers, who are playing so poorly that questions about Dirk Koetter's job security are dominating the news cycle. Koetter has overseen a season plagued by an injury to Jameis Winston, and Winston's general mediocrity, even when healthy. That's typically a bad combination for a head coach, especially one who was expected to have the Bucs a contender in what has turned out to be a loaded division. New Orleans isn't quite the same team away from the Superdome, but that shouldn't matter when the opponent is as flawed as Tampa Bay. Drew Brees and company will be playing at home on Wild Card weekend.

Pick: Saints

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. ET (CBS)

Do the Bengals send Marvin Lewis on his way with the small consolation prize of a win over the Ravens, something that would put Baltimore in possibly serious playoff jeopardy? Or do they do what they've done for maddeningly long stretches of Lewis' tenure and deliver a befuddling, embarrassing performance? Last week's win over Detroit would seem to suggest that perhaps the Bengals have at least one more good spoiler effort up their sleeves, and they would doubtless love to dent the hopes of a division rival, but the Ravens have looked good for awhile now, and John Harbaugh isn't the kind of coach whose team has a major letdown when an attainable goal is right in front of them. In other words, he's the antithesis of Marvin Lewis. This one might be ugly, and closer than it needs to be, but the Ravens will prevail, very possibly thanks to the right foot of Justin Tucker.

Pick: Bengals