With playoff seeding, wild card berths, and draft order implications ramping up as we near the close of the season, even the worst of matchups has some level of relevance this week. Let’s take a look:
Saturday
The Bengals and Steelers kick things off with what will surely be another uninspiring effort from Pittsburgh as they continue to slide. Steelers faithful are hoping for a Christmas miracle out of third-string QB Mason Rudolph, but even if Rudolph can guide Mike Tomlin’s sleigh tonight, surely Jake Browning will pick apart the injured Steeler’s defense via the tight end position, as every team has done for the past three weeks. With Minkah Fitzpatrick sidelined and Damontae Kazee suspended for the rest of the season (absolute madness btw), I’m guessing that the Bengals offense will have a field day.
Later on, the surging Bills will face off against the incredibly sad Chargers, fresh off of giving up 63 points to the Raiders (lol). A win for Buffalo here, coupled with a potential Miami loss tomorrow would put them within 1 game of the division lead with a head-to-head matchup in Week 18 that could be for the division. Even if Miami beats Dallas, they’ve got another tough challenge in the Ravens in Week 17. As for the Bills, they play the Pats next week and I think we can all guess how that one will turn out. As for the Chargers, there’s not much of a point to winning this game, and they’re far better off just losing out the rest of the season and getting a higher draft pick.
Sunday
Browns/Texans – If CJ Stroud was playing, I’d give the Texans the edge here. But he’s not. And the Browns defense will surely swallow up Case Keenum and spit him out in pieces. This is unfortunate as you may know how I feel about Cleveland. Joe Flacco, despite his 3 interceptions last week, continues to look like the best quarterback to take the field for the Browns this year. In a crowded AFC playoff picture, the Texans would still have a chance at the playoffs if they lose, but with two tough divisional matchups looming, they’d need some things to go their way to sneak in.
Commanders/Jets – Taking the Commanders is probably a bold choice considering the talent level of the Jets D, but we did just see Miami dice them up for a 30 piece last week. Washington is no Miami, but they can put up some points. Both teams are better off losing, but there are guys out there playing for their jobs, so I expect this to be a hard-fought game either way.
Seahawks/Titans – After weeks of regression, the Seahawks shocked the nation with their upset over Philadelphia on Monday night. They’ll need to recreate that magic against a gritty Tennessee team this week as Geno Smith makes his return in an attempt to push this Seattle team to a wildcard berth.
Colts/Falcons – At 6-8, the Falcons are anything but out of the race for the NFC South. Even if they don’t win the division, they could still snag a wildcard spot if some chips fall where they need. On the other side, the Colts have been exceeding expectations all season, and look to stay hot as they’ve won 5 out of their last 6. Their opportunistic defense should be able to capitalize on the Falcons’ turnover-prone ways. They’ll need to keep winning to stay alive in the tight AFC.
Packers/Panthers – Despite the recently poor performance of the Packers, they have a pretty good opportunity to get back on track against the pitiful Panthers. Of course, without a first-round pick in the upcoming draft, the Panthers gain nothing by losing, so perhaps they’ll give it the old college try. But seriously this team stinks. I like the Packers here as they try to remain in contention for a wildcard spot.
Lions/Vikings – Have the Lions finally got their mojo back? It certainly seems that way after an impressive performance against Denver last week. They’ll need to keep heading in that direction as they have the Cowboys in Week 17 sandwiched between two games against the Vikes. With that being said, the Vikings, fresh off a disappointing OT loss to the Bengals last week, still have a shot at the division and certainly a shot at a wildcard berth. I think the latter is more reasonable, assuming they can get one of two against Detroit and a victory over Green Bay in Week 17. This week, though, I like the Lions.
Jaguars/Buccaneers – If you want a game with implications, look no further. The Jaguars are barely maintaining control of the AFC South by virtue of sweeping the Colts this season. Their remaining schedule includes this game against Tampa, a home game against Carolina, and finally a road-date with Titans in Week 18. On paper, it’s the easiest remaining schedule out of the three 8-6 AFC South teams. And hey, the Colts and Texans have to play each other. I don’t know how many times I have to say the AFC is tight, but winning the division is going to be the best way to secure that playoff berth. As for the Buccaneers, a win would get them a one-game lead in the NFC South, with an important game against the Saints coming next week (who they’ve already beat once). They finish out with the Panthers, so if they can pull it off against Jacksonville, they’ll be set up nicely to win the South.
Cardinals/Bears – While the Cardinals are eliminated from playoff contention, the Bears are statistically still alive. Of course, a win last week would’ve helped out a ton, and they would need some help to get in, but it’s possible. They finish out with the Falcons and Packers, and 8-9 could get you into the NFC wildcard. I don’t think the Cards will roll over by any means, but I think Chicago will play with a chip on their shoulder.
Cowboys/Dolphins – Now here’s a game. These teams have faced similar criticism throughout the year, beating up on inferior opponents and falling short against other elite company. They both even have one head-scratching loss each. Both teams currently lead their division, but will have that lead fall into jeopardy if they lose here. Hell, they both even have tough matchups next week that they’ll need to win. The main difference is that while the Fins have a tough Week 18 matchup against a Bills team they’ve already lost to that could be for the division crown, the Cowboys have the Commanders. Undoubtedly, the symmetry here is insane. Overall, I think Miami has a little more on the line here, as they could, in theory, miss the playoffs entirely if they go 0-3 in their last 3. And it’s a realistic possibility. The Boyz, on the other hand, have secured at least a wildcard berth with how lousy the NFC gets past the top 4 teams.
Patriots/Broncos – I cannot believe that we as a nation are being force-fed this atrocity on Christmas Eve. I think I’ll just spend some time with loved ones instead of watching this game. The Broncos need a win to stay alive in the AFC playoff picture. The Patriots…exist. This might even be a competitive game but it’s gonna be ugly, that’s a guarantee.
Christmas
On Christmas Day, the Raiders kick things off against the Chiefs. The Chiefs have had their fair share of struggles this year, but they tend to dominate their AFC West rivals. I think Vegas will make this a good game, but ultimately, they’ll fall short. I would like to point out, though, that should Vegas win here, and win out the rest of the season, along with KC losing out, they could actually win the AFC West. Seems pretty unlikely, but there is a chance.
The next gift we get on Christmas is…Giants at Eagles. Obviously, the Eagles need to and should win this game against a significantly inferior opponent. They’ve got a playoff berth locked up, but they’ll be rooting for Miami this week so they can take back control of the NFC East. They finish out against the Cardinals and Giants again, so compared to the Cowboys, they have a much more favorable schedule.
And finally, our potential Super Bowl Preview: Ravens at Niners. If you ask most talking heads, they’ll give you these two teams as their favorites to make the big game. We all remember the Blackout HarbaughBowl from the 2012-13 season. A classic. The Ravens may have more to gain from getting a Christmas win, as their remaining schedule features the explosive Dolphins and division rival Steelers, who, while playing poorly as of late, would love to ruffle the Ravens’ feathers just before the playoffs, and could also be playing for a playoff berth themselves (not likely but hey). The Niners, meanwhile, have the Commanders and Rams to end the season. You can pretty much overlook the Commies and be just fine, but the Rams will likely be looking to secure a wildcard spot and should give the Niners a good fight. In my opinion (most people’s opinion really), the Niners are the most complete team in the league. I think they handle business at home.
Last Week
Here’s how last week shook out:
I’ll take 10-6 any day. Broncos over Lions was a pretty bad call on my part, I’ll admit. Giants over Saints was wishful thinking. The other misses were slight surprises with the exception of the Seahawks win, which was a big surprise.
Fade Route
So, I managed a spectacular 1-2 last week, moving me to 20-25 on the year. It’s been a pretty bad 2 weeks. Let’s see what I can muster up this week:
Money Line: Colts (+120)
Spread: Browns -2.5 (-120)
Point Total: Cowboys/Dolphins O49.5 (-110)
Well, that’ll do us for this week. See ya next time.
Strong Side Sports 