JO_75
Hall of Famer
The NFL has been so crazy this year that in week 17 we only have one game between teams with a winning record. There is also two games that regardless of outcome mean nothing as the Titans can lose to the Cowboys, Jags can lose to Houston and it wouldn't even matter to who wins the division. That comes down to next week and the likely Sunday Night Game to determine who wins the dreadful AFC South. Offseason storylines are already starting to take shape, the QB Carousel is already spinning and Nathanial Hackett was fired after an embarrassing loss on Christmas.
Cowboys @ Titans - The Final Game of TNF to conclude Amazon's first season covering the NFL sees the Cowboys heading to Tennessee to play the Titans. Tennessee seems to be using this week as a BYE to prepare for next week's all or nothing game against the Jaguars. Sorry to Derrick Henry fantasy owners, Mike Vrabel doesn't care about you winning your Fantasy Championship. If Philly somehow manages to give up the Division lead without Hurts, Dallas can sneak in and steal it right under the Eagles nose.
Cardinals @ Falcons - Arizona had Tampa Bay beat until they didn't, now there are reports about Kliff Kingsbury's future in Arizona. Will Kliff Kingsbury be back next year, who will be the new General Manager tasked with ultimately not having Kyler Murray for the start of next season and trying to win until he gets back. As for Atlanta, they are finally eliminated from playoff contention and will continue their rebuilding in 2023.
Bears @ Lions - It's a new era in Detroit as the Lions have found new life under Dan Campbell, a team that started 1-7 and now find themselves in the thick of the NFC Wild Card picture in the final weeks of the season. At 1-7, people were writing Campbell's coaching career off as a failure, people were trying to replace Goff even before the season but now Goff sits at 26 Touchdowns and only 7 interceptions and a chance to take the Lions back to the playoffs. As for Chicago, the bad news is you are out of playoff contention but if Houston screws up the tank, could win the 1st overall pick in 2023. Fields showed lots of promise but they need to put a team around him going forward.
Broncos @ Chiefs: Not much to say here, Nathanial Hackett is fired and Denver is starting over at Head Coach in hopes that a new coach will fix whatever was wrong with Russell Wilson this season. Was it an coaching issue or is Russell in decline, either way the Seahawks thank you for giving them a top five pick in next year's draft. KC is just hoping Buffalo slips so the road to the Super Bowl goes through KC once again opposed to Buffalo.
Dolphins @ Patriots: The Dolphins need to explain why Tua was allowed to keep playing, the NFL needs to explain why Tua wasn't pulled from the game after his head bounced off the ground on a hard hit. They literally have a concussion specialist at the games to pull players who potentially show symptoms and check them on the spot. Now in the thick of a playoff race, Miami is without their starting Quarterback as Teddy Bridgewater is starting against New England. New England has fumbled away two wins in the past two weeks, feasting on a Tua-less Miami team will keep the Patriots playoff chances alive heading into Week 18.
Colts @ Giants: The Giants find themselves needing a win to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2016 and what better team to play in that scenario than a Colts team who is down to Nick Foles at starting quarterback. Brian Daboll is showing why he should have been hired a year sooner than he was, much like Dan Campbell did in Detroit with Goff, Daboll was able to get good play out of Daniel Jones in 2022. Now whether they pay him or not next year as they declined his fifth year option is the question. The Colts continue to go through quarterbacks like they are the Cleveland Browns, and like the Browns are failing miserably. Who knew when Andrew Luck shockingly retired, the Colts would indeed run out of Luck. Matt Ryan was supposed to guide this Colts team to the playoffs, and restore stability at the quarterback position. Instead, Matt Ryan's decline got Frank Reich fired, he lost his starting job and now we wonder about the future of Matty Ice.
Panthers @ Bucs: It took a few years but Sam Darnold finally has a chance to do what he was drafted by the New York Jets to do, beat out Tom Brady for the Division Title. Except, this isn't the AFC East, Sam Darnold is a Panther and Brady is a Buccaneer and this is the dreadful AFC South's twin, the NFC South. Tom Brady can close out his Buccaneer chapter of his career by winning another NFC South Division Title, while Sam Darnold looks to show he can be the guy going forward in Carolina as the Panthers need to win both of their final games to win the division. Carolina should avoid the mistake the Raiders made and actually keep their interim Head Coach, Steve Wilks going forward as he has turned this team around in short order following the departure of Matt Rhule.
Jaguars @ Texans: If I'm Jacksonville, I'd rest up the players and use this week as a bye week much like Tennessee is doing as the outcome of this game or the Titans game has no impact on who wins the division. Also... by allowing Houston to win, you can screw your division rival out of the first overall pick in the process. It's a win-win, you get healthy before next week and you don't have to play one of either Bryce Young or CJ Stroud in the next 5 years or so.
Cowboys @ Titans - The Final Game of TNF to conclude Amazon's first season covering the NFL sees the Cowboys heading to Tennessee to play the Titans. Tennessee seems to be using this week as a BYE to prepare for next week's all or nothing game against the Jaguars. Sorry to Derrick Henry fantasy owners, Mike Vrabel doesn't care about you winning your Fantasy Championship. If Philly somehow manages to give up the Division lead without Hurts, Dallas can sneak in and steal it right under the Eagles nose.
Cardinals @ Falcons - Arizona had Tampa Bay beat until they didn't, now there are reports about Kliff Kingsbury's future in Arizona. Will Kliff Kingsbury be back next year, who will be the new General Manager tasked with ultimately not having Kyler Murray for the start of next season and trying to win until he gets back. As for Atlanta, they are finally eliminated from playoff contention and will continue their rebuilding in 2023.
Bears @ Lions - It's a new era in Detroit as the Lions have found new life under Dan Campbell, a team that started 1-7 and now find themselves in the thick of the NFC Wild Card picture in the final weeks of the season. At 1-7, people were writing Campbell's coaching career off as a failure, people were trying to replace Goff even before the season but now Goff sits at 26 Touchdowns and only 7 interceptions and a chance to take the Lions back to the playoffs. As for Chicago, the bad news is you are out of playoff contention but if Houston screws up the tank, could win the 1st overall pick in 2023. Fields showed lots of promise but they need to put a team around him going forward.
Broncos @ Chiefs: Not much to say here, Nathanial Hackett is fired and Denver is starting over at Head Coach in hopes that a new coach will fix whatever was wrong with Russell Wilson this season. Was it an coaching issue or is Russell in decline, either way the Seahawks thank you for giving them a top five pick in next year's draft. KC is just hoping Buffalo slips so the road to the Super Bowl goes through KC once again opposed to Buffalo.
Dolphins @ Patriots: The Dolphins need to explain why Tua was allowed to keep playing, the NFL needs to explain why Tua wasn't pulled from the game after his head bounced off the ground on a hard hit. They literally have a concussion specialist at the games to pull players who potentially show symptoms and check them on the spot. Now in the thick of a playoff race, Miami is without their starting Quarterback as Teddy Bridgewater is starting against New England. New England has fumbled away two wins in the past two weeks, feasting on a Tua-less Miami team will keep the Patriots playoff chances alive heading into Week 18.
Colts @ Giants: The Giants find themselves needing a win to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2016 and what better team to play in that scenario than a Colts team who is down to Nick Foles at starting quarterback. Brian Daboll is showing why he should have been hired a year sooner than he was, much like Dan Campbell did in Detroit with Goff, Daboll was able to get good play out of Daniel Jones in 2022. Now whether they pay him or not next year as they declined his fifth year option is the question. The Colts continue to go through quarterbacks like they are the Cleveland Browns, and like the Browns are failing miserably. Who knew when Andrew Luck shockingly retired, the Colts would indeed run out of Luck. Matt Ryan was supposed to guide this Colts team to the playoffs, and restore stability at the quarterback position. Instead, Matt Ryan's decline got Frank Reich fired, he lost his starting job and now we wonder about the future of Matty Ice.
Panthers @ Bucs: It took a few years but Sam Darnold finally has a chance to do what he was drafted by the New York Jets to do, beat out Tom Brady for the Division Title. Except, this isn't the AFC East, Sam Darnold is a Panther and Brady is a Buccaneer and this is the dreadful AFC South's twin, the NFC South. Tom Brady can close out his Buccaneer chapter of his career by winning another NFC South Division Title, while Sam Darnold looks to show he can be the guy going forward in Carolina as the Panthers need to win both of their final games to win the division. Carolina should avoid the mistake the Raiders made and actually keep their interim Head Coach, Steve Wilks going forward as he has turned this team around in short order following the departure of Matt Rhule.
Jaguars @ Texans: If I'm Jacksonville, I'd rest up the players and use this week as a bye week much like Tennessee is doing as the outcome of this game or the Titans game has no impact on who wins the division. Also... by allowing Houston to win, you can screw your division rival out of the first overall pick in the process. It's a win-win, you get healthy before next week and you don't have to play one of either Bryce Young or CJ Stroud in the next 5 years or so.
