NFL Week 17 Games to Watch

            Week 16 of the NFL season wasn’t quite as fun as Week 15 was, but it was great overall. The Cowboys are still alive in the NFC East race after knocking off the Eagles at home, while the Vikings pulled off another miraculous victory, connecting on a 61-yard field goal for the win. Don’t look now, but a few teams such as the Jaguars, Packers, & Steelers are making some impressive playoff pushes after being more or less left for dead by most analysts at midseason. These developments mean that we will discuss various contenders here in this space this week. Football fans will notice that there are plenty of good games to go around & watch this week, including all of the primetime games and at least a couple games in each and every time slot. Without further ado, let’s get to it & discuss all of this week’s hottest contests in this column.

Cowboys (11-4) at Titans (7-8) on Prime Video (Thursday Night Football)

            The Titans have lost five straight games in November & December to earn a 7-8 record. They’ve never been more desperate for a win as they look to stay competitive in the AFC South. On the flip side, the Cowboys are full of life after coming off an emotional win over the Eagles. Call me crazy, but I actually think this game could be competitive as both teams are similar stylistically in that they each love running the ball and backing that up with solid defensive play. Full disclosure: I could be dead wrong here as the Cowboys could steamroll this Titans squad. Regardless, what else are you really going to do besides watch football on a fun Thursday night?

Steelers (7-8) at Ravens (10-5) on NBC (Sunday Night Football)

            NFL schedulemakers did the right thing in flexing this game onto the primetime stage. This is an all-time rivalry that transcends time, space, and each of these team’s season records. These teams have lots to play for, including a playoff berth (Steelers) and division title (Ravens). For some reason, it always comes down to this game every single year for these divisional rivals. With that said, could QB Lamar Jackson make his long-awaited return from injury? “We’ll see.” Both teams are coming off of key wins against teams that they were supposed to beat “on paper.” Which of these rivals starts their New Year off right with their first victory on the 2023 calendar?

Bills (12-3) at Bengals (11-4) on ESPN (Monday Night Football)

            Oh my goodness, it’s a Monday Night matchup that’s actually worth watching for once! These types of good games have been hard to come by lately, as fans have been subjected to watching bad tilts such as Patriots-Cardinals, Packers-Rams, & Chargers-Colts in recent weeks. The football gods have given us a likely AFC playoff preview with key outcomes for both teams. While the Bills are still in contention with the Chiefs for the AFC’s No. 1 seed (and the bye week that comes with it), the Bengals are contending with the Ravens for the AFC North division title. Believe it or not, this is the first time that Josh Allen & Joe Burrow will battle against each other. Add all of these factors together, and it’s clear that this is a must-watch contest on Monday night.

Dolphins (8-7) at Patriots (7-8) on CBS (Sunday, 1:00 P.M. ET)

            Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa’s placement in the NFL’s concussion protocol earlier this week makes this contest much less exciting, but nonetheless important in the AFC’s playoff race. Basically, one of these teams is likely to find themselves on the outside of the picture looking in. That’s because there are just two playoff spots up for grabs with seven contenders still relevant. One of those spots will go to either the Jaguars or the Titans, winners of the AFC South division. So really, that leaves five teams competing for one spot, with two of the teams squaring off here. Will Teddy Bridgewater & company pull off the upset, or will the Patriots again reign supreme?

Panthers (6-9) at Buccaneers (7-8) on FOX (Sunday, 1:00 P.M. ET)

            The comically bad NFC South division race all comes down to this, as the Buccaneers square off against the Panthers in a de-facto “championship game” for both teams in Week 17.  Basically, the Bucs just need to win & they’re in the tournament; however, the Panthers could play spoiler if they manage to pull off the upset here & win next week’s game against the Saints. It’s been that kind of a season for these NFC South teams, who are wondering how they got here. Nobody wants to see Tom Brady in the playoffs again for the 75^th time, so I’m hopeful for a tie. Wouldn’t that be hilarious for the NFC South race to come down to a “tie”breaker in Week 18? 

Jets (7-8) at Seahawks (7-8) on FOX (Sunday, 4:25 P.M. ET)

            Man, these teams are so frustratingly similar it actually hurts my brain writing about it. Obviously, these teams share the same record & are on the outside looking in the playoff race. Beyond that though, both teams started off hot out of the gate & have cooled down the stretch. Both of these teams have lost five out of their last seven games, with the Jets losing four straight. Realistically, it’s win or go home for the winner & loser of this contest, with the winner likely still in need of help (and some lucky breaks along the way) in order to clinch a playoff berth. Mike White’s return to action could not have happened at a better time for the Jets, while the Seahawks hold out hope that WR Tyler Lockett can make his return from injury in this game. Football junkies should sit on their couch, grab some popcorn, and enjoy this show on Sunday.

Vikings (12-3) at Packers (7-8) on CBS (Sunday, 4:25 P.M. ET)

            There’s a lot at stake here for both teams, although neither can clinch anything this week. The Vikings have an outside shot at nabbing the No. 1 seed in the NFC should the Eagles falter. Meanwhile, the Packers are just trying to stay alive in the playoff picture & clinch a playoff spot. One more loss for them over the next couple of weeks and they’re out of contention altogether. Vikings fans have watched their team live on the edge all season long, as they set an NFL single season record last week with their 11^th straight win in one-score games by defeating the Giants. Perhaps just as surprising, the Packers have won 15 straight games in the month of December. One of these streaks is surely to be put to the test as these division rivals square off this week. Make sure to tune in & start your New Year off right with this iconic NFC North showdown!