If someone said at the beginning of the season that the Carolina-Atlanta Week 17 clash will decide once and for all the winner of the NFC South race, that person would surely be put into ridicule. With New Orleans’ shocking late-season collapse however, that’s the reality football fans are faced with heading into the final week of the 2014 NFL regular season.
This much-anticipated NFC South showdown is the highlight of a packed 16-game schedule which includes the NFC North decider between Green Bay and Detroit and a pivotal AFC West clash between San Diego and Kansas City. Read on below for our complete Week 17 predictions as the 2014-15 NFL Playoffs draw ever closer.
[sc:Football ]Complete NFL Week 17 Picks
Sunday, December 28
Carolina Panthers vs. Atlanta Falcons (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Falcons
[sc:NFL240banner ]It doesn’t get any better than this. For the Carolina Panthers and the Atlanta Falcons, all of their hard work this season will boil down to their virtual knockout game this coming Sunday. The winner not only wins the NFC South division but also grabs that all-important spot in the 2014 NFL Playoffs.
If their first meeting this season is anything to go by, it’s going to be a humdinger of a fight. The Falcons edged past the Panthers, 19-17, in their first encounter thanks mainly to Matt Ryan’s heroics. They won’t have it any easier this time around as the Panthers are one of the hottest teams in the league right now, having won all of their last three games.
Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Ravens
Baltimore’s path to the playoffs got a little murkier after they lost 25-13 to the Houston Texans Sunday. Not only do they need to win their final home game against the Cleveland Browns, they will also hope the Chiefs do them a huge favor and beat the Chargers this coming Sunday.
The Ravens will at least fancy their chances of solving the first part of the puzzle. They have already beaten the Browns once this season, winning 23-21 at FirstEnergy Stadium. Now, they have the added benefit of playing the return leg at their home field where they own an impressive 5-2 record this season.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Redskins (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys sealed their return to the playoffs in grand style Sunday night, thrashing the Indianapolis Colts 42-7 in front of a jubilant home crowd. Tony Romo was the star of the show for the Cowboys, completing 18 of 20 passes for 218 yards and four touchdowns in the blowout win.
The Cowboys will now look to finish their regular season on an even higher note when they face the Washington Redskins this coming weekend. It certainly won’t be that easy for the Cowboys, however, as the Redskins are one of only four teams this season that have managed to beat Dallas this campaign.
Indianapolis Colts vs. Tennessee Titans (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Colts
The Indianapolis Colts may have already booked their spot in the postseason a week ago but they certainly didn’t look like a team that was bound for the playoffs after their 42-7 humiliation at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys Sunday night. Andrew Luck had his worst performance of the year, throwing a season-low 109 yards with two interceptions in the blowout loss.
He will fancy his chances, however, of rediscovering his form when the Colts travel to Tennessee to face the Titans. The Colts are unbeaten in their last six meetings with the Titans.
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Houston Texans (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Texans
Case Keenum made the most of his second opportunity with the Texans, recording his first career win in nine starts in Houston’s 25-13 conquest of the Baltimore Ravens Sunday. Keenum completed 20 of 42 passes for 185 yards and an interception in his first NFL start in more than a year.
What made the victory possible, however, was the Texans’ aggressiveness on the defensive end. They forced Joe Flacco to throw a season-high three interceptions. They will fancy their chances of having the same success against the Jaguars this coming Sunday as Jacksonville’s Blake Bortles is second in the NFL in picks thrown this season with 17 to his name.
San Diego Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Chiefs
Philip Rivers made sure the San Diego Chargers will have their playoff fate in their own hands after a superb performance Saturday night against the San Francisco 49ers. Rivers completed 33 of 54 passes for 356 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Chargers to a nerve-wracking 38-35 comeback win over the 49ers.
With Baltimore’s loss to Houston Sunday, the Chargers only need to win their final game against the Kansas City Chiefs for them to advance to the playoffs. Rivers will find the going much harder, though, this time around as the Chiefs are second in passing defense this season, allowing 200.2 yards per game via the aerial route.
New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins may have failed in their quest to snap their six-year playoff drought but they can still record their first winning season since 2008 with a victory over the New York Jets this coming Sunday. The Dolphins nabbed their eighth win of the season in dramatic fashion Sunday with rookie Terrence Fede blocking a punt for a safety with 41 seconds remaining to give Miami the 37-35 victory.
Ryan Tannehill also starred for the Dolphins, throwing four touchdown passes, the most by a Dolphin quarterback since Dan Marino did it back in 1998. Tannehill will look to take advantage of New York’s mediocre secondary which has allowed 30 passing touchdowns this season, the third-worst mark in the NFL.
Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Vikings
Chicago’s decision to replace Jay Cutler with Jimmy Clausen also paid immediate dividends as the Bears gave the Lions a mighty scare in their 20-14 loss Sunday. Starting his first game since 2010, Clausen held his own against opposite number Matthew Stafford completing 23 of 39 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns with an interception.
He will look to build on his solid debut this coming Sunday when the Bears travel to Minnesota to face the Vikings in their final game of the season. The Bears will fancy their chances of ending their season on a high note as they are 8-2 in their last 10 meetings with the Vikings.
Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Patriots
The New England Patriots may have won the AFC East a week ago but that doesn’t mean their division rivals will just let them coast through in their run-in to the playoffs. Just look at the New York Jets who almost pulled off a gargantuan upset with a narrow 17-16 defeat to the Patriots Sunday.
Another team who will be desperate to play the spoiler’s role is the Buffalo Bills who saw their playoff dreams go up in smoke with a shock 26-24 loss to the Oakland Raiders. Beating New England would be a tough task, though, as the Patriots are 7-0 at Gillette Stadium this season.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. New York Giants (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Giants
When Philadelphia destroyed Dallas three weeks ago in their Thanksgiving showdown, many were expecting the Eagles to at least clinch a wild card spot in this year’s playoffs. So it is a complete surprise that with a game remaining in the schedule, the Eagles find themselves out of the playoff picture after suffering their third straight defeat Sunday with their 27-24 loss to the Washington Redskins.
Turnovers were the root of the Eagles’ problems once again as they committed two in the ballgame, including Mark Sanchez’s crucial interception with 1:31 remaining that all but sealed their ouster from the playoff race. It won’t get any easier for them this coming Sunday as they will next face a Giants team that is playing some of their best football this season. Eli Manning was superb for New York, completing 25 of 32 passes for 391 yards and three touchdowns for the Giants who have now won all of their last three games.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Prediction to come upon the conclusion of the Monday Night Football game.
New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1:00 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Saints
What in the world happened to New Orleans? After winning their first three games at the Superdome this year, it seemed like the Saints will ride their impressive home form to another playoff appearance this season. To everyone’s shock, however, the Saints imploded in their own fortress as they lost their last five home games to send them crashing to a quick elimination.
They will look to end their season on a high, though, when they face the struggling Buccaneers this coming Sunday. The Bucs’ scoring woes continued on Sunday against the Packers as they were held to just three points by Green Bay. The Bucs are fifth-worst in the NFL in scoring this season, averaging 17.1 points per game.
Oakland Raiders vs. Denver Broncos (4:25 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Prediction to come upon the conclusion of the Monday Night Football game.
Detroit Lions vs. Green Bay Packers (4:25 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Packers
The NFC North title will be on the line this coming Sunday as Detroit and Green Bay square off in a pivotal clash at Lambeau Field. The Packers and the Lions carry similar 11-4 slates and both teams will be desperate to grab that all-important victory that will earn them a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs.
Although the Lions are in the midst of a four-game winning streak, smart money is on Green Bay winning their fourth successive division title this coming weekend. The Packers are a perfect 7-0 at home this season.
Arizona Cardinals vs. San Francisco 49ers (4:25 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: 49ers
San Francisco’s nightmarish season is going from bad to worse after another late-game collapse saw them crash to their fourth consecutive defeat. Leading by 21 points at the break, the 49ers’ late-game woes resurfaced as they were outscored by the Chargers 31-7 in the second half and overtime. It was just the second time in their history that the 49ers blew a game when leading by at least 21 points at halftime.
It was a painful defeat, particularly for Frank Gore who had a stellar outing for the 49ers finishing with 158 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. He is now just 38 yards shy of his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard season. The Cardinals won’t let him pass that mark easily, though, as they are eighth in rushing defense this season, allowing 102.2 yards per game.
St. Louis Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks (4:25 PM ET)
Writer’s Pick: Seahawks
For the Seattle Seahawks, the stakes on this game can never be higher. A win over the St. Louis Rams will not only give them their second straight NFC West title but will also provide them home field advantage for the rest of the NFC Playoffs. With that being said, it’s pretty difficult to see another outcome in this game other than a Seahawks win.
The Seahawks are currently on a five-game winning streak, punctuated by their 35-6 demolition of the Arizona Cardinals Sunday night. The Seahawks were simply dominant in that game as they generated a franchise-record 596 yards in total offense.
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