As we enter Week 16, the NFL playoff picture is really starting to sort itself out. The AFC is pretty much set: New England, Pittsburgh, Indy/Jax, KC/SD, and Baltimore and the Jets get the wild card. The NFC has Atlanta, Philly, Chicago, St.Louis/SF/Seattle, New Orleans and either the Giants or Green Bay as the last wild card. If you are a huge NFL fan and you want to see some excitement in Week 17 here are the games you want to watch and some of the possibilities that could create a fun Week 17...........
Jets at Chicago: You want the Bears to win, so that gives the Jets a must win game at home vs. Buffalo in Week 17. If the Bears win, they might still have to play hard to beat Green Bay in Week 17 for a bye.
San Diego at Cincy: Root for San Diego to win so they can still be alive to win the division in Week 17, and of course they need help in the form of the Chiefs losing.
Tennessee at Kansas City: If you want choas in the AFC West, then root for the Titans to win this week. If they pull off the upset in KC, then KC has to win their last game at home to win the West.
Indy at Oakland: The Raiders have a slight outside chance to win the West, but root for the Colts only because if they win out then they will win the South. It is better to have the Colts in the playoffs then the Jaguars.
San Francisco at St.Louis: Root for the 49ers if you want the Niners to somehow come up and steal the division. Either way this game actually does mean a lot.
Baltimore at Cleveland: The Ravens are still fighting for the division, but the Steelers have the inside track. Root for the Ravens to keep the AFC North title up for grabs.
Minnesota at Philly: This game isn't very appealing, but root for Philly because it would make Philly and Chicago both play their starters for the 2 seed and the bye in the playoffs.
Seattle at Tampa Bay: Root for Seattle if you want the Rams and Seahawks game to mean anything in Week 17. No one wants Tampa in the playoffs, so go for the Seahawks in this one.
Washington at Jacksonville: I will root for the Redskins because I don't want the Jags in the playoffs, but if you are looking at it objectively, then you would have to look for the Jags to win to keep the AFC South in doubt until Week 17.
New Orleans at Atlanta: Go with the Saints if you want Week 17 to mean anything to the Falcons. If the Saints win, then both will have to play hard in Week 17 for playoff positioning.
NY Giants at Green Bay: This is a huge game and if you want some drama for Week 17, then root for the Packers. If Green Bay wins then all they need to do is beat Chicago at home to get a wild card. A Giants loss to Green Bay puts the G-Men in a must win at Washington and they would need a Bears win over the Pack to put them in. If the Giants win, then the Giants are in and the Packers are basically done.
If we get a lot of these outcomes, then most of the games in Week 17 will have some type of impact and meaning. I'll check back next week and see how it all plays out for the final week of the season.
Onto the picks for Week 16:
Last Week's Record: 10-6
Overall Record: 119-98-8
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
PITTSBURGH (-11) over Carolina:
A Thought on the Steelers: Pittsburgh is headed for the 2 seed in the AFC, but they will have an interesting road to the Super Bowl. They could end up with Indy or Baltimore at home in Round 2, and that could be a very tough matchup for them-especially if Troy Polamalu isn't 100 percent.
A Thought on the Panthers: The Panthers will hire a nondescript head coach to replace John Fox. They should get the number one pick, and they should absolutely take Andrew Luck. Start fresh with a new coach and new QB.
Dallas (-5) over ARIZONA:
A Thought on the Cowboys: If the Cowboys split their last two games, they will finish at 6-10. That is not too bad after starting 1-7. Jason Garrett deserves to keep the head coaching job next year in Dallas.
A Thought on the Cardinals: The Cards need a QB in the worst way and everyone is going to point to Donovan McNabb. I would also look for the Cards to be in the Kevin Kolb sweepstakes. Ken Wisenhunt is a good coach and once he gets the QB situation figured out, he will turn the Cardinals back around.
MIAMI (-2) over Detroit:
A Thought on the Dolphins: The Fish screwed me this season. I had them picked to win the AFC East, and I really thought they were going to be a playoff team. I'm very disappointed in the Dolphins, but I'm not so sure Tony Sparano returns next year.
A Thought on the Lions: The Lions officially go to the top of the 2011 Sleeper Candidates after this season. If Matt Stafford comes back healthy, they will contend for a wild card next year.
PHILLY (-8) over Minnesota:
A Thought on the Eagles: Their win at the Giants last week was one of the most incredible comebacks ever. Michael Vick was amazing and he is doing all the things that people potentially thought he could do in the NFL. The Eagles are on track for the NFC East title and maybe a bye. They will be a popular Super Bowl pick this January.
A Thought on the Vikings: Leslie Frazier probably deserves a chance to be the HC in Minnesota next season. Once they find their QB solution (Kyle Orton?) maybe they will turn it around. Plus, they really need to build a new outdoor stadium for the Vikes. We need more snowy weather games in the NFL.
JACKSONVILLE (-6) over Washington:
A Thought on the Jaguars: Give Jack Del Rio credit because no one expected anything out of the Jags this season. He has a no name roster and little money and support to work with, and he gets the most out of his team. The one thing that always bothers me about Jacksonville is David Garrard. He is good enough to help you win 8-9 games, but he will never take you over the top.
A Thought on the Redskins: How bad must Donovan McNabb been this year for Mike Shanahan and his son, Kyle, to have given up on him already? Shanny knows quarterbacking and if it ain't there he finds a new guy (Just ask Brian Griese and Jake Plummer). I give Shanny credit for coming in and trying to bridge the gap for a year and be competitive. They are a lot farther away now then he probably thought, so why not start the rebuilding process. Shanny inherited all these problems the Redskins have, now he has to fix it himself.
ST.LOUIS (-2) over San Francisco:
A Thought on the Rams: Steve Spagnuolo and Sam Bradford have turned the Rams around. If they can win this game, then they have a solid chance of winning the NFC West. Amazing what a QB can do for a franchise.
A Thought on the 49ers: The fact that the Niners can still win the West at 7-9 is pretty sad, but hey, they are still in it. Mike Singletary will be gone next year, and they will probably be looking for a new HC. SF hasn't made the playoffs since 2002.
TAMPA BAY (-6) over Seattle:
A Thought on the Bucs: Great job by Raheem Morris this year, but the Bucs are still a year away. They will lament that loss last week at home to Detroit all offseason.
A Thought on the Seahawks: I have been waiting for Seattle to step up and win the West, and the last few weeks I thought they would beat KC and Atlanta at home. If they can somehow steal this game, then I could see them beating the Rams at home to win the division.
BUFFALO (+8) over New England:
A Thought on Buffalo: The Bills have played hard every week and they could actually be something like 6-8 at this point or even 7-7. The one thing about this year for the Bills is that Ryan Fitzpatrick played well and Bills fans are going to believe he could be their QB going forward, and I just don't see that happening. Buffalo still should address their QB situation this offseason and if they don't, it will be a major mistake.
A Thought on the Patriots: The Pats will win this game, but it will be closer then people think. The two teams the Pats don't want to see in the playoffs are the Colts and the Ravens. My Super Bowl pick of the Patriots is really looking good right now.
NY Jets (+1) over CHICAGO:
A Thought on the Jets: Big win last week for them in Pittsburgh, but Jet fans just can't be satisfied with making the playoffs and winning one game. The Jets are Super Bowl or Bust this sesaon. It looks like they might catch a break and get KC in the Wildcard round, but if they win they are probably headed to New England. Losing at New England is not acceptable if you are a realistic Jet fan this season.
A Thought on the Bears: So Josh McDaniels how did that Jay Cutler trade work out? Give Cutler and the Bears credit for winning the NFC North with an awful offensive line. The Bears will tough at home in their first game, but if they draw the Giants or Packers, they could be one and done.
Baltimore (-3) over CLEVELAND:
A Thought on the Ravens: The Ravens are headed for their third straight playoff appearance and the five seed, which could mean a date with Peyton Manning in round one. I just don't see the Ravens going deep in the playoffs this year.
A Thought on the Browns: Will Eric Mangini be back next season? It looked like he would just three weeks ago, but back to back losses have put him back on the hot seat. I would bring him back next year, but if Jon Gruden wants to come to Cleveland, then the Browns will make the move.
KANSAS CITY (-4) over Tennessee:
A Thought on the Chiefs: This could be a tricky game for them this week, but they should get through it. The Chiefs look to be one and done in the playoffs, even with a home game, because the Jets or Ravens are not good matchups for them.
A Thought on the Titans: Will Jeff Fisher be back next year? I don't think he will. I could see Fisher in Dallas or in Houston next year.
OAKLAND (+3) over Indy:
A Thought on the Raiders: The Raiders are much improved and with a few bounces they could actually be in front of the division. The difference for the Raiders will be if they can upgrade their QB position. The Raiders will never be more then a 8-8 team with Jason Campbell at the helm.
A Thought on the Colts: I think the Colts will figure out a way to win this game, but it will be a tough one. I hope the Colts make the playoffs because it is just better to have Peyton Manning in the postseason. I just can't trust the Colts right now.
GREEN BAY (-3) over NY Giants:
A Thought on Green Bay: The Packers lose two in a row and at 8-6 still have a good chance to make the playoffs. Why? Because they get the reeling Giants at home and the Bears at home in Week 17 and the Bears will have everything all locked up by then. I think the Packers play lights out this week and look for a big game by Aaron Rodgers.
A Thought on the Giants: I just don't know how you recover after last week's loss at home to Philly. I just don't see the Giants winning this game in Lambeau this week. Great game and great setting, but I think the G-Men are in trouble.
CINCY (+8) over San Diego:
A Thought on the Bengals: There are some big changes coming to the Bengals. Marvin Lewis will probably be out, and what will happen with Carson Palmer? If I am the Bengals, I would hire Josh McDaniels to be my OC and have him work with Palmer next year.
A Thought on the Chargers: SD will win this game, but it will be close. The whole East Coast, cold thing has me a little worried about them in Cincy. I actually hope the Chargers win and have something to play for in Week 17 at Denver. Then, I hope the Broncos go out and spoil their season!
ATLANTA (-2) over New Orleans:
A Thought on the Falcons: They win this game and wrap up the 1 seed in the NFC. They will be tough to beat at home in the playoffs. My NFC Super Bowl pick of Atlanta is looking good right now.
A Thought on the Saints: Even if the Saints lose this game, they will be fine. They'll beat TB next week and get the 5 seed and then go bury the NFC West Champ in Round One.
Houston (-3) over DENVER:
A Thought on the Texans: Gary Kubiak's days in Houston could be coming to an end. They built a really good offense there, but their defense has let them down. It doesn't help to be in the same division as the Colts every year. Plus, they have lost some just really brutal games the past two seasons. It's not all Kubiak's fault, but I don't know about him as a head coach.
A Thought on the Broncos: Invesco will be packed and rocking for Tim Tebow and Denver on Sunday. They should announce Tebow last for the player introductions, and I can't wait to see the fans' reaction to him. This is big for Tebow. He needs to play well to win over the new regime that comes into Denver next year. I would really love to see him play well and have Denver beat Houston this week, and then spoil the Chargers season next week. I think Tebow plays okay this week, but the Texans offense is just too much for the Broncos and their pathetic defense.
Final Score: Houston-34 Denver-20
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