Week 17 Predictions

This is it, the final week of football. Several teams are in the hunt for a playoff spot, and a loss may ruin their hopes of a championship win this season. Though many teams are looking for a win, three teams may actually want to lose in order to draft Andrew Luck. Indianapolis (2-13), Minnesota (3-12) and St. Louis (2-13) all want the star QB, for he is projected to be on of the best prospects of his generation. A total of 7 teams look to clinch a playoff spot this weekend, and the 2011 regular season should go out with a bang!

Cam Newton

Game-to-Watch: Cowboys at Giants: The division rivalry game this weekend decides which team will earn the fourth seed, and which team is eliminated from the playoffs. The last time these two teams played, Eli Manning threw for 400 yards and 2 touchdowns in a win on the road. However, the win did not come easily. In fact, it came down to a blocked field goal attempt from kicker Dan Bailey which would have sent the game into OT. Now, the Cowboys need injured quarterback Tony Romo to lead his team to a win over the rolling New York Giants. The Cowboys have been extremely inconsistent the past few games, losing to the Philadelphia Eagles 20-7 last weekend. The Giants on the other hand dominated the New York Jets 29-14 away from home in Week 16. Eli Manning has not been great the past two games, but he should be able to bounce back against the weak Dallas secondary. All in all, New York has the edge in this one, and they should be a threat in the playoffs.
Giants over Cowboys 31-10


Stand-Out Performance: QB Matthew Stafford: Usually, this quarterback would not be picked as a stand out performer during the regular season. However, with many great players being sat in Week 17 in order to stay healthy for the playoffs, Stafford should be playing in as much of the game as he can. In the past two games, Stafford has thrown for 7 passing touchdowns and a total of 764 yards. The Lions look to clinch a playoff spot as they play Green Bay on Sunday. Green Bay will have many of their star defensive players on the bench, so expect Stafford to come out firing.
Mathew Stafford: 295 passing yards, 3 passing TD's, 1 rushing TD


Player-to-Watch: RB Marshawn Lynch: For the first time this season, a running back was able to score a rushing touchdown against the impenetrable 49ers defense. This running back was Marshawn Lynch, the dominant rusher for Seattle. In the past nine games, Lynch has averaged 97.6 rushing yards per game and scored a whopping 11 total touchdowns. This weekend, he will play the Arizona Cardinals at home, so look to see if he adds on to his rushing touchdown numbers.
Marshawn Lynch: 75 rushing yards, 1 rushing TD


Week 17 Predictions:


Lions over Packers


Texans over Titans


Jaguars over Colts


Dolphins over Jets


Bears over Vikings


Patriots over Bills


Saints over Panthers


Eagles over Redskins


49ers over Rams


Seahawks over Cardinals (OT)


Falcons over Buccaneers


Ravens over Bengals (OT)


Steelers over Browns


Broncos over Chiefs


Raiders over Chargers


Giants over Cowboys



Playoff Scenarios: 
Bengals: Win or loss by Jets AND loss by either Raiders or Broncos
Raiders: Win and loss by Bengals OR win and loss by Broncos
Titans: Win AND loss by Bengals AND either win by Jets or Broncos win and Raiders win
Jets: Win AND loss by Bengals AND loss by Titans AND either loss by Broncos or Raiders


The NFL Report Projected Playoff Seeding:

AFC: 1. Patriots   2. Ravens   3. Texans   4. Broncos   5. Steelers   6. Raiders
NFC: 1. Packers   2. 49ers   3. Saints   4. Giants   5. Lions   6. Atlanta