As we enter the final week of the regular season, we have a pretty good idea of who’s going to be playing into January and possibly February.
There are still a few open playoff spots remaining, but most of the league by this point knows whether or not this weekend will be where their season ends.
Perpetually good teams like the Steelers and Patriots are once again part of the playoff picture. But as is the case every year, there a few surprises among the group of contenders, including the Rams, Jaguars, and Saints.
Teams like these provide reason for hope for those squads that are currently on the outside looking in, and the 2018 season figures to provide a number of prime candidates for bounceback and surprise seasons.
Much of this optimism lies in the prospects of a number of young quarterbacks and the chance for them to play a full season. Houston’s Deshaun Watson looked like a shoo-in for Rookie of the Year before tearing his ACL; with both he and J.J. Watt at full strength, the Texans could be a very dangerous team next season.
In San Francisco, Jimmy Garoppolo has looked fantastic in a late season cameo, giving hope to a fanbase that figured it would have to suffer through a lengthy rebuild.
Even a team that has looked as poor as Indianapolis could be primed to surprise next year, provided Andrew Luck returns at 100 percent. With a decent amount of existing talent and an imminent coaching change on the horizon, the Colts could be a team to keep an eye on next season.
Fans of these teams and others can only hope that they’ll be playing meaningful football at this time next year.
On to the picks:
Green Bay at Detroit
Despite hovering around .500, both the Packers and Lions are out of the playoff picture. Green Bay has even benched Aaron Rodgers for precautionary measures. It gives the Packers one more chance to see what they have in backup Brett Hundley
Nick’s pick: Packers
Houston at Indianapolis
Not exactly a marquee matchup, huh? With both teams’ franchise quarterbacks (Deshaun Watson and Andrew Luck) on the sidelines, only the truly diehard fans will have much interest in this game.
Nick’s pick: Texans
Chicago at Minnesota
The Vikings will look to make their path to a possible home Super Bowl game a little easier with a win this week. Case Keenum’s remarkable season has to go down as one of the biggest surprises of the 2017 campaign.
Nick’s pick: Vikings
N.Y. Jets at New England
Similar to the Vikings, the Patriots will hope to lock up home field advantage in the AFC playoffs, so we won’t see the customary resting of New England starters. That might actually be good news for the Jets, who at this point would be better served with a higher draft pick.
Nick’s pick: Patriots
Washington at N.Y. Giants
Kirk Cousins couldn’t ask for a better opponent to show off his stuff in what could be his last game in a Washington uniform. Cousins is likely to hit the free agent market this offseason, where he could become the highest-paid player in NFL history.
Nick’s pick: Redskins
Dallas at Philadelphia
The Eagles don’t have a ton to play for with home field already locked up. But Philly fans can’t be too comfortable with Nick Foles instead of Carson Wentz at QB. Dallas, meanwhile, will have to face another week of questions regarding Jason Garrett’s job security.
Nick’s pick: Eagles
Cleveland at Pittsburgh
The Steelers still have an outside chance at home field advantage in the playoffs, and beating the winless Browns shouldn’t be too much to ask. Most of the drama in Pittsburgh this week has been off the field, with several players making some very pointed remarks about the recent departure of linebacker James Harrison.
Nick’s pick: Steelers
Carolina at Atlanta
A lot at stake for both teams: Carolina’s playoff seeding could vary greatly depending on several outcomes this week, while Atlanta needs a win to try to avoid becoming the latest member of the “Super Bowl loser hangover” club.
Nick’s pick: Panthers
Kansas City at Denver
It may be happening later than some Chiefs fans may have wanted, but Patrick Mahomes II is finally getting a look at quarterback. Now, he’s only playing because Andy Reid is resting Alex Smith. But if Mahomes performs well against a good Denver defense, the rumblings will get even louder to play him in the postseason.
Nick’s pick: Chiefs
Jacksonville at Tennessee
The Titans are in the midst of what would be an epic season-ending collapse; they need a win and help to sneak into the playoffs. This is also an important game for the playoff-bound Jags, who need to rebound from a bad loss to San Francisco last week.
Nick’s pick: Jaguars
San Francisco at L.A. Rams
Speaking of the Niners, how impressive has Jimmy Garoppolo been? You have to think that with a full season of Jimmy G at the helm, San Francisco could be a surprise contender in 2018. The Rams have been the surprise team of 2017, and will look to carry some momentum into the wild card round.
Nick’s pick: Rams
Buffalo at Miami
It’s going to be an unfamiliar, uncomfortable Sunday for a lot of Bills fans: it’s the last game of the season, and playoff hopes are on the line. Buffalo will need help even if they beat the Dolphins, but regardless of whether they make the playoffs or not, you’d have to think a 9-7 season would go down as a win for this fanbase considering the preseason expectations.
Nick’s pick: Buffalo
Oakland at L.A. Chargers
The 2017 Chargers are similar to the 2004 Bills team that just missed the playoffs: both squads started 0-4, then came roaring back into contention. Chargers fans will hope the outcome goes better for them than it did for Buffalo. L.A. needs a win and a lot of help to make that happen.
Nick’s pick: Chargers
Arizona at Seattle
For as bad as they’ve looked at times over the past few weeks, the Seahawks still have a reasonable chance at making the playoffs. It won’t be easy though: despite being decimated by injuries, the Cardinals have shown a lot of spark this season, especially on defense.
Nick’s pick: Seahawks
New Orleans at Tampa Bay
The Saints are looking like a well-oiled machine heading into the playoffs. They can’t afford a letdown against the Buccaneers, who might be the most disappointing team in the league relative to preseason expectations.
Nick’s pick: Saints
Cincinnati at Baltimore
The AFC wild card picture will be determined by what happens in this game. If the Ravens win, they’re in. If the Bengals pull off the upset, total chaos could ensue, with the Titans, Bills, and Chargers all angling to snag one of the final two playoff berths.
Nick’s pick: Ravens
Last week: 13-3
Overall: 138-71
