The penultimate week of the NFL season is unlike any others: there are no Thursday or Saturday games at all this week! That’s right, you don’t need to worry about missing your TNF football game (*ahemJoeahem*) and you can concentrate on getting all your picks ahead of the games on Sunday afternoon.
Of course, with just two weeks left, some huge games on the slate this week:
The Rams travel across the country to Baltimore to take on the Ravens in a non-conference matchup. The Rams lock up the NFC West if they win out, while the Ravens need to win out and get help to make the playoffs in the AFC.
Chiefs at Bengals: the Bengals clinch the AFC North with a win. All they have to do is defeat the Chiefs, who are winners of nine in a row. A Chiefs win and a Titans loss would lock up the 1 seed for KC.
Dolphins at Titans: a couple weeks ago, this would’ve been considered a walkover for the AFC South leading Titans, now this game has significant stakes for each team. The Dolphins maintain their hold on the final wild card spot with a win, while the Titans can lock up their division if they win. The Titans can still miss the playoffs if they lose out (at Houston in Week 18… don’t laugh, they lost to the Texans at home in Week 11), the Colts win out, and a few other results go against them.
Raiders at Colts: If the Raiders win both of their remaining games, they’re headed to the postseason. They just have to beat the red-hot Colts in Indy then beat their division rival Chargers in Week 18. They would be in the rare position of having won head-to-head matchups with all of their competitors (beat the Dolphins and Ravens already, then a win over Indy would bring an elimination game between the Chargers and Raiders to end the season). Indianapolis locks up a playoff spot with a win.
Eagles at Washington: even with the WFT free-fall (and crash landing last week at Dallas), 6-9 Washington can still make the playoffs if they win out and get help. The formula is much easier for Philly – win both games and they are in. Lose this game and things get hairy.
Falcons at Bills: the Bills are back in the driver’s seat in the AFC East, but will still need to win out to take the division. The Falcons’ playoff hopes are hanging by a thread – they need to win their last two games and get help to have a shot.
Jaguars at Patriots: The Patriots still haven’t clinched a playoff spot and need this game to make certain of their chances. With a loss, the Jags would be one step closer to securing the first overall pick for the second year in a row.
Buccaneers at Jets: Having already locked up the NFC South, the Bucs will look to improve their position among the top four with a win. The Jets are playing for pride.
Giants at Bears: Even the most loyal fans of each team will have a hard time justifying why they’d spend their Sunday afternoon watching this game.
Broncos at Chargers: The Broncos still have a chance, but need a laundry list of outcomes to occur to get into the playoffs. The Chargers need this win ahead of a potential win-and-in game against the Raiders in Week 18.
Cardinals at Cowboys: The Cardinals are in but struggling. They’ve lost the division lead to the Rams and are in danger of losing additional ground in the wild card race. A win is bigger for the psyches than anything else. The Cowboys have won the NFC East and their conference record gives them a significant advantage against every team except the Bucs.
Texans at Niners: The Niners control their destiny. A win here and they are close to safe, which they desperately need as they travel to LA to take on the Rams in Week 18. The Texans have nothing to play for but have been pesky in recent weeks.
Lions at Seahawks: Like the Giants-Bears game but worse.
Vikings at Packers: The Packers own the #1 seed in the NFC and will look to maintain their stronghold on that spot. With a win here, they’re guaranteed to finish no worse than second, though they would need the Cowboys to lose once to get the first round bye.
Steelers at Browns: Both teams have a path to the playoffs, which involves winning the AFC North with 9 wins. That path (for both teams) includes winning out, the Bengals losing out, and the Ravens one of their last two games. By the time this game is played, their fates may already be sealed.
Here is the schedule for Week 17:
| Time | Date | Away | Home | Winner | Conf | Pick Due | Time |
| 1:00 | 02-Jan | NY Giants | Chicago | 02-Jan | 1:00 PM | ||
| 1:00 | 02-Jan | Jacksonville | New England | 02-Jan | 1:00 PM | ||
| 1:00 | 02-Jan | LA Rams | Baltimore | 02-Jan | 1:00 PM | ||
| 1:00 | 02-Jan | Tampa Bay | NY Jets | 02-Jan | 1:00 PM | ||
| 1:00 | 02-Jan | Atlanta | Buffalo | 02-Jan | 1:00 PM | ||
| 1:00 | 02-Jan | Kansas City | Cincinnati | 02-Jan | 1:00 PM | ||
| 1:00 | 02-Jan | Miami | Tennessee | 02-Jan | 1:00 PM | ||
| 1:00 | 02-Jan | Las Vegas | Indianapolis | 02-Jan | 1:00 PM | ||
| 1:00 | 02-Jan | Philadelphia | Washington | 02-Jan | 1:00 PM | ||
| 4:05 | 02-Jan | Denver | LA Chargers | 02-Jan | 1:00 PM | ||
| 4:05 | 02-Jan | Houston | San Francisco | 02-Jan | 1:00 PM | ||
| 4:25 | 02-Jan | Detroit | Seattle | 02-Jan | 1:00 PM | ||
| 4:25 | 02-Jan | Arizona | Dallas | 02-Jan | 1:00 PM | ||
| 4:25 | 02-Jan | Carolina | New Orleans | 02-Jan | 1:00 PM | ||
| 8:20 | 02-Jan | Minnesota | Green Bay | 02-Jan | 1:00 PM | ||
| 8:20 | 02-Jan | Cleveland | Pittsburgh | 02-Jan | 1:00 PM |