Football's an interesting game, isn't it? The Colts can't win a game for three and a half months, then do it twice in five days! I got that pick wrong, but, believe me, I'm completely fine with it. Anyway, with Christmas falling on a Sunday this year, the NFL's full slate of games moves to Saturday this week. And to say that a number of them have significant playoff implications would be a tremendous understatement.
Tebows (8-6) at Bills (5-9): Denver-Denver can clinch the AFC West with a win and losses by the Raiders and Chargers. The Tebows did finally lose last week, though. Even a visit by the wunderkind isn't enough to prevent this game from being blacked out in Buffalo. Unfortunately, I think this is loss number eight in a row for the Bills. Although, knowing Tebow, it'll be closer than it should be.
Cardinals (7-7) at Bengals (8-6): Cincinnati-This is a matchup of surprise playoff contenders. The Cardinals have won four straight, including victories over the Cowboys and 49ers, to jump into the wild card discussion in the NFC, while the Bengals are tied with the Jets for the last spot in the AFC. Arizona's not going to make the playoffs, which makes this game more important for Cincinnati. They play the Ravens in Baltimore next week, so they certainly can't afford a loss here. Keeping the game out of overtime (where the Cardinals are 3-0 this season) is key. I think the Bengals do that to set themselves up to potentially clinch a playoff spot next week.
Jaguars (4-10) at Titans (7-7): Tennessee-It seems like everybody in the AFC is 7-7, and the Titans are in that group. They need a lot of help to make the playoffs, though, and losing to the Colts last week certainly didn't help. Will it be Matt Hasselbeck or Jake Locker at quarterback for Tennessee? I'm not really sure it matters. Jacksonville's hapless.
Raiders (7-7) at Chiefs (6-8): Oakland-There's nothing like spending Christmas with your "friends." I certainly wouldn't have put my money on Kansas City being the team to end the Packers' undefeated season, but by pulling off the upset of the season, the Chiefs managed to somehow stay alive in the AFC West. The only way they do that, though, is if the Tebows also lose to the Bills this week (Denver plays Kansas City in Week 17). It certainly was the right decision to insert Kyle Orton as the starter (think the Bears aren't regretting not putting in a claim?), and I wouldn't be surprised if Romeo Crennell ends up as their full-time coach. Oakland's been in a complete free fall since the calendar turned to December. That trend needs to reverse if the Raiders have any hope of making the playoffs. The Chiefs would like nothing more than to ruin the Raiders' season (especially on Christmas Eve), but I just don't see it happening for some reason.
Dolphins (5-9) at Patriots (11-3): New England-I said last week that one of the four 10-3 teams in the AFC needed to lose and make the tiebreakers a lot less confusing. As it turns out, three of them did, making New England the No. 1 seed at the moment. The Patriots will be if they win out. This week, they clinch a bye with a win over Miami. I'd be shocked if that doesn't happen.
Giants (7-7) at Jets (8-6): Giants-This is the most important Giants-Jets game there's ever been (which is probably what the NFL was hoping for when they scheduled it so late in the season). The winner is in great position to make the playoffs, while the loser is probably out. But the Giants need to win more than the Jets do. It's still possible for the Jets to get in even with a loss, while the Giants could be eliminated this week if they lose. The significance of this game isn't lost on either team. Maybe they were both looking ahead. That's the only plausible explanation for them both laying gigantic eggs last week. The trash talk has amped up significantly on both sides. Now they've got to go out on the field and prove it. This isn't just for New York bragging rights. Joe Namath has said the Jets are going to win (shocker!), but won't go so far as to guarantee it. Four years ago, the Giants won en route to a Super Bowl title. They always play to the level of their opponent (ask the Packers, Patriots and Cowboys, or the Redskins or Seahawks). For that reason, I give the slight edge to Big Blue. Besides, New York is a Giants town. Even though it's a Jets home game, there's going to be a significant number of blue jerseys in the stands. Don't think that won't be a factor. Just ask Mets fans.
Rams (2-12) at Steelers (10-4): Pittsburgh-Everything fell into place exactly the way the Steelers needed it to last week, then the lights literally went out on them on Monday night. But I think that had a lot more to do with the 49ers proving they're legit than anything else. Pittsburgh gets James Harrison back this week, and Ben Roethlisberger's lack of mobility won't be as big of an issue against a weak St. Louis defense. The Steelers still have a lot to play for, too. They can still be the No. 1 or 2 seed in the AFC. Mostly, they're trying to avoid the No. 5 seed and the trip to Denver.
Vikings (2-12) at Redskins (5-9): Washington-If they played the Giants every week, the Redskins would be a playoff team. As it stands, Washington just isn't a good football team. Playing Minnesota should be a recipe for the Redskins to pick up their second straight win, though. The only questions remaining about the Vikings' season are if they can overtake the Colts for the No. 1 pick, and if they'll take Andrew Luck if they do.
Buccaneers (4-10) at Panthers (5-9): Carolina-The NFC's version of the Buffalo Bills has to be the Tampa Bay Bucs. A season that started with such promise and included a win over the Saints has been overtaken by an eight-game losing streak that's now the longest in the NFL. But with a win, the Bucs can actually move out of last place in the NFC South. If the game was in Tampa, I might think that's possible, but it's in Charlotte.
Browns (4-10) at Ravens (10-4): Baltimore-Jim Harbaugh did his brother a huge favor on Monday night. Now the Ravens' playoff fate is back in their own hands. Baltimore is 7-0 at home this season, so how much do you think they want a playoff home game? The Ravens are also the only team in the NFL other than the Packers that's undefeated in its division. Both of those things bode well for them. Traveling cross country and losing to the Chargers in San Diego in December can be easily forgiven. Losing at home to the Browns can't.
Chargers (7-7) at Lions (9-5): Detroit-Believe it or not, Detroit can clinch a playoff spot this week. The Lions are two games up for a wild card spot with two games left. If you'd told them that they could have everything locked up before the season finale in Lambeau, they'd have told you that's their dream scenario. Well, welcome to a world where that's exactly what can happen. It won't be easy against a Chargers team that always saves its best football for December and still has a very realistic chance of winning the AFC West. But knowing that they're thisclose to the playoffs and playing in front of that amped-up Ford Field crowd should be enough to give the edge to the Lions.
Eagles (6-8) at Cowboys (8-6): Philadelphia-The Eagles, miraculously, are still able to win the NFC East. The first step in that process is winning out. The Cowboys, though, can knock Philly out entirely with a win. In fact, the Ryan brothers can help each other out this week the same way the Harbaugh brothers did last week. Rex can give Rob a nice Christmas present by beating the Giants. If the Jets do that and the Cowboys win, next week's Giants-Cowboys game won't even matter. Dallas will have already won the NFC East. But I think that Eagles team that's played the last two weeks is the one we expected to see all season. They know their chances of making the playoffs are slim, but they still exist. At the very least, they'll take great joy in messing with Dallas' playoff hopes.
49ers (11-3) at Seahawks (7-7): San Francisco-Seattle is somehow still in the NFC playoff race. In fact, the Seahawks are ahead of both the Giants and Bears right now. Now that we've gotten that out of the way, the 49ers showed the entire country how good they are against the Steelers on Monday night. They've still got an outside chance of taking home field away from the Packers, but, more importantly, they're fighting the Saints for the other bye. That's important, since San Francisco doesn't want to play that New Orleans offense in the dome. They've still got something to play for. They're not going to screw it up.
Bears (7-7) at Packers (13-1): Green Bay-I know David Stern is obsessed with Christmas, but why did the NBA add a doubleheader (giving them five Christmas games) against this dynamite Sunday night game and think people would actually watch the basketball games? The NFL's oldest (and I'd argue, best) rivalry takes center stage on Christmas night. The Packers won't go undefeated, and they still haven't clinched home field in the NFC. That gives them plenty to play for. Other than the simple satisfaction of beating the Bears. A few weeks ago, I predicted this might be the Packers' first loss. That was before Jay Cutler got hurt and the Bears turned into the Peyton-less Colts. Chicago has lost four straight and might be out of the playoff race by the time the game starts. Regardless, the Packers win and lock up home field.
Falcons (9-5) at Saints (11-3): New Orleans-We get another good one in the Monday night finale. Somebody's clinching something in this game. The Falcons clinch a playoff spot with with a win, while New Orleans clinches the NFC South with a victory. (The Saints only need to win one of their last two to do that.) New Orleans might even be scarier than Green Bay right now. The Saints are on a six-game winning streak (the longest in the NFL) and still in the hunt for a first-round bye. Atlanta could theoretically clinch a playoff berth before Monday night, which is a good thing for the Falcons. Because I don't think they're beating that Saints buzzsaw.
This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 8-8
Season: 143-82
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