Week 17

MERRY CHRISTMAS:

DALLAS COWBOYS (6-8-1) vs. WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (4-11)

Thursday Dec. 25 @ 1:00 p.m. ET on Netflix

It’s unfortunate that these Christmas games are not as exciting as they appeared at the start of the season, but Thursday will at least give some football fans an excuse to watch television after opening their presents. I’ll be brief with these previews.

Both the Cowboys and Commanders are officially eliminated from playoff contention and at this point, these teams are playing for pride and dignity. Dallas is the healthier squad with a high-powered offense, but they have one of the worst defenses in the league and there is legitimate fear that this could be a closer game than expected. Washington, on the other hand, is starting Josh Johnson at quarterback… in 2025! At this point, you don’t know what to expect. Either he’s going to look decent and actually keep this game competitive or he will look like the third-string quarterback he is and get outmatched at every turn. I want this to be a close game, but if the Commanders even make one mistake, this could get out of hand fast.

FINAL LOCK: I’m going with the Cowboys for the simple fact that they’re healthier with a more competent offense, but all I can hope is for their defense to not completely implode at the worst possible time. It’s a meaningless game, so I’m sure millions of sports fans would rather tune into the NBA at this time of the day, but Washington can at least say they will get a higher draft pick.

FINAL SCORE: DAL 34-17

DETROIT LIONS (8-7) vs. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (7-8)

Thursday Dec. 25 @ 4:30 p.m. ET on Netflix

This is easily the most exciting NFL game on Christmas, but both of these teams have also underachieved drastically. The Lions have a one-dimensional offense and decimated defense, while the Vikings don’t have a true answer at quarterback. Detroit is technically still in the playoff hunt, but one more loss or Packers win will officially eliminate them from good. They will be incredibly desperate to keep their season alive, so there is no margin for error whatsoever.

If anything, the Lions should win this game handily. JJ McCarthy will not play on Christmas afternoon due to a hairline fracture in his hand, which means Max Brosmer will make his second start of the season. The Vikings have looked tremendously better in the last three weeks as they are now only one game short of 500, but if you remember what happened in Brosmer’s first game against the Seahawks, you know that he is nowhere near ready to be a starting quarterback. For Detroit, all they have to do is run the football better and not get in their own way. If Minnesota wants to have any chance of pulling off a fourth straight victory, their defense will have to force a couple of big takeaways and their offense will have to capitalize with touchdowns, rather than just settle for field goals or punts. They did it once already in Ford Field, so who is to say they can’t do it again at home?

FINAL LOCK: This one was also not too hard for me to evaluate. I’m counting on the Lions to keep their slim playoff hopes and ensure they don’t do anything frivolous against an inferior division rival. They left a lot of points off the board against the Steelers last week at home, so if they stumble into the same situation four days later, then they don’t deserve to be in the playoffs.

FINAL SCORE: DET 27-10

DENVER BRONCOS (12-3) vs. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (6-9)

Thursday Dec. 25 @ 8:15 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime

If only Patrick Mahomes were healthy. Then this game would have been more interesting. Instead, the Broncos are eager to bounce back after finally losing their third game of the season. Fortunately, they get to play a Chiefs team forced to play third-string guys on offense and a defense that got torched by Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans just a few days ago!

I never thought I would say this about the Kansas City Chiefs, but they simply quit. Their offense looked worn out, the defense looked exhausted and even the coaching staff just simply didn’t have enough energy. Not only did their face of the franchise go down to a torn ACL, but the backup quarterback Gardner Minshew also suffered a season ending knee injury. Now the offense is down to Chris Oladukon, two third-string tackles, a non-existent running game and an inconsistent passing attack that will probably lose its future Hall of Fame tight end to retirement in the offseason. They placed Rashee Rice, Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson on IR, so we’re essentially watching the Chiefs play two preseason games to close the year. If you’re Denver, there’s no way in hell you can lose this game.

FINAL LOCK: I believe the Broncos will bounce back after their loss to Jacksonville. They did not look like themselves on Sunday afternoon. In fact, you could get flashbacks to that Wild Card loss in 1996 when the Jaguars were just an expansion team at the time. However, I have faith that they can completely turn things around against a hollowed Chiefs team. Just don’t get overconfident like you did the week before and everything will work out.

FINAL SCORE: DEN 30-6

SATURDAY ACTION:

HOUSTON TEXANS (10-5) vs. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (11-4)

Saturday Dec. 27 @ 4:30 p.m. ET on NFL Network

Now here’s a competitive game we get to talk about! This is going to be an epic playoff rematch from last year’s Wild Card round, where the Texans demolished the Chargers 32-14 at NRG Stadium. Now that these teams will meet again in So-Fi Stadium, Justin Herbert is going to make sure he gets the last laugh in the final seconds. However, there is a lot at stake for both teams. 

The Chargers have already clinched a playoff berth, but can still steal the AFC West lead from the Denver Broncos. However, if Denver and Houston win, then LA will have to look forward to playing on the road as a Wild Card team. I believe this defense can do whatever they can to make sure that CJ Stroud doesn’t take the game over because the Texans offense has a tendency to let opponents hang around for far too long. At the same time, Herbert needs to ensure that he has a way better performance than he did in the playoffs last year. Instead of throwing four interceptions, he needs to have at least a few touchdowns to make sure the Chargers are in front with little time left on the clock. Houston has the best defense in football and is perfectly capable of shutting him down for a second year in a row, so if Herbert can put the team on his back, then it will be a signature victory for this team with two weeks left until the playoffs.

For the Texans, it is very simple: win and they are in the postseason. They will need some help from the Jaguars to make sure that the AFC South is in their control for a third straight season, but at the very least, they will be the scariest Wild Card team in the NFL. In order for this team to win, CJ Stroud has to outplay Justin Herbert. Since coming back from a concussion, he’s played admirably against the likes of Patrick Mahomes and Daniel Jones, but you never know when the time will come where Stroud has to lead the team to victory in a game where the defense is on edge. He did it last week against the Raiders, but they’re the worst team in the conference. The Chargers, on the other hand, have bigger aspirations and there will be no stops taken to ensure they have a better path to a potential championship.

FINAL LOCK: This is going to be an exciting grudge match between two exceptional defenses. With that said, I am going to pick the Chargers to slightly win because not only are they home, but I believe they have a more efficient offense that can flip the switch at the right time. Whichever quarterback can hold onto the ball the longest and not put it in harm’s way will be the one victorious. If Herbert is the one that has a chance to win in the final two minutes, then this Texans defense better pray for a miracle and force a huge takeaway to save their season from dwindling.

FINAL SCORE: LA 23-20

BALTIMORE RAVENS (7-8) vs. GREEN BAY PACKERS (9-5-1)

Saturday Dec. 27 @ 8:00 p.m. ET on Peacock

I know nobody wants to pay for a streaming service they’re only going to use once to watch a football game, but this one is totally worth it. The Ravens need to win their final two games of the season and hope the Steelers lose on Sunday to keep their playoff hopes alive, while the Packers need one more win or a Detroit loss to get back in the postseason themselves. Neither team is at full strength, which means this is going to be an incredibly sloppy game, but one that will come down to the wire.

Both teams need to answer the same question: who will be starting at quarterback? Last week, Lamar Jackson got knocked out in the first half due to a back contusion while Jordan Love didn’t play the second half or overtime because of a concussion. For Baltimore, they have Tyler Huntley ready to go if he is given the call. However, Green Bay’s backup Malik Willis was also limited in practice and his game status is very much in question. Neither team has the time to just monitor carefully and see what happens. Their seasons are on the line and if they don’t have the right guy under center, then the team might plunder as a result.

FINAL LOCK: At this point in the season, it’s not about the X’s and O’s. Both the Ravens and Packers are going to have to win the trenches to make sure they win the time of possession battle, but more importantly, their defenses are going to be viewed in the spotlight more frequently than expected. This game is going to come down to which team can handle the pain more. Knowing that this will be played in Lambeau Field, I think the Packers might have a couple of tricks left up their sleeves.

FINAL SCORE: GB 20-10

THE SUNDAY AFTERNOON SLATE:

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (9-6) vs. CLEVELAND BROWNS (3-12)

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (12-3) vs. NEW YORK JETS (3-12)

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (5-10) vs. TENNESSEE TITANS (3-12)

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (11-4) vs. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (8-7)

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (7-8) vs. MIAMI DOLPHINS (6-9)

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (12-3) vs. CAROLINA PANTHERS (8-7)

ARIZONA CARDINALS (3-12) vs. CINCINNATI BENGALS (5-10)

NEW YORK GIANTS (2-13) vs. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (2-13)

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (10-5) vs. BUFFALO BILLS (11-4)

SNF and MNF:

CHICAGO BEARS (11-4) vs. SAN FRANCISCO 49ers (11-4)

Sunday Dec. 28 @ 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC

LOS ANGELES RAMS (11-4) vs. ATLANTA FALCONS (6-9)

Monday Dec. 29 @ 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN