Five things to watch in Week 17
You want dramatic football? The NFL is ready and willing to provide it on Sunday, with 16 games slated for the afternoon and evening. Four divisions are still up for grabs, with a trio of head-to-head matchups deciding fates. In the AFC, four teams are also vying for the sixth seed, with all kinds of factors playing into the scenarios.
Here are five things to watch for on this glorious Week 17:
1. Backups playing key roles
The Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns are both starting quarterbacks who haven’t began a game all season. Chase Daniel is taking over for Alex Smith in Kansas City, after Smith was diagnosed with a lacerated spleen on Friday. Connor Shaw is getting his first career start in place of Johnny Manziel and Brian Hoyer, who are dealing with hamstring and shoulder problems respectively.
Cleveland will play the Baltimore Ravens, who are 13-point favorites against the Browns. Meanwhile, the Chiefs host the San Diego Chargers, who with a win will clinch the final AFC playoff berth. If the Chargers, who are 1-point underdogs, lose, the Ravens make the playoffs with a win. Should Baltimore and the Houston Texans lose, coupled with a Chiefs win, Kansas City makes the postseason.
2. Can Detroit break through?
The Lions are 11-4 and one of the best teams in the NFL, and yet nobody seems to take them seriously. Despite already having beat the Green Bay Packers in Week 3, Detroit is a 7.5-point underdog at Lambeau Field. The Lions have not won in the Frozen Tundra since 1991, back during the days of Wayne Fontes, Barry Sanders and Erik Kramer. Can Detroit shock the world and win in this tough spot, earning a No. 2 seed?
3. Who gets the top pick in the 2015 NFL Draft?
If the Tennessee Titans lose to the Indianapolis Colts in Nashville, Tennessee will own the top pick via tiebreaker over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Both teams are a pathetic 2-13 and certainly intrigued by the quarterback duo of Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston at the top of the draft. The Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets and Oakland Raiders are all 3-12, but can’t overtake Tampa Bay and Tennessee to get to the No. 1 spot.
4. Who is the least disgraceful team in the NFC South?
On Sunday, somebody finally has to “win” the NFC South. The Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons will battle in the Georgia Dome for the divisional crown, with the winner earning the No. 4 seed in the NFC. Regardless of who wins, it will be the first time a team has made the playoffs in a non-strike shortened year with a losing record.
5. End of an era?
Tom Coughlin has been the head coach of the New York Giants since 2004. He’s won two Super Bowls and likely earned himself a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Still, the Giants will miss the playoffs for the third consecutive season and rumors are swirling about his potential exit. New York could have two head coaching vacancies by Monday, with Rex Ryan certainly being fired soon by the New York Jets.
