There is plenty to be decided in the final week of the 2012 NFL regular season. The NFC East title and NFC playoff berths are still up for grabs, as is home field advantage in the AFC. There are also several players who could make history on Sunday. Speaking of history, I’ll kick things off with a team that is on the verge of having yet another coaching change.
Will Cleveland ever figure things out?
2012 Week 17 NFL picks: Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers
Neither team has anything to play for other than pride, but the Browns will be without Brandon Weeden, Trent Richardson, Colt McCoy, Sheldon Brown and Jordan Cameron this Sunday. Thad Lewis will be starting for Cleveland in the team’s final game of the year. I really can’t think of a better way to send off soon to be former Browns head coach Pat Shurmur.
Winner: Steelers
2012 Week 17 NFL picks: Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants
My beloved Big Blue are but four quarters away from completing another epic December collapse, but they also still have (little) chance of qualifying for the postseason. Tom Coughlin is the ideal man to lead his troops into battle in this must-win game, which is more than I can say for Philly’s current head coach, a man who will likely be out of a job next month.
Winner: Giants
2012 Week 17 NFL picks: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons
Logic suggests that TB may be the wise choice here since Atlanta already has home field advantage in hand. The problem with that mode of thinking is that the Bucs haven’t been able to find a way to win since mid-November, and they’ve looked especially “blah” in the past two weeks. Just as I don’t have faith in the Lions not tripping over themselves at this stage of the campaign, I cannot visualize Tampa Bay winning a game until 2013.
Winner: Falcons
2012 Week 17 NFL picks: New York Jets at Buffalo Bills
Just when you think Mark Sanchez is out, they pull him back in. OK, that isn’t exactly the case, but Rex Ryan is giving his former starting QB one final shot before Sanchez, Tim Tebow and possibly Ryan himself leave the NYC/NJ area. I can envision Ryan’s players fighting to save their coach’s job just the same as I can envision Buffalo laying down one final time this season, and thus I’m going with the J-E-T-S.
Winner: Jets
2012 Week 17 NFL picks: Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals
This is an interesting game for varying reasons. While it is a clash between division foes who also happen to be playoff sides, the outcome of the game really isn’t going to affect the upcoming postseason all that much. Both teams are coming off what could be their most impressive wins of the campaign, but you have to assume they are only going to be willing to show so much with nothing overly important on the line. Cincy’s shaky home record (3-4) aside, they’ve been more consistent than have the Ravens heading into the new year, which is why I’m taking the hosts.
Winner: Bengals
2012 Week 17 NFL picks: Chicago Bears at Detroit Lions
I touched on the Lions earlier in this piece. Their inability to play four full quarters of football has plagued then throughout 2012, and there’s no reason to believe that trend will come to an end this weekend. The Bears have admittedly been awfully shaky this December, but I expect them to show up in a big way for this must-win game. It might be a little nervy and none too pretty, but the Bears earn their tenth win of the season on Sunday.
Winner: Bears
2012 Week 17 NFL picks: Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans
It’s entirely possible that the Titans won’t be bothered to show up for their season finale. The Jags have zero play-makers on offense, though, and they are essentially playing for a top draft pick at this point. Any team in the league should be able to cover a four-point spread against Jacksonville.
Winner: Titans
2012 Week 17 NFL picks: Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts
Houston is the better team here, but the seven-point spread seems a bit much. Chuck Pagano’s emotional return to the Colts along with the energy from what will likely be a raucous crowd should give the hosts quite the lift in a game that they don’t at all need to win. Houston’s hopes for home field advantage dwindle away as Indy pulls off what many would consider to be a significant upset.
Winner: Colts
2012 Week 17 NFL picks: Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints
The Saints were the sexy pick in this one even before Sean Payton signed a contract that will keep him with the team for another five years. All would be wise to not sleep on Carolina, though. They’ve played very good football over the past several weeks, and Cam Newton has been arguably the most underrated offensive player in the league during the second half of the season. A shaky New Orleans defense fails the Saints one final time in 2012, and Newton ends the year with another impressive performance.
Winner: Panthers
2012 Week 17 NFL picks: Kansas City Chiefs at Denver Broncos
KC is getting SIXTEEN POINTS as of the posting of this piece. I wouldn’t be shocked if they still fail to cover.
Winner: Broncos
2012 Week 17 NFL picks: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings
Far too many are overlooking a Packers team that have been playing like champs since that loss to the Giants one month ago, and GB can benefit from picking up one last win before the playoffs. The way I see Sunday going, however, Minnesota will have to win in order to qualify for January football. You also have to consider Adrian Peterson’s run toward history. A.P. might not pick up over 200 yards on the ground this weekend, but I think he’ll do enough to carry his team into the playoffs.
Winner: Vikings
2012 Week 17 NFL picks: Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots
San Fran may have killed that whole “New England never loses at home in December” thing, but make no mistake about the fact that the Dolphins are not the Niners. The Pats could be playing for playoff positioning depending on what goes down in other games around the league, and I just can’t see Miami putting enough points on the scoreboard to pick up the win. The Dolphins could keep things interesting for awhile, but a late NE touchdown will, in such a scenario, seal the deal.
Winner: Patriots
2012 Week 17 NFL picks: Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers
San Diego has been quite the up-and-down side over the past three weeks, which is more than anybody can say about an Oakland team that is hoping Terrelle Pryor is a long-term answer at QB. My over-under for total turnovers in this one is six. Place your bets.
Winner: Chargers
2012 Week 17 NFL picks: Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers
This contest shouldn’t be pretty. San Fran is coming off that humbling loss to Seattle, and the Niners also have to win this game to guarantee a division title. The Cards remain a lousy team with no quarterback and no real rushing attack. Yuck.
Winner: 49ers
2012 Week 17 NFL picks: St. Louis Rams at Seattle Seahawks
Jeff Fisher deserves Coach of the Year considerations for the job he has done at St. Louis this season. Unfortunately for Fisher and the Rams, however, they have to close things out against a team that is playing as good as is any right now. I’ve had my doubts about Seattle since the “Fail Mary,” and they’ve answered such concerns by going undefeated at home, winning at Chicago and dominating the Niners in front of a national TV audience. Best of luck to the team that draws Seattle in the opening round of the playoffs.
Winner: Seahawks
2012 Week 17 NFL picks: Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins
The final game of the regular season involves the Dallas Cowboys trying to win the NFC East while on the road. I’ve seen this movie before, and I know how it ends. RG3 absolutely torched the Dallas d’ when these teams met last month, and all reports indicate that his injured knee continues to improve as Sunday night approaches. I view Tony Romo and company as I do Matty Ice and the Falcons: I’ll believe they can win (what is essentially) a playoff game when I see it.
Winner: Redskins
