Week 16 Recap
After all was said and done in Week 16, all but two playoff teams in the NFC have been decided. While 10 of the 12 playoff teams are locked in, there is still some seeding that can be decided in Week 17.
If New England wins, they lock up the top seed in the AFC. Oakland can clinch a division title and first-round bye with a win in Denver. The Raiders Super Bowl hopes took a huge blow when Derek Carr broke his leg in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game. If Oakland loses and Kansas City wins, the Chiefs will move up to the two seed.
In the NFC, Atlanta will be awarded a first round bye if they win. The matchup between Green Bay and Detroit will determine the NFC North champion and likely the final playoff spot. That is, assuming Washington wins and clinches a playoff berth themselves. Tampa Bay is a long shot to make the playoffs. They are the only other team that still have a mathematical chance to make it to the tournament.
Week 17 Prime Time Games
This week, every game will be played on Sunday, making Sunday night’s matchup between the Packers and Lions for the division title the only prime time game of the week.
What to Watch for in Week 17
Lock of the Week – Washington secures a playoff berth
The Redskins are at home in a win-to-get-in scenario, hosting the division rival New York Giants. Division foes are usually up for the opportunity to ruin a rival’s playoff hopes. The Giants are locked into their playoff seed and, with nothing to play for, should use this week as a chance to rest their starters and keep their stars healthy. There is one unlikely but intriguing scenario to look out for — if Washington wins and Green Bay and Detroit tie, the Redskins will miss out on the playoffs.
Matchup of the Week – Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions
This is the only game of the week where both teams have something significant to play for. The division title is up for grabs and if Washington beats New York. The loser of this game will miss the playoffs. Aaron Rodgers has been one of the most efficient passers in the league since saying the Packers could run the table, but, despite their poor outing in Dallas last week, Detroit’s pass defense is much-improved from the first meeting between these two teams. With that being said, Matthew Stafford will have to have his best game of the year in order for Detroit to keep pace with the Packers.
Player to Watch – Matt McGloin (Quarterback, Oakland Raiders) @ Denver Broncos
Derek Carr’s injury likely dashed any hopes the Raiders had at a championship run. If Oakland does have any chance at making some noise in the playoffs, career backup Matt McGloin is going to have to shine. Though Denver has been eliminated from the playoffs, they would love nothing more than to dash the Raiders’ hopes at a division title. If McGloin can have success against the best pass defense in the league, Oakland might have a shot to make a run in January.
TJ Hernandez is an editor at 4for4.com and the founder of RosterCoach.com. You can follow him on twitter @TJHernandez.
*The blog is for entertainment purposes only and in no way should be used in making wagers of any kind.