Official 'Other Games' Thread - Week - 17

[Foxx]

© Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Did this season fly by or what? It is hard to believe that there are only two more weeks left in this 2021 season. And with just a couple of weeks left, the playoff picture in the AFC is becoming a bit clearer. Not a lot but a little. We have two teams that have clinched a spot, Kansas City and Tennessee. 
 
The NFL has finished with its Thursday Night portion of scheduling, so you’ll have to wait till Sunday to get your NFL fix this week. And with that, let’s look at this weekend’s games that concern the AFC.

 

We'll start with perhaps the week's biggest game. The Chiefs traveling to Cincinnati to take on the surging Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. With both teams playing at the top of their game of late, this is important for AFC playoff seeding purposes. Kansas City holds the top seed, and the Bengals have an outside shot of taking that spot. To do so, though, the Joe Burrow-led AFCN leaders will have to win this game. And to reiterate how close the AFC standings are, Cincinnati could also still miss the playoffs altogether. For the Chiefs, who control their destiny as the number one seed, the easiest way to do so would be to win their final two games. As good as these two teams are playing right now, this one could be a possible AFCCG preview. Vegas has Patrick Mahomes and the boys as a five-point favorite here. It should be a good game.
 
Miami plays the Titans at Nissan Stadium in Nashville for their week 17 contest. The Dolphins, currently on a seven-game winning streak, face a stiff test this week if they are to help solidify their hold on the seventh playoff seed. Yes, they can still get in with a loss this week and a win against the Patriots in the final week of the season, but it would be an uphill climb, and the other games would have to fall just right for that opportunity to arise. However, they control their destiny, win the next two games, and they’re in. Tennessee, playing five-hundred ball in their previous six outings, will look to close out their season by winning their last two games and build momentum heading into post-season play. As a subplot to this game, we have two head coaches from the Belichick tree vying for the victory here, expect it may get a bit chippy.
 
Las Vegas Raiders try to keep their playoff hopes alive at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The Raiders have to win this week if they want to play beyond week 18 and put a positive note on a tumultuous season that saw their head coach resign during week eight of the season. The Colts can still win their division, but Tennessee would have to lose both their remaining games. And while the Colts are not yet locked into a playoff seeding, they can virtually guarantee the 5th seed by winning this weekend.
 
Jacksonville will try to ruin the *Patriots’ post-season hopes in New England at Gillette Stadium. Jacksonville has a top 5 draft pick guaranteed and not much to play for at this point. Their season did not go as planned at all. They lost their second first-round pick (25th overall) for the season before it even began with a Lisfranc injury. The star college head coach turned out not to be well equipped to be an NFL head coach, making several missteps before being fired for cause. They will try again next year and are looking forward to another off-season searching for answers. New England needs to beat the Jaguars to avoid going into Miami the last week of the season to face a possibly must-win game to get into the playoffs. Miami has given the *Patriots trouble over the years, and with their current hot streak, this Bill Belichick-led team would not want to have the win or go home possibility. Win this week, and they secure a post-season position.
 
The defending Super Bowl Champion Buccaneers look to work out any kinks as they venture into MetLife Stadium to take on the hapless Jets as they get ready for the post-season. While Tampa Bay has an incentive to win here, the number one NFC seed is a possibility; they more than likely just need to show up. For the Bucs to gain that top seeding in the NFC, they would need to win out and have Green Bay trip up in one of their final two games. For the Jets, they are guaranteed a top ten draft slot but will be looking to see if their top draft pick, Zack Wilson, is developing into that franchise QB they thought he would be when they drafted him. It is a question that is very much up for debate. 
 
The Broncos will attempt to keep alive their very faint playoff hopes by taking on the LA Chargers at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. With Teddy Bridgewater still in concussion protocols, starting Drew Lock doesn't bode well for their chances. As for the Chargers, they need to win out and get some help because they lost their last two games. The Chargers are a good team that may still be a year out.
 
The Ravens, on a four-game losing streak and currently in the 8th seeding, will try to get back to winning against the LA Rams at home in M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens have to win Sunday to keep their fading hopes alive. Lose, and Baltimore would be virtually eliminated from playoff contention. The good news is that Lamar Jackson is expected to start. The Rams, who took over as division leaders with Arizona’s loss to the Colts on Christmas, will need to continue winning to make sure they secure that position and home-field for the first round of the playoffs.
 
For the last Monday Night Game of the season, we see the Browns try to keep their hopes alive in Pittsburgh at Three Rivers Stadium. They need to win here and next week against the Bengals (which would complete the season sweep) to have a realistic shot at getting in. The same holds for the Steelers; they need to win both of their final remaining games to have any hopes of playing in the wild card round. Prospects for both are dim though.
 
Buffalo will look to cement their playoff seed with a victory at home in Highmark Stadium against the lowly Atlanta Falcons. The Atlanta game is a dangerous spot for Buffalo here. Buffalo is coming off the high of beating the hated *Patriots in Foxborough, and Atlanta needs to win here to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. The Bills need to take care of business. If they don’t, they open the door for New England to retake the division. The Bills are showing signs that they may have snapped out of their mid-season malaise. Since halftime of the Tampa Bay game, they have played like Bills Fans know they can. It would be nice if the rumbling herd were beginning to peak at just the right time.

 

Two likely scenarios for the Bills to clinch this weekend. Win and a Baltimore loss or tie, or win and both the Raiders and Chargers lose or tie. There are about seven other possibilities that all involve the Bills game with the Atlanta ending in a tie.

 

Week 17

Visitor	Home	Info	Location
Falcons	Bills	1 p.m. ET, FOX	Highmark Stadium
Giants	Bears	1 p.m. ET, CBS	Soldier Field
Chiefs	Bengals	1 p.m. ET, CBS	Paul Brown Stadium
Cardinals	Cowboys	1 p.m. ET, FOX	AT&T Stadium
Dolphins	Titans	1 p.m. ET, CBS	Nissan Stadium
Raiders	Colts	1 p.m. ET, CBS	Lucas Oil Stadium
Jaguars	Patriots	1 p.m. ET, CBS	Gillette Stadium
Panthers	Saints	1 p.m. ET, FOX	Caesars Superdome
Buccaneers	Jets	1 p.m. ET, FOX	MetLife Stadium
Eagles	Washington	1 p.m. ET, FOX	FedExField
Broncos	Chargers	4:05 p.m. ET, CBS	SoFi Stadium
Texans	49ers	4:05 p.m. ET, CBS	Levi's Stadium
Lions	Seahawks	4:25 p.m. ET, FOX	Lumen Field
Rams	Ravens	4:25 p.m. ET, FOX	M&T Bank Stadium
Vikings	Packers	8:20 p.m. ET, NBC	Lambeau Field
Browns	Steelers	Mon, 1/3, 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN	Heinz Field

 

 

Rooting interests this week include:

Chiefs/Bengals? (case to be made for each)

Dolphins/Titans? (case to be made for each)

Raiders

Jaguars

Jets (Draft seeding)

Denver

LA Rams

Browns/Steelers? (case to be made for each)

 

Go Bills!!

[Crap Throwing Clavin]

54 minutes ago, Foxx said:

 

Dolphins/Titans? (case to be made for each)

 

 

I'll root for the Dolphins when they play al Qaeda.

[Foxx]

8 minutes ago, Crap Throwing Monkey said:

 

I'll root for the Dolphins when they play al Qaeda.

As I said, I expect it to be rather chippy out there. You know Vrabel would like nothing more than to be the top dog of the Belichick coaching tree, can't have this Flores upstart show him up. I think Miami is going to blitz Tannehill mercilessly. We all know how flustered Ryan gets when he is pressured.

[Core Four]

7 minutes ago, Foxx said:

As I said, I expect it to be rather chippy out there. You know Vrabel would like nothing more than to be the top dog of the Belichick coaching tree, can't have this Flores upstart show him up. I think Miami is going to blitz Tannehill mercilessly. We all know how flustered Ryan gets when he is pressured.

 

Without Derrick Henry, the Titans are definitely an easier team to beat, and the Phins D should be able to do a good job against Tannehill.  I worry more about what the Titans D will do to Tua, who really isn't impressive.

[Foxx]

22 minutes ago, Core Four said:

 

Without Derrick Henry, the Titans are definitely an easier team to beat, and the Phins D should be able to do a good job against Tannehill.  I worry more about what the Titans D will do to Tua, who really isn't impressive.

While D'Onta Foreman is no Henry, I think he has filled in admirably. Regarding Henry, I see where his rehab is apparently going better than expected and it was thought he may be ahead of schedule. His prognosis is that he might even be able to return next week for limited duty.

[Foxx]

https://twitter.com/AroundTheNFL/status/1476593313545277441

 

 

[devnull]

3 hours ago, Crap Throwing Monkey said:

 

I'll root for the Dolphins when they play al Qaeda.

That would be The Bomb

[snafu]

5 hours ago, Foxx said:

Chiefs/Bengals? (case to be made for each)

Dolphins/Titans? (case to be made for each)

 

Chiefs.  We've already won there this year and maybe we can jump the Bengals in the standings.

Dolphins. I'd like to see us have a chance to pound them into pulp a third time this season. And maybe we can jump the Titans in the Standings.

 

 

[Foxx]

11 minutes ago, snafu said:

 

Chiefs.  We've already won there this year and maybe we can jump the Bengals in the standings.

Dolphins. I'd like to see us have a chance to pound them into pulp a third time this season. And maybe we can jump the Titans in the Standings.

 

 

Would love to get to #2 in the seedings but the Titans would have to lose both remaining games. While that is not impossible, after the Dolphins they play the Texans the last game of the season. I think the #3 seeding is a more likely scenario as long as we take care of our business.

[snafu]

2 minutes ago, Foxx said:

Would love to get to #2 in the seedings but the Titans would have to lose both remaining games. While that is not impossible, after the Dolphins they play the Texans the last game of the season. I think the #3 seeding is a more likely scenario as long as we take care of our business.

 

Houston won in Tennessee.

They've won two in a row.

They just beat the Chargers.

Too much to hope for a sweep?

 

[Foxx]

https://twitter.com/gmfb/status/1476659360755433478

 

[Foxx]

https://twitter.com/AndrewSiciliano/status/1476656745078407179

 

[Foxx]

For those jonesing for their Thursday night football, NFLN is replaying the Bills Patriots game at 8 tonight.

[Crap Throwing Clavin]

13 minutes ago, Foxx said:

For those jonesing for their Thursday night football, NFLN is replaying the Bills Patriots game at 8 tonight.

 

We need to post that on Patriots' sites.

[KD in CA]

3 hours ago, Foxx said:

For those jonesing for their Thursday night football, NFLN is replaying the Bills Patriots game at 8 tonight.

 

Just watched it.  I was still a little nervous on the 4th and 1.

[Foxx]

13 hours ago, Crap Throwing Monkey said:

 

We need to post that on Patriots' sites.

Had I half a brian, I would have done so before logging off for the night. 

[Ann]

 

 

https://twitter.com/jeffzrebiec/status/1476959279978582023

[Foxx]

https://twitter.com/Chiefs/status/1477343397874700301

 

[Ann]

 

 

https://twitter.com/FieldYates/status/1477356148122656770

[IDBillzFan]

On 12/30/2021 at 8:03 AM, Core Four said:

 I worry more about what the Titans D will do to Tua, who really isn't impressive.

 

You could argue Nathan Peterman could have been throwing for the Saints instead of Book last week, and the Saints could have beaten the Fish.

 

You can chalk this up to my just not liking the Fish, but there is nothing about Tua that suggests to me that he is a difference maker. The Fish D is doing the heavy lifting.

 

Outside of beating Lamar and the Ravens, the 7-game run includes them beating the Jets twice v. Flacco, then Wilson, Cam Newton, Mike Glennon, and Book.

 

Let's see how they do against Tannehill, and how Tua does against their D on the road.