Week 17 arrives with two playoff spots up for grabs in the AFC and three in the NFC. The Bills, Bengals, Ravens, Chargers, and Chiefs have all secured playoff spots in the AFC, while the Cowboys, Eagles, Vikings, and 49ers have matched the feat in the NFC. Cleveland, Indianapolis, Denver, and Houston? They’re all formally finished. The same goes for the Rams, Falcons, Cardinals, and Bears. Jacksonville and Tennessee play meaningless games this week; their Week 18 showdown will determine the AFC South champion regardless of this week’s results. The Carolina Panthers – yes, I’m serious – control their own destiny in the NFC South. If they win out, they’re in at 8-9. The Dolphins are suddenly flagging and need a win, something that would eliminate multiple AFC teams from the picture. Our wonderful, majestic Detroit Lions ran into a brick wall against the Panthers, and now the battle for the final wild-card spot in the NFC looks like a free-for-all. Washington has pole position, but the Commanders have quarterback problems. Oh, and J.J. Watt is hanging them up after this season. We’ll see him in a gold jacket in five years. In any event, there are too many clinching scenarios to lay out here, so let’s just get to the games, which Nathaniel Hackett will get to watch like the rest of us.
Point spreads are from DraftKings.com and are current as of 11 a.m. Thursday.
NOTE: Pick with spread is in bold
Last Week: 7-9 (Season: 120-116-4)
