​We’re at the end of the regular season, and, with this slate of games, it’s all about motivation. Different teams, all playing with different goals in mind. Home field advantage, first round byes, division titles, and mere entrance into the postseason will be decided. Teams with no playoff chances will have players looking to pad stats, reach contract incentive levels, showcase their skills. With some of the teams, it’s hard to imagine what motivates them at this point.

​Whatever your motivation, enjoy the games. And thanks for reading.
 
Week Seventeen
 
Winner in Bold
 
Sunday (It’s all Sunday…)
 
Green Bay at Detroit
There’s nothing here that interests me in the slightest.
 
Houston at Indianapolis
Hard pass on this one, too.
 
Chicago at Minnesota
The Vikes will be looking to lock down the number two seed in the NFC.
 
NYJ at New England
With Pittsburgh playing Cleveland, the Pats can’t afford to let up against the Jets, with the number one seed in the AFC still in play.
 
Washington at NYG
Nope.
 
Dallas at Philadelphia
This is a curious situation for Philly. They’ve locked up the number one seed in the NFC, and might want to rest some starters, but do you let the hated Cowboys waltz into The Linc and lay a beating on you? For a team that still might be suffering from a post-Carson Wentz hangover, do you want to demoralize your players any further?
 
Cleveland at Pittsburgh
The Steelers will go hard at the beginning of this one, knowing that the Jets always play the Pats tough.
 
Carolina at Atlanta
This could very well be the game of the week when you factor in both team’s motivations, the fact that they’re division rivals, and the quality of the teams themselves. Carolina will be playing for a shot at the NFC South title and an outside chance at the number two NFC seed, while Atlanta can make the playoffs with a win.
 
Cincinnati at Baltimore
The easiest scenario for Baltimore is that they’re in if they win.
 
Buffalo at Miami
Buffalo needs a win and some help. Miami is playing for nothing and should be loose.
 
New Orleans at Tampa
The Saints will want to win to keep Carolina from stealing the division title.
 
Jacksonville at Tennessee
This is another tricky scenario. The Jags are the number three AFC seed no matter what happens, but it’s hard to imagine them wanting to end the season on a two-game losing streak by rolling over to division rival Tennessee.
 
Kansas City at Denver
KC is locked in as the number four AFC seed, and is resting starters, including Alex Smith.
 
Oakland at LAC
The Chargers need a win and help to make the playoffs, and Philip Rivers isn’t going to let up on the hated Raiders.
 
San Francisco at LAR
The Rams are the NFC West champs, and will either be the third or fourth seed in the NFC; apparently they plan on resting starters this week.
 
Arizona at Seattle
The Cards have nothing to play for, playoffs-wise, but their rivalry with Seattle is a pretty big deal, and they’d love to knock the Seahawks out of playoff contention.

​Kind of busy this weekend. Good busy, but busy nonetheless. Enjoy your football, if you’re so inclined to watch. I have no time for it this weekend (though I might PVR a game or two for later…).

Happy Holidays, folks.
 
Week Sixteen
 
Winner in Bold
 
Saturday
 
Indianapolis at Baltimore
 
Minnesota at Green Bay
 
 
Sunday
 
Detroit at Cincinnati
 
Miami at Kansas City
 
Buffalo at New England
 
Cleveland at Chicago
 
Tampa at Carolina
 
Atlanta at New Orleans
 
Denver at Washington
 
LAR at Tennessee
 
LAC at NYJ
 
Jacksonville at San Francisco
 
Seattle at Dallas
 
NYG at Arizona
 
 
Monday
 
Pittsburgh at Houston
 
Oakland at Philadelphia

Note: Imagine my surprise when I turned on the TV last night, after a very busy day, to discover that I had missed an entire game, and a second was in the fourth quarter. Saturday football; I totally whiffed on that. Too much going on. My mind's not really on football this week. Too bad about the Chargers, though. Oh well, on to what's left.

Week Fifteen

Winner in Bold

Sunday

Miami at Buffalo
I'd expect Miami, fresh off its big victory over the Pats, to falter in Buffalo. That would be the Miami thing to do. But what if they didn't?

Green Bay at Carolina
Aaron Rodgers. He's cleared. He's ready. He's not completely healed. I don't know. I have a hard time believing that it matters at this point.

Baltimore at Cleveland
Make no mistake, Baltimore allowing Pittsburgh's comeback last week was one of the most embarrassing things that's happened in the league this year. John Harbaugh looking like a complete idiot was at least some consolation.

Houston at Jacksonville
Jacksonville might be my favourite contender this season. The AFC South is theirs for the taking now.

Cincinnati at Minnesota
Cincy embarrassed themselves last week, too, but only a die-hard fan would even care at this point. They're completely irrelevant. It's time to blow the whole thing up.

NYJ at New Orleans
This is a fairly soft matchup for the Saints as they fight to stay atop an extremely competitive NFC South.

Philadelphia at NYG
That sound you would have heard last week was of thousands of Philly fans' hearts breaking, if they had hearts. I actually like Nick Foles, so all is not lost.

Arizona at Washington
Meaningless game.

LAR at Seattle
With a chance to lock down the division, I'd expect the Rams to falter in noisy Seattle, like Wentz and the Eagles did a few weeks back. However, Aaron Donald and the Rams' fearsome defensive front might have something to say about that.

New England at Pittsburgh
Is that this week? I hadn't heard. This one's pretty simple. Pittsburgh wins by getting pressure on Brady with the least amount of personnel possible, or with creative, well-disguised blitzes, because the Pats' trio of versatile RBs will give the Steelers defense fits. New England wins if they can take away what Pittsburgh does best on offence (big plays in the passing game, particularly to Antonio Brown), which is a hallmark of Belichick defences. I wonder if the Pats will have enough healthy bodies on defence to do what they need to do. Should be interesting. (Note: Everyone seems to be talking about this game as though it was a preview of an inevitable rematch in the playoffs, but I have a hunch that healthy Jags team would kill either of them.)

Tennessee at San Francisco
I'd love a 'niners upset here, and it could happen.

Dallas at Oakland
In a season filled with disappointing underachievers, Oakland stands out. With so many key injuries, the best result Raiders' fans can hope for here is that Derek Carr gets out in one piece.


Monday Night

Atlanta at Tampa
The Falcons are coming on strong. They might not win the NFC South, but they also might be its best team right now. They also might not make the playoffs. Such is life in the ultra-competitive, top-heavy NFC playoff race.

Week Fifteen

Thursday Night

Denver at Indianapolis

It's Thursday Night, and we've got a 4-9 team facing a 3-10 team. No one should care. I know I don't.

​Winner: Denver

Week Fourteen

Winner in Bold

Sunday

Indianapolis at Buffalo
Another Jacoby Brissett pick. Love that guy.

Minnesota at Carolina
As we move into the latter stages of the season, the Vikes look like a team with few weaknesses, while Carolina are mostly lucky to be where they're at.

Chicago at Cincinnati
A lot of Bungles out of action today, but most of them are assholes. Addition by subtraction?

Green Bay at Cleveland
It's Cleveland. (I feel like I write the same thing every week.)

San Francisco at Houston
Handsome Jimmy G got his first win with the 'niners last week. Maybe this week he'll finish a drive with a TD.

Oakland at Kansas City
No lie, I'm really enjoying KC's collapse.

Detroit at Tampa
Not sure what's happened to Detroit lately, but I'm going with them this week as a hate (Tampa) pick.

Dallas at NYG
When the schedule came out, this one seemed like it would have more significance, didn't it?

Tennessee at Arizona
Tennessee should be able to win a snooze-fest in the desert.

NYJ at Denver
At some point, the Broncs' proud defence has to rise up and win one in spite of the offence.

Washington at LAC
Go Chargers! The West is yours for the taking.

Seattle at Jacksonville
Kudos to Seattle for really selling out against Philly last week. The Jags' defence is a bad matchup for Russell Wilson, though.

Philadelphia at LAR
Philly should bounce back nicely after what was probably a necessary humbling by Seattle last week.

Baltimore at Pittsburgh
After bashing them all season, why do I have this funny hunch that Baltimore will squeak this one out against a Pittsburgh team with Patriots on their minds?

​
Monday Night

New England at Miami
On the other hand, it's not like the Pats to get caught looking ahead.

Week Fourteen

Thursday Night

New Orleans at Atlanta

This is a tremendously important game for both teams. Atlanta would love to eat into the two-game divisional lead that New Orleans currently holds over them. A New Orleans win would deal a significant blow to their divisional rival, with the added bonus of getting to the ten-win plateau that NFC leaders Philadelphia and Minnesota already occupy. It's too bad that such an important matchup has to take place on Thursday night; the quality of this game would be so much better if the teams were to have a full week to prepare.

In a game like this, I look for small indicators of advantage. In Atlanta's favour, they played an earlier game this past Sunday, faced a tougher defence (Minnesota's) than New Orleans's, and are facing a Saints secondary that is a bit banged-up. Beyond all that, I don't think that New Orleans is as good as its record suggests.

This should be an interesting game.

Winner: Atlanta

Note: It's Sunday morning, I'm on my first cup of coffee after 11-plus hours of coma-like sleep, and I haven't even looked at this week's games yet. Here goes...


Week Thirteen Picks

Winner In Bold

Sunday

Minnesota at Atlanta
Game of the week potential here.

Detroit at Baltimore
Hoping to see Dwight Freeney sack Flacco today.

New England at Buffalo
This smells like one of those games where the Pats get a scare that, ultimately, is a positive for team chemistry.

San Francisco at Chicago
Handsome Jimmy G gets his first start for the 'niners, I think. First loss, too. It'll get better, Jimmy.

Tampa at Green Bay
Hope pick, really. I fucking hate Tampa.

Indianapolis at Jacksonville
Go Jags! I really want to see this team in the playoffs.

Denver at Miami
For those interested, Cutler is starting, Moore is hurt, and David Fales, he of the five passes thrown in four seasons (with TWO completions) is the backup for the 'phins, while Denver has spun the QB wheel, and it has landed back on Trevor Siemien. For those interested. Anyone? Anyone?

Kansas City at NYJ
KC has to win one eventually, right?


<<<Pancake Break + Second Cup of Coffee>>>


Houston at Tennessee
Titans-Jags is shaping up to be an interesting division race.

Cleveland at LAC
There's a better-than-average chance that the Chargers will win the AFC West. I wouldn't want to play them in the playoffs.

Carolina at New Orleans
Phony game of the week potential. Two pretenders that aren't as good as everyone (else) thinks they are. I say the Panthers win in a squeaker. Either way, we'll have to endure endless misguided takes on how the winner of this tilt is a Superb Owl contender.

LAR at Arizona
This is one of those games where the Rams are supposed to win, but they end up stinking up the joint. Watch out for that.

NYG at Oakland
It's been a while, but I remember Geno Smith as being not very good. Am I wrong about this? Meanwhile, Ben McAdoo continues, inexplicably, to be employed. Oh, wait, it's the Giants, and the Maras, so let me change that to "explicably."

Philadelphia at Seattle
The Eagles are the best team in the NFC (NFL?) right now, and they're also one of the healthiest. There's nothing more that need be said.



Monday Night

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati
The Steelers are another pretender masquerading as a contender, but the Bengals aren't pretending to be a disaster of an organization.