Playoff picture coming into focus. Plus, your NFL Week 17 preview š
This is theĀ Paste BN Sports NFL newsletter,Ā 4th and Monday. If this newsletter isn't already getting conveniently delivered to your inbox,Ā click here to subscribe.
NFL Week 17 is here. Can you believe that this is the last week for "Thursday Night Football" and "Monday Night Football" games?
- Week 17 predictions ā
- If the season ended today ... latest playoff picture š¼ļø
- Valuable advice for fantasy football championship week š
ā¤ About last night: Seattle Seahawks 6, Chicago Bears 3 ā Good grief, Bears. Chicago now has lost 10 consecutive games after a 4-2 start to the 2024 season. That's quite an unfortunate turn after an offseason of hope, which included a now-comical draft-day tweet from quarterback Caleb Williams to punter Tory Taylor about how infrequently he would be punting this season. Taylor punted seven times Thursday night, and now has the second-most punts in the league. The Seahawks now must root against the Rams on Saturday, then win in Los Angeles in Week 18.
ā¤ On the first day of Christmas: Kansas City Chiefs 29, Pittsburgh Steelers 10 ā The road to the 59th annual AFC-NFC world championship game will go through Arrowhead Stadium, as the Chiefs clinched their conference's No. 1 playoff seed with this decisive victory over another squad that already has secured its postseason spot. That first-round playoff bye will come in handy for a Chiefs team vying for a historic Super Bowl three-peat.
Baltimore Ravens 31, Houston Texans 2 ā Christmas Day featured two games between teams that already had clinched playoff berths, and both games were blowouts. This one was particularly rough, as the Ravens ā behind two-time (and perhaps soon-to-be three-time) MVP Lamar Jackson ā continue to impress and ā coupled with the Steelers' loss earlier in the day ā took sole possession of first place in the AFC North. Jackson ā who we need to point out is only 27 years old ā set the career rushing yardage record for a quarterback in the win.
ā¤ Game of the week: Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings ā The Vikings (13-2) are riding an eight-game winning streak and are in contention for the top playoff seed in the NFC. The Packers (11-4) have won five of six and clinched a playoff spot with Monday night's win over the New Orleans Saints. The Packers' only defeats this season have come against the three teams ā Vikings, Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles ā still in contention for home-field advantage in the NFC. A win here for the Vikings sets up a juicy Week 18 showdown for the NFC North and NFC's No. 1 seed in Detroit.
ā¤ Sneaky-good game of the week: Denver Broncos at Cincinnati Bengals ā Nobody in the AFC wants anything to do with the Joe Burrow-led Bengals (7-8) in the playoffs. The Broncos (9-6) can do two things on Saturday: 1) Clinch a playoff spot for the first time since the 2015 season, and 2) Put the final nail in the coffin of the Bengals' playoff hopes. A Bengals win would set up an intriguing season finale against the Steelers. This will be a fun one!
ā¤ Big one in terms of the top of the 2025 NFL draft: Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars ā Bent out of shape over the Raiders' win over the Jaguars last week possibly costing Las Vegas (3-12) a chance at the No. 1 pick? Go kick rocks. This is the franchise that drafted JaMarcus Russell at No. 1 (2007), Robert Gallery at No. 2 (2004) and Clelin Ferrell at No. 4 (2019). Plus, the Raiders face the Saints this week in another winnable game. Also this week, the Jaguars (3-12) and Titans (3-12) enter the picture as strong contenders for top-five picks. Loser of this game likely will be placed in the top three for April's 90th annual player selection meeting.
ā¤ Just going to rank some games I'm interested in watching without giving any context:
- Atlanta Falcons at Washington Commanders
- Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
- Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- New York Jets at Buffalo Bills
- Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots
šø: Fans, mascots, cheerleaders and celebrities at NFL games
NFL Week 17: Pigskin prognostications, betting tips, rankings
ā¤Ā Week 17 picks:Ā This is whereĀ Paste BN Sports' panel of experts has provided fans with the great public service ofĀ making prognostications for everyĀ gameĀ this weekend, both straight up and against the spread.
ā¤Ā Best bets for Week 17:Ā Lorenzo ReyesĀ is back withĀ his favorite NFL betsĀ forĀ Week 17, includingĀ why he likes linesĀ involving the Lions, Colts and Buccaneers this weekend.
ā¤ Power rankings: See how all 32 teams stack up after 16 weeks of play. Competition is tight for that No. 1 spot.
NFL news, notes and analysis
ā¤Ā Could Mike McCarthy bolt Big D? Many have speculated whether Jerry Jones will want McCarthy back at the end of the year. But what if the Cowboys coach wants to head elsewhere?
ā¤Ā Winners and losers from the Christmas Day games: Was the NFL's latest attempt to claim ownership of the Christmas sporting space the kind of present worthy of a spot under the tree? Depends what was on your list.
ā¤Ā Aaron Rodgers pours more gasoline on tire fire that is Jets' season: Years from now, the 2024 New York Jets could be the subject of a deep-dive in some "A Football Life" or "30 for 30" documentary. The longest playoff drought in the NFL. A future Hall of Fame quarterback who has become a lightning rod for controversy. An owner seemingly swayed in personnel decisions by video game player rankings. Each week, there's a new wrinkle to the crazy story that is Gang Green.
ā¤Ā NFL's best and worst of 2024: It doesn't have to be the holiday season to be reminded thatĀ the NFLĀ is the gift that keeps on giving.
Fantasy football: It's championship week!
This is it! Fantasy football championships are on the line during NFL Week 17. Paste BN Sports has tips to help you win that coveted league title.
ā¤ Start 'em ā¬ and sit 'em ā¬ for Week 17: Here is where we list eight players to start, and eight to sit, this weekend. Find out why you should start Bryce Young, but sit Sam Darnold.
ā¤ Start 'em/sit 'em by position: QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | Kickers | Defenses/special teams
Week 17 NFL schedule
(All times Eastern)
Wednesday š
Thursday
Saturday
- Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots, 1 p.m. (NFL Network)
- Denver Broncos at Cincinnati Bengals, 4:30 p.m. (NFL Network)
- Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams, 8:10 p.m. (NFL Network)
Sunday
- Indianapolis Colts at New York Giants, 1 p.m. (FOX)
- New York Jets at Buffalo Bills, 1 p.m. (CBS)
- Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m. (CBS)
- Las Vegas Raiders at New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. (FOX)
- Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m. (CBS)
- Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m. (FOX)
- Miami Dolphins at Cleveland Browns, 4:05 p.m. (CBS)
- Green Bay Packers at Minnesota Vikings, 4:25 p.m. (FOX)
- Atlanta Falcons at Washington Commanders, 8:20 p.m. (NBC)
Monday
- Detroit Lions at San Francisco 49ers, 8:15 p.m. (ABC/ESPN)
š : Complete 2024 NFL schedule
From the YouTube algorithm ššŗ
This is where we reprise some NFL lore and recall a classic, memorable game from yesteryear that featured Week 17 opponents.
"WE WANT DALLAS! DALLAS, WE HATE YOU!"
The Philadelphia Eagles were vanquishing the Minnesota Vikings in the 1980 divisional playoffs and were to host the NFC championship game.
But first, the Dallas Cowboys had to defeat the Atlanta Falcons the next day in their playoff game.
A boisterous Eagles fan was caught on camera expressing his desire for the Cowboys to have to come to the unfriendly confines of Veterans Stadium with a Super Bowl berth on the line.
The Cowboys obliged, winning with an epic comeback against the Falcons that would go down in NFL lore as the "Duel in Dixie."
On a chilly afternoon on the unforgiving AstroTurf at the Vet, the Eagles steamrolled the Cowboys, 20-7, to reach their first Super Bowl (and only Super Bowl appearance for another 24 years). It was a victory that would go down as one of the Eagles' all-time greatest triumphs alongside title game wins such as those in 1960 over Vince Lombardi's Packers and the infamous 1948 championship win in a blizzard.
Unfortunately for the Eagles, the team's experience in Super Bowl 15 against the Oakland Raiders went horribly. The Raiders prevailed, 27-10.
šø: NFL teams wearing alternate or throwback uniforms
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