The NFL Roundup - Week 17

Written by John Edward Betancourt

(Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

You never quite know what you're going to get when it comes to the final week of the NFL Regular Season. Sometimes, there are plenty of playoff spots still open, allowing for incredible games to take place as teams duke it out for their shot at the post season and sometimes...it's all about pride when the playoff picture is set and teams instead work toward finishing the season on a high note. Week 17 this year features a mix of both of those elements. A couple of teams are still fighting to make the playoffs, while others are planning to rest their starters as they prepare for a postseason run. But whether or not teams have something to play for...there's still great stories waiting to be told this time of year and here are the ones we will be keeping an eye on come tomorrow. 

Will the Packers lock up the NFC North?
On November 23rd, few football fans paid any attention to Aaron Rodgers statement that the Green Bay Packers could 'run the table' simply due to the fact they were 4-6 and heading toward a playoff exit. Yet, here we are weeks later, the Packers are on a five game win streak, and if they beat the Detroit Lions on Sunday night, they will win the NFC North, lock up a playoff spot and effectively...run the table. But the question on all of our minds is a simple one...can they beat the Lions and make good on their QB's promise? The answer is a resounding yes. The Green Bay Packers have finally found their stride and are now fearless when they take the field on either side of the ball and they will face a Detroit team that is losing confidence in their abilities as the weeks progress, so I fully expect Green Bay to lock up the division come tomorrow night. 

Will the Denver Broncos play the spoiler against the Raiders?
Few rivalries are as epic or as historic as the one between the Denver Broncos and the Oakland Raiders and come tomorrow, Denver has the chance to finish their season on a high note by beating Oakland and keeping their long time rival from winning the AFC West. Yet, while the hope is that the Broncos will trot out onto the field and finish the season on a high note with an epic beatdown of the Raiders...I just don't see that happening. The run game disappeared from this offense ages ago, and the offensive line simply cannot play so if anything, I expect this game to serve as nothing more than an evaluation game for Denver and that's not a bad thing. They desperately need to find out who has potential to contribute to another championship run so if evaluation becomes the focus, find by me...a win would simply be icing on the cake.

The New England/Miami Game might turn out to be one intense matchup.
Normally, this is a matchup where New England sits its starters, or plays them briefly and Miami tries its hardest to play for pride because the Pats are in the playoffs and Miami is looking ahead to the next season. But this year, that's simply not the case. The Patriots have yet to lock up the number one seed in the playoffs and the Dolphins are in and looking to maintain a win streak, which means this game might be the game of the week. After all, New England wants that bye week and home field advantage and Miami...well they want to play the spoiler and head into Wild Card Weekend with some momentum under their belt. So don't be shocked if the Dolphins manage to upset the Patriots, since they are a strong team this year, and they have a history of making life difficult for the New England Patriots.

Can Jacksonville and Cleveland end their seasons on a high note?
Last week was a momentous occasion for the Jaguars and the Browns since each team snapped their losing streak and savored the sweet taste of victory, but considering how rough their seasons have been this year...can either one of these teams win again and finish the season in positive fashion? When it comes to Jacksonville, I think the answer is yes, simply because of the fact that Interim Head Coach Doug Marrone has this team ready to play and they're motivated to win with him at the helm but as for the Browns...who knows. They're playing a Pittsburgh squad that will be resting their big name starters and that might help, but the Browns are one of the worst teams in football this year and while they are riding a high from last week's win...a couple of big plays from the Steelers can suck the life right out of this team. Either way, both of these teams could be fun to watch tomorrow simply because they have nothing to lose. 

Will Interim Head Coach Anthony Lynn make a difference for the Buffalo Bills? 
The Buffalo Bills are a team facing an uncertain future right now. They have turmoil at the quarterback position thanks to ownership's lack of faith in Tyrod Taylor, to the point where the Pegulas made the decision to bench him without input from a coaching staff that also dealt with incredible turnover this year and now unfortunately...the only way to right the ship is with a big time win and the man now chosen to guide this team to success is Interim Head Coach Anthony Lynn who a year ago was the Running Backs Coach for this team before ascending to Offensive Coordinator earlier this year and eventually the top job following Rex Ryan's departure. Which means Coach Lynn has one heck of a task ahead of him. He has to unify a shattered team and find a way to beat the Jets and well the big question that remains is...can he? I think the answer is yes if he can find a way to cut through the drama that surrounds this team and get them to focus on football and only football. If he can accomplish that then the Bills end their season on a high note and if not...well then it's business as usual.

---