The NFL Roundup 2017 - Week 14 - The Most Fascinating Games to Watch This Weekend

Written by John Edward Betancourt

​There’s a quite a lot for teams to accomplish in the closing weeks of the regular season and for proof, look no further than the Thursday Night Football matchup between the Broncos and the Colts, wherein Denver proved that ending the season on a high note was priority one on their agenda. For other teams, their goals are different. Some are looking to lock up a playoff spot, or their division and some are just looking to do as the Broncos did and play with a sense of pride for a change. Either way, every team has a task they plan to accomplish and all of that is going to make for some fascinating games this weekend and here the matchups we simply cannot wait to watch.

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Los Angeles Chargers (7-6) at Kansas City Chiefs (7-6)
Arrowhead Stadium – Kansas City, MO
Saturday, December 16, 2017 - 6:25 p.m. EST – NFL Network

​More than likely, this game will help determine 2017’s AFC West Division Champion and really, who would have thought at the start of the season that the Chargers would be in the mix for a Division title? I did not. I, like many others, thought the Chiefs were going to run away with the West after their incredible start to the season, yet, here we are. Which means that if the Chiefs don’t want to see their season end in utter disappointment, this is hands down the most important game of the year for them and in all honesty, I’m not sure they can win this one. The Chargers have proven themselves to be a formidable opponent thanks to their fearless style of play and they’ve brought down better teams than the Chiefs. So, if Los Angeles finds a way to frustrate Kansas City and can force some early mistakes in this game, expect them to topple another titan on their way to a well-deserved division title.

Green Bay Packers (7-6) at Carolina Panthers (9-4)
Bank of America Stadium – Charlotte, NC
Sunday, December 17, 2017 – 1:00 p.m. EST – FOX

​The Carolina Panthers have to be walking into this game with a beaming sense of pride for certain because hey, they beat the mighty Minnesota Vikings in impressive fashion last week. But hopefully they quickly put that out of mind, because they’re about to go up against a Green Bay team that has their best weapon back in QB Aaron Rodgers. Sure, we can expect some rust from Mister Rodgers, but I get the funny feeling that rust will be shaken off quickly since he’s a veteran QB and game time is when he thrives. Which means, I fully expect this game to be quite the epic affair as these two quarterbacks battle it out for their playoff lives but in the end, I think experience will be the deciding factor in this game, so don’t be shocked if Rodgers snags the win in his first game back since October. 

Los Angeles Rams (9-4) at Seattle Seahawks (8-5)
CenturyLink Field – Seattle, WA
Sunday, December 17, 2017 – 4:05 p.m. EST – FOX

​As it turns out, the AFC isn’t the only conference hosting a wild game in the west this weekend, the NFC has their own western struggles unfolding on Sunday by way of this game and well, this one is shaping up to be quite the matchup. Because neither of these teams like to lose, and both firmly believe they still have plenty to prove to this league, which means they are going to unleash their fury when they take the field and there is a fair chance that this one could become quite the shootout when all is said and done since both of the quarterbacks featured in this game love nothing more than to find the end zone. So, with that in mind, I honestly think the winner of this game will be determined by which squad tightens up their defense first, which is likely an easier task for Los Angeles than it is for Seattle and because of that, I honestly think that the Rams will walk away the winner of this game. But, you never know when it comes to the Seahawks, they could pull off quite the surprise as they’ve done in the past, but either way this is going to be one heck of a matchup, one that might just go down to the wire. 

New England Patriots (10-3) at Pittsburgh Steelers (11-2)
Heinz Field – Pittsburgh, PA
Sunday, December 17, 2017 – 4:25 p.m. EST – CBS

​It really has been quite the strange season for the defending Super Bowl Champions. Because in a year where it seems they should be dominating teams left and right, they’ve instead suffered some embarrassing losses and are now fighting for home field advantage in the playoffs when they take the field against the Steelers and oddly enough, when one takes an objective look at this game, it’s Pittsburgh’s to lose. Because they are quite frankly, playing better football than the Patriots are right now, and they know exactly how to beat Tom Brady, which means there’s a fair chance New England could lose their second straight game in a row and at this point, the only way the Patriots can reclaim their playoff throne, is to find a way to intimidate the Steelers and that’s honestly easier said than done. So really, while I expect this game to be a close one, I think Pittsburgh walks out of this one with the win. Simply because they’re playing in fearless fashion, as though they have nothing to lose and that’s extremely bad news for the reeling Patriots.