Black Text - Pre-game Pix : Red Text - Post-game Recap
What does Week 17 mean to YOU???
Colts, Chargers, Steelers, Jaguars, Cowboys, Packers, Seahawks, and Buccaneers... it means that there isn't much riding on the outcome of this week's game. You just want to survive without getting anyone hurt, before the playoffs start.
Patriots and Giants... pretty much the same, except for that whole 16-0 perfect season thing. Patriots want it... Giants would like to spoil it.
Titans and Redskins... win, and you're in the playoffs. Browns, Vikings, and Saints... lose, and your seasons are over.
For the other 17 teams, the focus has already shifted to next year... and this is just the last game of a disappointing season.
Week 17 Pix: (9-7)
Patriots at Giants : GIANTS : The Patriots have nothing to play for, except their perfect record... but for them, that's reason enough. Since they have an off week to recover, their starters will likely play the entire game. The Giants put a Patriot-esque thumping on a very good Bills team last weekend. Could they be the ones to finally knock off the Patriots? Yes they could! Giants win.
Final Score: Patriots 38 – GIANTS 35 : I only tuned into this game twice. The first time was in the first quarter. Patriots had the ball and trailed 7-3. On 3rd and 14, Brady was flushed from the pocket and sacked. The Giants D is pumped! Wait… there’s a flag… illegal contact on the Giants defense. 5-yard penalty, and automatic first down for the Patriots. Why am I not surprised? CLICK. Later, I flipped back again. Now in the third quarter, the Patriots trailed 28-16. On 2nd and 8… Brady took a shot at Moss in the end zone. Incomplete. 3rd and 8? Nope… another flag. Pass interference on the Giants, in the end zone. Hmmm… in the Steelers game, Rodney Harrison was faceguarding Santonio Holmes in the corner of the endzone… exactly like that. In front of an official, no less! That wasn’t a penalty… but this is? 1st and goal from the 1-yard line, for Brady and company… CLICK. Don’t bother starting with me about sour grapes or Patriot-hating. This isn’t about the Patriots, it’s about the integrity of the game. I started noticing a trend of helpful calls… and no-calls… in the Colts game. I’ve pointed out specific examples in every Patriots game since. It happens just often enough to change momentum at critical times, or extend critical drives… but apparently I’m the only one that notices. If it continues in the playoffs, maybe it will draw more attention.
Seahawks at Falcons : SEAHAWKS : The Seahawks go on deluding their fans and the experts for one more week, by beating up on yet another bad team. The Falcons are ready for this year to be over... and it finally almost is. Seahawks win.
Final Score: Falcons 44 – SEAHAWKS 41 : Good for the Falcons… they managed to go out with a win. I’ll bet the Seahawks can’t wait to see the Redskins next week…
Saints at Bears : BEARS : The Bears rose up last week and put a beat-down on the Packers. The Saints folded like laundry at home last week, versus the Eagels, and badly hurt their playoff chances. They picked the wrong time to start a tailspin. Outside... in the Chicago weather... Bears win.
Final Score: BEARS 33 – Saints 25 : Devin Hester… the guy is absolutely unbelievable. He’s the embodiment of hope for “Da Bears” fans. The Saints slid out of the playoffs… but hey… it will still be Mardi Gras soon!
49ers at Browns : BROWNS : The 49ers shocked the Buccaneers last week, in San Francisco. Elsewhere, the Browns fell flat on their collective faces, versus the Bengals. In so doing, they handed the AFC North title to the Steelers, and seriously endangered their playoff chances. This week, they take care of business against a weaker fair-weather opponent. Browns win... but will it be enough to get them into the playoffs?
Final Score: BROWNS 20 – 49ers 7 : The Browns knocked off the 49ers, to keep their playoff hopes alive. Unfortunately, last week’s loss to the Bengals became their undoing. That should spice up the Ohio rivalry next year. The 49ers… well… yeah. That’ll about do it until draft day.
Lions at Packers : PACKERS : This is a Lions game, so the only thing that matters is my Week 11 Lions prediction. It's 5-0! It tells me... Packers win.
Final Score: PACKERS 34 – Lions 13 : That “rest-of-the-season” Lions prediction went 6-0. Incredible. If I could do that for the other 31 teams, I’d be a wealthy man! The Packers have a bye week before their second season starts. I’m sure they’ll enjoy the rest…
Bengals at Dolphins : BENGALS : Ick! Not a game that I would care to watch. A lot of people playing for their jobs... and demonstrating why they shouldn't have them next year. Bengals win.
Final Score: BENGALS 38 – Dolphins 25 : The Bengals get the satisfaction of finishing the season with back-to-back wins… and avoid falling too far short of mediocrity. Who knows… Marvin Lewis may have accidentally saved his job. And in Miami… let the house-cleaning begin. Welcome to the Parcells era!
Bills at Eagles : EAGLES : The Eagles waited about one week too long to find themselves. The Bills fell apart about one week too soon. Both teams will miss the playoffs this year. The Eagles are on an upswing... the Bills are on a downswing. Eagles win.
Final Score: EAGLES 17 – Bills 9 : Does this mark the end of an era in Philly? Was this the last game with Donovan McNabb as QB and Andy Reid as Head Coach? We’ll see. The Bills managed a great season, considering that they were expected to be cellar dwellers. Next season seems to be worth looking forward to, for Bills fans.
Panthers at Buccaneers : BUCCANEERS : The Panthers' Jake-less season is finally at an end. Mr. Delhomme may not be Hall of Fame material... but the Panthers have missed him this season. They play better on both sides of the ball, when he's in the lineup. The Buccaneers have nothing to gain or lose with this game... but they will do whatever's necessary to enter the post-season on a positive note. Buccaneers win.
Final Score: Panthers 31 – BUCCANEERS 23 : The end of a tough year for the Panthers. Will they have a new head coach next year? Maybe… we’ll see. The Bucs host the Giants on Sunday, in NFC Wildcard round.
Jaguars at Texans : JAGUARS : The Texans have had a pretty remarkable year. They haven't had as much press as the Browns and Bills... but their season has been comparable. No one is jumping up and down to face the Jags right now. They've peaked at precisely the right time, and are hitting the playoffs at full strength and speed. They'll blow straight through the Texans. Jaguars win.
Final Score: Texans 42 – JAGUARS 28 : How good is the AFC South? It’s becoming the NFL version of the SEC. At 8-8, the Texans finish at the bottom of the division, and are the only AFC South team NOT in the playoffs. The Jags travel to Pittsburgh on Saturday, for the AFC Wildcard round.
Vikings at Broncos : VIKINGS : The Broncos have been unable to handle running teams all year. Oh good... here comes Adrian Peterson! Vikings win... and keep their playoff hopes temporarily alive...
Final Score: Broncos 22 – VIKINGS 19 : The Broncos managed to end their season with a win, and the Vikings dropped their shot at the playoffs. That’s okay, Vikings… the ‘Skins won anyway. Wouldn’t have mattered, even if you had won.
Chargers at Raiders : CHARGERS : The Chargers have nothing to gain by risking their starters in this game, except possibly avoiding the Jaguars in the AFC Wildcard round. The Raiders are the same adrift collection of misfits that they've been for years. It won't matter who they start. Chargers win.
Final Score: CHARGERS 30 – Raiders 17 : The Raiders finished the season the way they played the rest of it. I wonder who Al Davis will hire to babysit them next year. The Chargers earned the AFC 3rd seed, and will host the Titans on Sunday.
Chiefs at Jets: JETS : Another season-ending who-cares game? Not if you know anything about Herm Edwards. He was the Jets head coach, until he basically promised them another season... then left for the Chiefs. There are still plenty of Jets veterans that would take great personal satisfaction from handing Herm a loss. Jets win.
Final Score: JETS 13 – Chiefs 10 : The Jets knock off Herm and the Chiefs, ensuring an equal record for both teams. You take the little victories where you can find them.
Rams at Cardinals: CARDINALS : The Rams... another shining example of sub-mediocrity. The Cardinals have had a decent season under first-year head coach Ken Whisenhunt. 8-8 may not seem like much to get excited over... but it's better than another losing season. Cardinals win.
Final Score: CARDINALS 48 – Rams 19 : The Cards are capable of doing this on a weekly basis. Another year with these weapons, and this coaching staff, should help to build the consistency that will put them into the playoffs. The Rams have a long, long way to go…
Cowboys at Redskins : REDSKINS : As improbable as it seems, the Redskins control their own playoff destiny. If they win... they're in. It's that simple. The Cowboys come to town, with T.O. and Tony Romo not in the best of health. They have nothing to prove, and not much to gain by risking their starters. Versus a team of mostly second- and third-stringers... Redskins win... and secure the final NFC Wildcard slot. Sorry Vikings... you should have taken care of them last week.
Final Score: REDSKINS 27 – Cowboys 6 : The Redskins wanted this game… acted like they wanted it… and took it. Bravo, Redskins! The Cowboys didn’t want this game… acted like they didn’t want it… and couldn’t care less that they lost. The only negative for the ‘Boys is their weak finish. Not really how you’d like to see your team enter the playoffs. At least they have a week off, and home field throughout the playoffs.
Steelers at Ravens : STEELERS : The Ravens are stumbling through a season-ending collapse, and are a shell of their former selves. The Steelers soundly thrashed the Rams, last Thursday night. They have had nearly a week-and-a-half off, and had the AFC North title handed to them. The only thing to play for is not having to face the Jags in the wildcard round. Roethlisberger will likely rest, but veteran backup Charlie Batch is no slouch. As a result of the season-ending injury to Willie Parker, the Steelers will heavily battle-test their running backs for 60 minutes... to get them ready for the playoffs. Steelers win.
Final Score: Ravens 27 – STEELERS 21 : I figured this would happen, but hoped that it wouldn’t. Only where the Steelers are concerned do I make Pix based on hope… instead of logic. So I’m a homer… I’ll eat the loss. The Ravens finished their season with a win over the arch-rival Steelers… which had to feel good for them and their fans. The Steelers host the Jaguars next Saturday evening.
Titans at Colts : COLTS : This game means nothing to the Colts, who have a first round bye and the AFC #2 seed. The Titans will likely face a lot of second- and third-stringers. Unfortunately for the Titans... they don't score a lot of points. If there's one thing that the Colts do... it's score points, no matter who is playing. Colts win... Titans let the playoffs get away... and the Browns become the final AFC playoff team.
Final Score: Titans 16 – COLTS 10 : So much for that logic. The Titans outlasted the Colts’ practice squad, and secured the 6th and final AFC playoff seed. They travel to San Diego for their AFC Wildcard game on Sunday, versus the Chargers. The Colts have the week off.
Last Week's Pix: (9-7)
Last 9 Weeks: (101-50)
Tracy Burns
Bar Refaeli
Campus Cribs: Va. Tech Softball
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