Fraser's Favorites Week 17

Chicago at Detroit

The Chicago Bears might be best suited punting the ball away on 1^st down allowing their defense as much time on the field as possible. The Detroit Lions might be best suited investing in the company that produces penalty flags used by the NFL referees with the amount of penalties enforced against them. This will not be a pretty end to what has been a hugely disappointing season for the Detroit Lions. IN week 17 a Chicago defense that leads the league in takeaways will look to feast on Matthew Stafford and the Lions offense which ranks 3^rd in the league in giveaways.  With a victory in this game, the Bears will be checking the scoreboard often to see updates on the Packers-Vikings game. This could be one of the few weeks in the history of these storied franchises where one team is rooting for the other. The Bears get exactly what they need in week 17 to become a Wildcard team in the NFC.

Chicago- 28

Detroit- 24

Jacksonville at Tennessee

Despite finishing as one of the doormats in the AFC, you have to appreciate the fight the Jacksonville Jaguars gave the New England Patriots last week. But if the first season under head coach Mike Mularkey looked like a circus, wait until Tim Tebow arrives in Jacksonville next year. Next year will also prove to be instrumental in the development of a young Tennessee Titans team. The maturation of Jake Locker has been slowed tremendously by constant injury and we could see the end of Chris Johnson’s days in Tennessee. Meaningless football games like this late in the season often turn into tryout sessions for future rosters. The Jaguars will be the hungrier team in week 17 as they finish the 2012 season on a positive note.

Jacksonville- 24

Tennessee- 21

Houston at Indianapolis

The expectation for the Indianapolis Colts entering the 2012 season was four wins. After beating the Kansas City Chiefs in week 16, the Indianapolis Colts locked up their 10^th win of the season and a WildCard spot in the AFC. The tragedy that fell upon Indianapolis when word broke about Chuck Pagano’s diagnosis transformed into a source of inspiration for an incredibly young football team. Pagano will make his return to the sidelines after overcoming his battle with leukemia as the Colts take on the Houston Texans. Inspiration will not be enough to overcome talent this week for the Colts. The Houston Texans will simply dominate this game in the trenches and put too much pressure on Andrew Luck. Expect the Houston Texans to come away from this Sunday with a first round bye and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs as they defeat Indianapolis.

Houston- 27

Indianapolis- 20

Green Bay at Minnesota

While the incredible return of Adrian Peterson has simply defied all logic and existing medical knowledge of serious knee injuries, it has also carried the Minnesota Vikings within a game of making the playoffs. The Vikings will have to end their season on a four game win streak and beat the Green Bay Packers to become the 6^th seed in the NFC. Unfortunately for Minnesota, AP won’t be able to defend Aaron Rodgers. A rematch of a week 13 game in which the Packers won 23-14 will end in a very similar fashion. Despite Minnesota’s success on the ground game, their lack of a consistent passing attack will hinder their ability to complete a comeback after getting down early. The Packers secure a first-round playoff bye and the NFC number two seed and eliminate the Vikings from playoff contention with a win in week 17.

Green Bay- 30

Minnesota- 21

Miami at New England

There have been discussions and arguments about which of the top three AFC teams need homefield advantage the most. I think the team that needs it least, or does not need to have it to make it the furthest in the playoffs, is the New England Patriots. As long as the Pats are in, defeating Tom Brady has proven to be a nearly impossible task in January. With a win this week Tom Brady could lead the Patriots to a seventh 12 win season in his tenure and would also lead the Pats to an undefeated record against AFC opponents in 2012. The Patriots defeat the Dolphins, improving to 6-0 against division opponents and lock up the 3^rd seed in the AFC.

Miami- 14

New England- 30

Carolina at New Orleans

How disappointing is it that this game means absolutely nothing to both of these NFC South teams? Cam Newton has not even come close to matching his rookie campaign and Drew Brees has thrown a league high 18 interceptions. The best news the New Orleans Saints have had in a while is that Sean Payton will sign a five year deal to remain their head coach. His return in 2013 will bring serious culture change to a team with much higher expectations then a .500 record. The Saints achieve that .500 record with a win in week 17 against the Carolina Panthers.

Carolina- 28

New Orleans- 35

Philadelphia at NY Giants

Aren’t the NY Giants supposed to be playing at their best in December? Not this season. They have lost three of four games this month and unless they get a miracle will not make the playoffs to defend their championship. While the Eagles have little to play for, Michael Vick does. This is a tryout for him for the 2013 season and I think another New York team could be extremely interested in how he does. Vick will play well, but he alone will not be able to beat the Giants at Met Life Stadium.

Philadelphia- 24

NY Giants- 27

Cleveland at Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Steelers will not be representing the AFC in the playoffs. Injuries to key defensive players and a lack of consistency on offense have limited their opportunity for success. They end a disappointing 2012 season facing off with division foe the Cleveland Browns. Either Thad Lewis or Josh Johnson will be the starter at quarterback for the offensively challenged Browns and that QB could also be without star rookie runningback Trent Richardson. Dick Labeau will feast on the inept offense, shutting out the Browns to end the season.

Cleveland- 0

Pittsburgh- 28

Tampa Bay at Atlanta

The Atlanta Falcons will most likely treat this game like the third preseason game. Matt Ryan and the Falcons starters should play into the 3^rd quarter and then Luke McCown and the back-ups will take over. Tampa Bay fans must be wondering if back-ups have taken over in the Bucs last five games as they have lost all five. Make that six as they travel to Atlanta and continue to struggle on both sides of the ball.

Tampa Bay- 14

Atlanta- 33

NY Jets at Buffalo

New York football fans cannot wait for this season to end to finally put an end to their misery. Both these New York teams seriously underperformed in 2012 specifically at the quarterback position. It’s not even worth discussing those issues considering how well documented the Jets struggles have been. Bills win the final game of the year with a strong effort from C.J. Spiller

NY Jets- 16

Bills- 21

Baltimore at Cincinnati

The Baltimore Ravens needed that game last week against the New York Giants. The defense limited the New York Giants offense and Joe Flacco and the Ravens offense finally started to click again. In week 17, the Ravens meet their division rival Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals are locked in as the number six seed in the AFC and will most likely face-off with the New England Patriots in the playoffs. Expect the Ravens offense to use Ray Rice in a quick passing attack to limit the Bengals pass rush as the Ravens finish the 2012 season 11-5.

Baltimore- 27

Cincinnati- 23

Dallas at Washington

The NFC East division title champion will be determined by the outcome of the season finale between the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins. This game features quarterbacks who have an uncanny ability to escape the pass rush and extend plays with their feet. It is also a rematch of a Thanksgiving Day game where the Washington Redskins managed to hold off the Cowboys comeback. Since Thanksgiving, Tony Romo has played with a tenacity and intensity that clearly demonstrates how badly he wants to fight off his late season demons. With help from his defense that will slow down a banged up RGIII, Romo and the Cowboys become the NFC 4 seed as NFC East champions with a win over the Redskins.

Dallas- 30

Washington- 24

Kansas City at Denver

With Tim Tebow at quarterback at the end of the 2011 regular season, the Denver Broncos were averaging 19.3 points per game. With Comeback player of the year and MVP Peyton Manning the Broncos are 2^nd in scoring averaging 29.5 points per game. The Kansas City Chiefs actually improved their scoring offense as well; from 13.3 to 13.9….It is safe to say that Kansas City Chiefs need to find a quarterback this off-season. Locking up the two seed in the playoffs won’t be enough for Manning. He will look to dominate an inferior Kansas City team and lead the Broncos offense to their 11^th game this year with 30+ points.

Kansas City- 9

Denver- 31

Oakland at San Diego

Third string quarterback Terrelle Pryor was recently announced as the starter this week for the Raiders surpassing backup quarterback Matt Leinart. Dennis Allen and the Oakland Raiders realize that Carson Palmer is not the future in Oakland and are hoping to find out if Pryor can fill that void. The future can’t come soon enough for the San Diego Chargers either as Norv Turner will be coaching his final game at Qualcomm Stadium. Turner will end his tenure as Chargers head coach with a win as Philip Rivers and the Chargers passing offense finally connect.

Oakland- 17

San Diego- 27

Arizona at San Francisco

The real key to this game is not something that will take place on the field. Rather the final score of this game could be heavily influenced by the outcome of the Green Bay Packers-Minnesota Vikings game. Barring an upset of Green Bay, the 49ers will have nothing to play for and could end up resting some starters. Either way, the 49ers should easily defeat the Arizona Cardinals whose offensive line has a proclivity for allowing sacks. They have given up 56 sacks throughout the season leading to a 25% third down conversion percentage, another worst in the league statistic that the Cardinals own. With Aldon Smith constantly attacking Cardinals quarterback Brian Hoyer, expect multiple turnovers and a relatively easy victory for San Francisco.

Arizona- 12

San Francisco- 27

St. Louis at Seattle

After locking up a NFC Wildcard spot in week 16, the Seattle Seahawks still have their sights set on an NFC West title. Their recent tear over their last three games has culminated in a final score of Seahawks 150 and Opponents 30. Russell Wilson may have become the front runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year and Pete Carroll should definitely be in discussion for coach of the year. Blowing out the Rams in week 17 will further enhance those resumes. This is clearly not a team a top seed in the NFC wants to meet in the playoffs. The last thing the Seahawks should do is pull off the gas pedal and disrupt their momentum heading into the playoffs. Seattle continues to dominate in week 17 with a fourth straight convincng victory completing an undefeated season at home.

St. Louis- 10

Seattle- 24

Fraser's Favorites Week 16

Atlanta at Detroit

The critics of the Atlanta Falcons will have to wait until January to have their doubts answered about this team. After Atlanta wraps up the number one seed in the playoffs and homefield advantage throughout with a win over the Lions in week 16, their next meaningful game will be January 12^th or 13^th. The development of young players and the different ways in which they attack teams on both offense and defense make this a much scarier team than the one that lost to the Giants last January. The Falcons continue to roll as the Lions will find it impossible to slow down Atlanta’s plethora of offensive weapons.

Atlanta- 33

Detroit- 21

New Orleans at Dallas

Tony Romo deserves to be in the conversation as the most valuable player in the league. By no means am I saying he should win or get a vote, but his name should be mentioned. Romo has the third most attempted passes and has still managed to complete over 65% of those passes. He has led several game winning drives and truly is the only reason the Cowboys find themselves in a three-way tie atop the NFC East. This will be an exciting game to watch not only because of the offensive firepower on both sides, but also because of the stakes for the Cowboys. In a high-scoring contest, expect Romo to come through in the clutch again for Dallas as he leads a game winning touchdown drive in the final quarter against the Saints.

New Orleans- 30

Dallas- 35

Tennessee at Green Bay

The scariest aspect of this Green Bay Packers team is that they have yet to play a complete game and are still 10-4 in position to be the number three seed in the NFC. The scariest aspect of this Titans team is that this is what they should expect from Jake Locker for the rest of his career. His performance last week against the NY Jets illustrated that he does not have the appropriate skill set to be a viable NFL starter. Inaccurate throws downfield coupled with a serious insecurity throwing the ball are a recipe for failure. Week 16’s game against the Packers will magnify those concerns. As Aaron Rodgers is completing pass after pass, Locker and the Titans offense will stall drive after drive. Packers win by two touchdowns.

Tennessee- 21

Green Bay- 35

Indianapolis at Kansas City

While the opponent in week 16 shouldn’t exactly strike fear into the Indianapolis Colts, looking ahead to week 17 could. If the Colts somehow manage to lose to the worst team in the league, the Kansas City Chiefs, they will be forced to beat the Houston Texans to secure a playoff spot.  That won’t happen.  There are rumors that GM Scott Pioli and Head Coach Romeo Crennel will not return to the team in 2013.The next contingent of Chiefs leadership has a lot of work to do. Their first order of business is to find a franchise quarterback just as the Indianapolis Colts did this off-season. Hopefully the Chiefs learned their lesson when they signed Matt Cassel, but they should definitely look to develop their own quarterback rather than sign one in free agency. With the Colts season on the line and absolutely nothing to play for but draft position for the Chiefs, Indianapolis will take care of business at Arrowhead Stadium and lock up an AFC Wildcard spot.

Indianapolis- 28

Kansas City- 20

Buffalo at Miami

While the Miami Dolphins knew they were beginning a rebuilding process in 2012, the Buffalo Bills expected to compete. With both teams eliminated from playoff contention, it is time to ask which of these AFC teams is best cut-out for future success. I’ll take the Dolphins. The rebuilding process essentially took less than a year and there could be an argument for Joe Philbin in the Coach of the Year debate considering the expectations of the Dolphins coming into this year and where they are now. But that is next year and this is now. In week 16, expect a more explosive Bills offense to win this game with big plays from playmakers Stevie Johnson and C.J. Spiller.

Buffalo- 24

Miami- 21

San Diego at NY Jets

Would it be ok to predict a tie? How ugly were the Chargers and Jets week 15 games? Mark Sanchez proved why he should never start another game in his career. The Jets got four years of incredibly bad decision-making and four years riddled with turnovers. It is time to move on. Moving on is what the Chargers will be doing this off-season with the help of a new Head Coach and the departure of Norv Turner. Philip Rivers was once considered a member of the elite class in NFL quarterbacks. Now he is with the likes of Mark Sanchez and other turnover prone quarterbacks. Traveling across country to play in a meaningless football game is tough. However, expect Greg McElroy to struggle in his first start as the Jets offensive woes continue.

San Diego- 27

NY Jets- 17

Washington at Philadelphia

Remember when the Washington Redskins were 3-6 and Mike Shanahan was being ridiculed for his comments about finding out which players would fit best with the Redskins next season? That seems like three seasons ago. The Redskins have rattled off five straight wins and find themselves controlling their own destiny with two games remaining. The questioned decision to draft Kirk Cousins has already paid off considering injuries to RGIII and the potential for future injuries with the number of hard hits he takes with his aggressive play.  With two more wins to end the season, the Redskins can complete a miraculous run into the post-season. It will not be easy though. Until turnovers plagued the Eagles in the second half of their week 15 game, they were playing an extremely close game with a very good Bengals team. Now they will get back LeSean McCoy who can seriously help relieve the pressure off Nick Foles. In week 16, the NFC playoff picture will become that much clearer as the Philadelphia Eagles upset the Redskins with a turnover-free performance from Foles and the Eagles offense.

Washington- 23

Philadelphia- 27

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh

This is a rematch of a week seven AFC North contest that was completely dominated by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Cincinnati Bengals only managed 185 yards of total offense as Andy Dalton only completed 14 passes for an average of 3.8 yards per pass. Since that week seven game, the Bengals have won five of their last seven thanks to a superior defensive effort. That defensive effort will be the difference in this game. The Bengals will get after Big Ben and win the field position battle solidifying the final AFC Wildcard spot.

Cincinnati- 23

Pittsburgh- 17

St. Louis at Tampa Bay

The most inconsistent player in the league this year has been Josh Freeman. It has been a tale of three different seasons for him and consequently his teammates. Freeman started the year with five interceptions and two sub-150 yard passing performances in five games. He then went on a mid-year stretch where he threw 16 touchdown passes in six games with only one interception. In the final third of the year, Freeman now has five interceptions in three games completing about 50% of his passes. The Buccaneers have some serious thinking to do as to whether or not they want to lock up Freeman as their franchise quarterback. In a meaningless week 16 home game against the Rams, the better Josh Freeman will show up and lead the Bucs to their seventh win of the year.

St. Louis- 24

Tampa Bay- 30

Oakland at Carolina

Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers offense remembered how to score again. They have scored 30 points or more in three of their last four games and Cam Newton has ten touchdowns and zero interceptions in his last five games. The Panthers opponent in week 16, the Oakland Raiders, shut out the Kansas City Chiefs last week. Does that mean the Panthers should fear being shut down by the Raiders defense? Not a chance. The Panthers offense will put up another 30 points in week 16 as the Panthers win their third straight.

Oakland- 17

Carolina- 35

New England at Jacksonville

The outcome of this game is not in question. The only question is how much. How much are Tom Brady and Bill Belichick looking forward to bouncing back after a Sunday Night football loss last week? They have to be two of the most competitive people in the league. Losing simply is not in their vocabulary. This game won’t be close. Don’t expect the Patriots to let up when they get up big either.

New England- 42

Jacksonville- 10

Minnesota at Houston

The Houston Texans can’t be satisfied. They have the best record in the AFC and not many people are giving them the respect they deserve. In fact, a good majority of football analysts are predicting an upset of the Texans in week 16 when the Vikings visit Reliant Stadium. The Vikings find themselves in the thick of the NFC playoff race for one reason and one reason only; Adrian Peterson. Take him off of this team and they probably win three games this year. Isn’t that the definition of the most valuable player? So can AP carry the Vikings past the Texans and into the playoffs en route to breaking Eric Dickerson’s single season rushing-record? Not so fast. The Texans will look to make a statement this week. Shutting down Adrian Peterson and holding him to less than 80 yards rushing will be that statement. As soon as the Texans jump out to an early lead, they will force the ball into Christian Ponder’s hands and it could get ugly.

Minnesota- 14

Houston- 31

Cleveland at Denver

There have been rumblings in Cleveland asking for Pat Shurmur’s job. Those rumblings should be quieted immediately. The Cleveland Browns are by far the youngest team in the league and their three stand-out players on offense, Brandon Weeden, Trent Richardson, and Josh Gordon, are all rookies. In my opinion, the job Shurmur has done is a miracle. Getting a young team to play at the level he has after a 2-8 start to the season should give Shurmur at least another year as the Browns Head Coach. This week 16 game will not be one he will want to add to his resume. Peyton Manning and the Broncos will cruise to their tenth straight victory and the Browns will fall to 5-10.

Cleveland- 13

Denver- 34

NY Giants at Baltimore

In the famous story Jack and the Beanstalk, the first line read by the Giant reads “Fee fi fo fum I smell the blood of an Englishman”. Instead of the English man, it is the blood of the New York Giants in the water and the Redskins and Cowboys are circling prepared to capture the NFC East title. While the Giants have lost control of the division, the Baltimore Ravens are fading fast in the AFC. Three straight losses now have the AFC North in question and the inconsistencies of the Baltimore offense are the culprits for their struggles. The team in week 16 that can get out to an early lead will win this game. Battered and bruised egos would be further deterred if they go down early in a game of such importance. With their season on the line, Eli Manning will carry the G-men to victory as the Ravens division title hopes come down to a week 17 matchup with the Bengals.

NY Giants- 31

Baltimore- 24 

Chicago at Arizona

It took the Arizona Cardinals about 135 minutes of football time to score an offensive touchdown. Watching their offense is like watching a car crash. It is so ugly and disturbing that it is captivating. Ugly and disturbing is also an accurate description of the Chicago Bears offense since week ten. In the past six weeks the Bears have only managed to score 67 points total and an average of 11.2 points per game.  What looked like an absolute lock to make the playoffs is now in serious question. So which of these teams with futile offensive efforts will come away with the win in week 16? The Chicago Bears will lose their fourth straight game as the Cardinals defense will pressure Jay Cutler into a turnover riddled performance.

Chicago- 16

Arizona- 20

San Francisco at Seattle

It was only two seasons ago when the NFC West was the laughing stock of the league. The Seattle Seahawks made it into the playoffs in Pete Carroll’s first year as Head Coach, but with a paltry record of 7-9. The fate of this division seemed to change with the Seahawks upset of the Saints in those same playoffs and the addition of Jim Harbaugh to the San Francisco 49ers after leaving Stanford.  This Monday Night Football contest will not only be extremely exciting to watch, but it will also demonstrate that the NFC West has two legitimate Superbowl contenders. Both teams feature dynamic young quarterbacks that can electrify with their superior running abilities and uncanny decision making. Both teams feature ball-hawking defenses with defensive fronts with the ability to get after the quarterback without blitzing every play. There is a lot on the line in this rematch of a week seven Thursday Night game that ended in a 49ers 13-6 victory. This is a much different Russell Wilson and a much different Seahawks team. The confidence Wilson gained from the fourth quarter comeback against the Bears in week 13 has clearly influenced his play over the last two weeks. In a playoff clinching game, Wilson’s incredible rookie season will reach a defining moment as he leads Seattle past the 49ers.

San Francisco- 17

Seattle- 24