2019 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 17

Miami Dolphins (4-11) at New England Patriots (12-3)

Sunday, December 29, 1PM ET

I’m sure fans everywhere would love to believe the New England Patriots could fall asleep and drop this one in Week 17, but that shouldn’t be the case. With a first-round bye on the line, expect Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and Co. to take this one seriously.

Then again, they are playing the Miami Dolphins. They’ve been terrible for much of 2019, with a prime example being their complete second-half meltdown against the Bengals last weekend. Even if Ryan Fitzpatrick comes to play and they get some big plays from their defense, it shouldn’t be nearly enough to slow down the Patriots.

More than likely, the Patriots will focus on dominating the clock and keeping the ball away from Miami. Run early and often, pick up yards consistently, and play smart, tough defense. That’s been their style for much of the year, and that figures to be the case again on Sunday. That should be more than enough to get them the win and the first-round bye.

It’s been an embarrassing season for the Dolphins, who surprisingly managed to steal three wins over the last couple of months. Despite that, I don’t see them making this game any sort of competitive as the Patriots make it look easy.

Prediction: Patriots win 27-9