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2022 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 17

By Sayre Bedinger

NFL picks; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) drops back with the ball before attempting a pass against the Miami Dolphins during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
NFL picks; Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) drops back with the ball before attempting a pass against the Miami Dolphins during the second half at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports /
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NFL picks; Carolina Panthers wide receiver DJ Moore (2) after catching a long pass a long pass in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

Carolina Panthers (6-9) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8)

Sunday, January 1, 1:00 PM ET

Tom Brady and the Buccaneers look absolutely cooked, but they found a way to stay alive in Week 16 with a Sunday night victory — in overtime — against the beaten and battered Arizona Cardinals. Was it an impressive win? Not in the slightest. Does that matter at this time of year?

Not in the slightest.

Tom Brady and the Bucs might limp into the playoffs. People (like me) might prefer to have a team like the Panthers in the postseason just for the fun of it. Someone’s going to win the NFC South and it could end up coming down to this very matchup on Sunday afternoon in Tampa Bay.

Both the Panthers and Bucs are in an obvious must-win situation here but to me, the Panthers have been the much more interesting team as of late. They have found a way to rally around interim head coach Steve Wilks and although their 6-9 record is extremely unimpressive and certainly not playoff-worthy, someone from the NFC South is making it whether we like it or not.

Can they get the job done on the road against Tom Brady in a must-win situation? I just don’t know how you bank on a team as volatile as Carolina in that situation. As much as you’d love to see a great story like Steve Wilks leading the Panthers from firing their coach in-season to making the playoffs, it just feels so far-fetched.

Then again, a lot of what we’ve seen this season in the NFL has been far-fetched as a whole. It might not be out of the question.

I’m going to play it safe for NFL picks and take Brady’s Bucs.

Prediction: Buccaneers win 20-17

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