2022 NFL picks, score predictions for Week 17

Cleveland Browns (6-9) at Washington Commanders (7-7-1)

Sunday, January 1, 1:00 PM ET

There may not be a ton of NFL fans looking forward to this matchup that don’t have a fantasy football interest, but Washington Commanders fans are certainly on pins and needles waiting for it to start.

Let’s start by looking at the last few weeks for the Cleveland Browns, who have had Deshaun Watson at the helm for a few weeks and the offense has looked horrendous.

The Browns have scored a combined 33 points over the last three weeks and have seen their slim playoff chances completely disappear. Although the Browns aren’t really contending for a playoff spot at this point in time, they could be a tough team to beat here with how well they can run the ball. It’s hard to believe with the way he runs that Nick Chubb is on place to play the entire season, but here we are and he’s also on pace for about 350 total touches.

The Commanders’ defensive front saw the return of Chase Young this past weekend but they obviously couldn’t notch a victory. Two losses in a row and four straight games with 20 points or less have the Commanders in a really tight spot right now. They have to win this game at home against the Browns to fend off teams like the Lions and Packers in the NFC playoff race.

Will the return of Chase Young be enough for this team to make a run at the postseason? They eased him in by playing him in just 58 percent of the snaps.

If the offense can limit turnovers, this is a game they should win even if it’s a low-scoring affair.

Prediction: Commanders win 23-18