Sunday, January 5th, 4:25 PM - Seattle Seahawks @ Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams have won the NFC West in 2024. The Seattle Seahawks are eliminated from playoff contention, so it's another year watching football on the couch in January and February for Seattle. The Rams went 10-7 last year and were a frisky team to deal with. I kind of feel like they can be a similar team in 2024. Matthew Stafford is one of the best QBs in the NFL, and both he and Sean McVay were the main driving forces in the Rams winning the Super Bowl back in 2021.
LA is not a team to mess around with, and they have their final game of the season at home. The Seattle Seahawks started out this season 3-0. They are now 9-7 on the season, so after a cakewalk first three games, they have since gone 6-7, which sounds about right when Geno Smith is your quarterback.
Seattle won't go anywhere until they upgrade from Smith, who is probably the 19th-best QB in the NFL. When you look at any given matchup on paper, you tend to look at the QBs first and foremost. Give me Stafford over Smith every single time.
Prediction: Rams win 28-20
Sunday, January 5th, 4:25 PM - Miami Dolphins @ New York Jets
The Miami Dolphins can still make the NFL playoffs this year, but they may have to try to win this game without Tua Tagovailoa. He is nursing a hip injury, and that has kind of been the story with Miami this year. They'd probably have two-ish more wins if Tagovailoa is healthy all year, but that's kind of why he isn't a true franchise QB.
Snoop Huntley could be in line for the start, and with a loss, the Dolphins are out of the postseason. They have to win and get some help. They are playing the New York Jets, and this could be the final game of the failed Aaron Rodgers era. Heck, this could be the final game of the long career of Aaron Rodgers, so I would expect that he is going to leave it all out there, period.
Rodgers is one of the more interesting figures in the history of the NFL, but you have to respect just how long he has lasted in this league. I actually do not think the Dolphins are going to win this game if Tua Tagovailoa is out of the lineup. The Jets are going to play some inspired football on Sunday and come away with the victory.