It’s certainly been a year of surprises in the National Football League. Three teams that finished last in their respective divisions in 2024, the Patriots, Bears, and 49ers, are headed to the playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions, both with 15-2 records and the top seeds in the 2024 NFL playoffs, are 6-9 and 8-7, respectively, this season.
As for last week’s predictions, we nailed the Titans’ win over the Chiefs, as well as Jacksonville’s victory at Denver. As for the Giants knocking off the Vikings, well…
Here are 3 bold predictions for NFL Week 17
Undermanned Chiefs spoil Christmas for first-place Broncos
This past Sunday at home, Sean Payton’s club saw its 11-game winning streak snapped by the surging Jaguars. Jacksonville quarterback Trevor Lawrence overcame five sacks and threw for 279 yards and three scores, plus ran for a touchdown, and the Broncos surrendered a season-high in points in a 34-20 loss.
Denver is playoff bound, while the reigning AFC West champions have dropped four straight and are in the midst of their first losing season since 2012. Andy Reid’s team comes off a humbling 26-9 loss at Tennessee. Regardless, look for a proud Chiefs’ defense to make one last stand and harass Bo Nix.
Panthers win second game in a row by stunning Seahawks
Dave Canales’s team is now all alone atop the NFC South with an 8-7 record. The Carolina Panthers have not been to the playoffs since 2017, and haven’t won a division title since 2015. They also haven’t won two games in a row since mid-October when they reeled off three straight victories over the Dolphins, Cowboys, and Jets, respectively.
Carolina comes off a 23-20 win over the Bucs, so this recent trend say they will fall short in Sunday’s clash with the 12-3 Seahawks at Charlotte. Mike Macdonald’s club comes off a 38-37 overtime win over the Rams. Only the Vikings (29) have more turnovers than Seattle (26), and one-time Panthers’ quarterback Sam Darnold has 18 of those miscues. Expect a few more as Dave Canales’s club pulls off a shocker.
Rams not ready for prime time for second straight week
Rams’ quarterback Matthew Stafford is having a monster year for the highest-scoring team in the league. The veteran signal-caller has thrown a league-high 40 touchdown passes, one short of tying his career high that he has managed twice in his career with both the Lions (2011) and Rams (2021). He has also thrown only five interceptions, albeit he does have eight of his club’s 12 turnovers this season.
The Atlanta Falcons are in the midst of an eighth straight losing season, but one thing they have found this season is a pass rush. Their 50 sacks are second in the NFL behind Denver (63). And the Rams’ iffy run defense won’t have any answers for Falcons’ Bijan Robinson, who leads the NFL with 2,026 scrimmage yards.