Mattie T’s Week 17 NFL Predictions

Alright folks, we will know who’s in the playoff picture by 10:30 pm on Sunday night! There are still some division races left to be decided, so i’m sure there wil be a lot of scoreboard watching going on.

Let’s see who i think will join the playoff party….

Week 16: 9-7

Overall: 150-89 (.628)

Rams/Falcons: The Falcons still have something to play for, as they could win the NFC South on Sunday with a win & a Carolina loss. This one should be a blowout, as the Rams have lost 9 straight games & will probably fire interim head coach Jim Haslett come Monday morning.

Mattie T’s Pick: Atlanta

Patriots/Bills: It’s a shame how New England can end up with 11 wins, yet still miss out on the playoffs. Look for the Patriots to move the ball good against a Bills team that has lost their last 4 home games.

Mattie T’s Pick: New England

Chiefs/Bengals: Kansas City is almost done with one of its’ worst seasons in franchise history & enters Sunday’s  game with just one road win (which was against Oakland). Cincinnati has had a bad season also, but at least they have been competitive lately with 2 straight wins. Make it 3 in a row for the Bengals, while the Chiefs will set a new NFL record for the fewest sacks in a season.

Mattie T’s Pick: Cincinnati

Lions/Packers: Just 60 minutes left until the Detroit Lions become the first NFL team to go 0-16. They allowed a season-high 48 points in Week 2 to guess who….Green Bay! Even though the Packers have been slumping with 5 straight losses, they haven’t lost to the Lions at Lambeau since ’91..a streak that will most likely continue after Sunday afternoon.

Mattie T’s Pick: Green Bay

Bears/Texans: Bears still have a chance to win the NFC North, but need to win on Sunday & have the Vikings lose to the Giants to punch their playoff ticket. The blown leads against Carolina & Tampa Bay will come back to haunt Chicago here, as Houston is 5-2 at home this season & boasts the 3rd best offense in the NFL. The Bears suffered a big blow as they will be without safety Mike Brown, who suffered a leg injury in Week 15 & has been put on injured reserve. Look for the Texans to use all of their offensive weapons to finish 8-8 for the 2nd consecutive season & end the Bears’ playoff hopes.

Mattie T’s Pick: Houston

Titans/Colts: This game should be filled with backups, as both teams have already clinched playoff spots. This could be Tony Dungy’s final regular-season home game, so look for Indianapolis to give their head coach one final win.

Mattie T’s Pick: Indianapolis

Giants/Vikings: Bears fans will be watching this game very closely, as a Vikings loss & Chicago win would give the Bears the NFC North title. The big X-factor here will be how long the Giants’ starters play on Sunday, as they have already clinched homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. It looks as if the Giants will rest several of their key players which includes quarterback Eli Manning, running back Brandon Jacobs, cornerback Aaron Ross (who has already been ruled out for Sunday) & defensive end Justin Tuck. This is a perfect setup for Minnesota, who should be able to beat New York’s group of 2nd stringers.

Mattie T’s Pick: Minnesota

Panthers/Saints: All eyes will be on Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who needs 402 yards on Sunday to break Dan Marino’s single-season passing yardage record of 5,084. However, Carolina might play on Sunday without two starting defensive tackles & needs to re-assert themselves after allowing 301 rushing yards to the Giants during their Week 16 loss. Even though New Orleans won’t be going to the playoffs, they are 6-1 at home & will help Atlanta win the NFC South.

Mattie T’s Pick: New Orleans

Browns/Steelers: Cleveland is set to start former Tampa Bay quarterback Bruce Gradkowski on Sunday, who is the fourth different signal-caller to start for the Browns this season. But what chance does Gradkowski stand against the NFL’s top-ranked defense when he couldn’t even lead the Browns to any scoring drives against the BENGALS???? This one is going to get very ugly folks.

Mattie T’s Pick: Pittsburgh

Raiders/Buccaneers: Tampa Bay picked the wrong time to embark on their current 3-game losing streak, as now they will need to win on Sunday & have Dallas lose to clinch the NFC’s final Wild Card spot. Even though the Buccaneers’ defense has struggled as of late, they should be able to bounce back against Oakland’s 29th ranked offense & will send longtime defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin off with a pleasant farewell win.

Mattie T’s Pick: Tampa Bay

Jaguars/Ravens: Baltimore controls its’ own playoff fate, as they will clinch a Wild Card seed with a win over Jacksonville on Sunday. Should be no problem, as the Jaguars have not beat a winning team on the road since their October 12th victory at Denver. Jacksonville’s strength is their running game, but Maurice Jones-Drew will face a tough test against the Ravens’ 3rd ranked run defense.

Mattie T’s Pick: Baltimore

Dolphins/Jets: Did anyone imagine that Chad Pennington would be returning to  the place he called home for the previous 8 seasons (aka the Meadowlands) & having a chance to knock the Jets out of the playoffs? It could become reality on Sunday, as Miami has won 8 of their last 9 games & will face a Jets team that has lost 3 of their last 4. Sorry Brett Favre, but your time in the NFL is up.

Mattie T’s Pick: Miami

Cowboys/Eagles: Dallas also controls their own playoff fate, as they are in if they beat Philadelphia on Sunday. Problem is, the Cowboys are historically known as December chokers & have not played up to their potential away from Texas Stadium this season. As a matter of fact, Dallas has no road wins against teams that are .500 or better, so i look for the Eagles to knock the Cowboys out of the playoff picture with a key divisional win.

Mattie T’s Pick: Philadelphia

Seahawks/Cardinals: This is exactly what Arizona needed, as they have been outscored 82-21 in their last 2 games, both losses to Minnesota & New England. Ken Whisenhunt might play his starters for one half, or perhaps three full quarters as the team looks to regain some sort of rhythm before they host a Wild Card weekend playoff game. Seattle is the perfect opponent, as they are 2-5 away from Qwest Field.

Mattie T’s Pick: Arizona

Redskins/49ers: San Francisco has played well recently with 3 wins in their last 4 games & recently named Mike Singletary their head coach for next season. Washington hasn’t had a dominating road win all year, so i look for the 49ers to win this game & gain some momentum heading into 2009.

Mattie T’s Pick: San Francisco

Broncos/Chargers: Denver has had multiple opportunities to seal the deal & win the AFC West, but their inability to do so sets up a 1-game playoff at Qualcomm Stadium for the right to face Indianapolis during Wild Card weekend. Philip Rivers will be the difference-maker on Sunday night, as he sports a 114.9 rating in 7 home games with 16 touchdowns & just 3 interceptions.

Mattie T’s Pick: San Diego

I’ll have a Wild Card weekend preview up sometime next week, so stay tuned!!