CINCINNATI — Eight stand-alone games. Two games on Christmas. This year’s No. 1 overall pick on Thursday night. Three games on Saturday. A highly crucial impact game on Sunday night. A rematch of last season’s NFC Championship on Monday night.
PSettle in and indulge and delicious sweet treats and NFL Football! Let’s look at Week 17 with the Christmas, Thursday Night Football, Saturday’s NFL Network Tripleheader, Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football.
Christmas
Kansas City Chiefs (14-1) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5) – 1 p.m. on Netflix (Ian Eagle, Nate Burleson, J.J. Watt, Melanie Collins, Stacey Dales)
Westwood One: J.P. Shadrick, Ross Tucker
Don’t look now, but the Chiefs may have played their best game of the season on Saturday in a 27-19 win over the AFC South champion Houston Texans. Patrick Mahomes certainly looked the best he has all season, throwing for 260 yards and a touchdown while adding 33 rushing yards with a touchdown.
It’s been a disjointed Chiefs offense, it feels like, all season. Yet, here the Chiefs are on the brink of clinching home field advantage in the AFC. All they need to do is win this game in Pittsburgh on Christmas afternoon, and they can fly home knowing they’re not leaving Kansas City again until Sunday, Feb. 2nd. That’s one week before Super Bowl Sunday.
And for all the talk about Patrick Mahomes struggling this season, here are some stats you should know. Mahomes has four straight games on the road with two or more touchdown passes. In addition, Mahomes plays his best against the Steelers. He’s 3-0 against them, with one of those wins coming in the Playoffs, with 14 touchdowns to just one interception and a passer rating of 144.4. And this season, Mahomes needs just 392 passing yards to reach 4,000 yards. He would become the first quarterback in NFL history with 4,000+ passing yards in seven of his first eight seasons.
Travis Kelce got off to a slow start this season, but he currently has 89 catches this season. He’s on the brink of becoming the first player in NFL history with 90+ catches in seven straight seasons. And against Pittsburgh, Kelce has both 100 yards and a touchdown in the previous two matchups with the Steelers.
On the other side, the Steelers are reeling. They’ve lost their last two games, by double-digits, to the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens. Their defense has gotten shredded by two of the NFL’s most dynamic offenses, and the Steelers offense has not been able to complement the struggling defense. The Steelers defense has given up 400+ yards of offense in each of their two straight losses. To put that into perspective, the Steelers only gave up 400+ yards of offense in two games in 2023. The last time they gave up 400+ yards of offense in back-to-back games? Weeks 1 and 2 in 2019.
Russell Wilson hasn’t been prolific the last three weeks, but he hasn’t struggled either. Sure he turned the ball over twice against the Ravens last week, but he still completed 22 of 33 passes for 217 yards and two touchdowns and added 27 rushing yards. George Pickens is a difference maker on this offense, but Wilson has other good skill players in Najee Harris, Calvin Austin III and Pat Friermuth to throw to and move the ball down the field.
Not only, though, have the Steelers lost their last two games, but they’re now tied with the Ravens for the AFC North lead. After dropping two straight games, the Steelers now get to play the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs on Christmas Day. Sure the Steelers have clinched a playoff berth, but there’s plenty more left for this team to accomplish. Will they revive their season with just two games to play, or are fatigue and offensive shortcoming starting to set in? That question will get answered on Christmas afternoon.
Top 12 Players in Chiefs-Steelers
1. Patrick Mahomes
2. T.J. Watt
3. Travis Kelce
4. Patrick Queen
5. Minkah Fitzpatrick
6. Cameron Heyward
7. Najee Harris
8. Xavier Worthy
9. Pat Friermuth
10. Trent McDuffie
11. George Pickens
12. Alex Highsmith
What to Watch for Christmas afternoon
Playing on a short week on the road is one thing. Add to it going up against T.J. Watt and the Steelers defensive front, and this is going to be a massive challenge for the Chiefs on Christmas afternoon. Despite giving up just one sack last week, the Chiefs offensive line is still an issue. This could be the game that really exposes the Chiefs offensive line. The Steelers haven’t had this big of a home game this late in the regular season since they played the New England Patriots in Week 15 of the 2017 Season. The Terrible Towels will be out in full force and Renegade will be blaring before the start of the fourth quarter on Christmas afternoon.
Game Pick: Steelers 24 – Chiefs 21
The Chiefs have been getting all the breaks this season. This time, though, they won’t catch a break against the Steelers on the road and on a short week. I think the Steelers will hold serve at home and inch closer to the AFC North title. This is going to be a raucous atmosphere at Acrisure Stadium. When the Steelers are playing a big game at home, it’s a totally different environment for any team to walk into. The Chiefs will find that out Christmas afternoon.
Baltimore Ravens (10-5) @ Houston Texans (9-6) – 4:30 p.m. on Netflix (Noah Eagle, Greg Olsen, Jamie Erdahl, Steve Wyche)
Westwood One: Ryan Radtke, Ryan Leaf
The NFL Schedule makers knew what they were doing putting these two games on Christmas Day. Chiefs-Steelers will be really good. Ravens-Texans will also be really good… potentially.
Don’t get me wrong, I think this matchup is excellent. If you dig into the histories of these two teams, they’re actually similar. The Ravens came into existence in 1996, with this being their 29th season. Meanwhile, the Texans came into existence in 2002 and are in their 23rd season. But both teams have won exactly seven division titles in their respective franchise histories. Since 2011, the Texans have won all seven of their AFC South titles while the Ravens have won five AFC North titles. The Ravens two Super Bowl titles, combined with their vaunted defenses of the past, perceives them as many rungs on the ladder above the Texans. But take their two Super Bowl titles away, and the Ravens and Texans are actually on a similar level in terms of success and franchise histories.
I’m worried, though, about the Texans. They’ve already won the AFC South, and that’s a good thing. But what they will do with that division title is questionable, especially after wide receiver Tank Dell sustained a horrific knee injury on Saturday afternoon in Kanas City. Keep in mind, the Texans have already lost Stefon Diggs to a torn ACL this season. Now they’re down two wide receivers. Combine that with an offensive line that’s flawed and banged up, and the Texans chances at a deep playoff run don’t look great.
Then again, you dig deeper into this Texans team and you see the talent is there. C.J. Stroud hasn’t taken the leap into the elite tier of quarterbacks we thought he was poised to do this season, but he’s still just eight yards away from having 3,500 passing yards for the second straight season to start his career. Joe Mixon, who played against the Ravens 14 times in his sevens seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, needs just 33 rushing yards for his fifth 1,000-yard rushing season of his career. Nico Collins is third in the NFL with 90.9 receiving yards per game and is 91 yards away from his second straight 1,000-yard season. And on defense, the Texans have difference-making players on all three levels. They’ve had a whole year to study the Ravens offense after facing them twice on the road last year, and they aren’t scared of going up against them at home on Christmas afternoon this season.
Meanwhile, the Ravens have looked really good in their first two games coming out of their Week 14 bye. They’ve scored 35 and 34 points, respectively, to tie the Steelers for first place in the AFC North. Lamar Jackson has eight touchdown passes in the Ravens last two games, and Derrick Henry ran for 162 yards in the win over the Steelers on Saturday. If the Ravens defense keeps stacking performances like the one they had against the Steelers, they will be a very tough out in the Playoffs. Against Pittsburgh, the Ravens forced a game-changing fumble on Russell Wilson early in the second quarter and then put the game on ice with a pick six by Marlon Humphrey in the fourth quarter.
Lamar Jackson is playing at an MVP level. While I still think Josh Allen will win the award, Jackson absolutely deserves consideration. The current two-time MVP has 37 touchdown passes to just four interceptions this season. In addition, Jackson is just 87 rushing yards away from becoming the NFL’s all-time leader in rushing yards by a quarterback, having rushed for 765 yards this season.
Derrick Henry knows the Texans well. He torched them when he was with the Tennessee Titans, averaging 102.2 rushing yards per game and scoring 12 touchdowns in 14 games against the Texans. In three of his last four games against the Texans, Henry has 200+ rushing yards and two+ touchdowns. It’s not like he only dominates Houston. Henry is second in the NFL in touchdowns (15) and scrimmage yards (1,788) this season.
Top 12 Players in Ravens-Texans
1. Lamar Jackson
2. Roquan Smith
3. C.J. Stroud
4. Kyle Hamilton
5. Derrick Henry
6. Nnamdi Madubuike
7. Danielle Hunter
8. Laremy Tunsil
9. Mark Andrews
10. Derek Stingley Jr.
11. Zay Flowers
12. Will Anderson IV
What to Watch for Christmas Late Afternoon
Last year, the Ravens beat the Texans by a combined 59-19 in two games. The two matchups showed the stark contrast between the two teams in terms of their physicality. While they’re only separated by one game in the AFC standings, the Ravens feel like they’re a far-and-away better team than the Texans because of their roster, physicality and experience. Remember, the Ravens two Super Bowl titles and vaunted defenses throughout their history create a perception they’re far above the Texans in the AFC hierarchy. Not to mention, the Ravens are 10-2 all-time against the Texans. Can the Texans match the Ravens physicality Christmas afternoon? The answer will determine the outcome of this game.
Game Pick: Texans 27 – Ravens 24
I think the Texans will play inspired Christmas afternoon. They’ll play for Tank Dell, and they will come out and make a statement on Christmas. This is the biggest NFL game in Houston since the 1993 AFC Divisional playoff game when the Houston Oilers hosted the Kansas City Chiefs. That tells you not only the magnitude of this game, but it also tells you that the Texans do have a quarterback in C.J. Stroud who can elevate the Texans to contender status in the AFC. Quarterbacks like him change the trajectory and expectations for franchises who struggled mightily before they got there. This is the game for Stroud and the Texans to make a statement that they are a formidable contender in the AFC. I think they will.
Thursday Night Football
Seattle Seahawks (8-7) @ Chicago Bears (4-11) – 8:15 p.m. on Prime Video (Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit, Kaylee Hartung)
Westwood One: Kevin Kugler, Ryan Harris
Of all the weird stats of the 2024 NFL Season, this one really stands out to me; the Seahawks went 3-6 at home this year. In addition, they’re 5-1 on the road this season.
So for all the struggles they have had, the Seahawks may actually have an advantage playing on the road for their last two games of the regular season. They still have a shot at the Playoffs and the NFC West title, but that starts with winning a game they should win on Thursday night before taking on the Los Angeles Rams in Week 18.
Don’t let the Seahawks two-game losing streak make you think Geno Smith is a bad quarterback. He’s anything but that. In fact, Smith is third in the NFL with 3,937 passing yards. He’s one of four quarterbacks with five 300-yard passing games this season. The other three: Joe Burrow, Jared Goff and Baker Mayfield.
This Seahawks offense is good. I’ve always liked their skill players, and they are all having really good seasons. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are one of the NFL’s best receiving trios in the NFL. Smith-Njigba, in particular, is in the top 10 in the NFL in both receiving yards (5th, 1,089) and receptions (6th, 93).
I thought the Seahawks defense had a chance to be pretty good going into this season, and they have been through 15 games. They’re strong on all three levels on defense, especially their secondary. Tariq Woolen is maybe the NFL’s best cornerback that nobody talks about. Since 2022, he’s the only player with 40+ passes defended and 10+ interceptions. In addition, safety Julian Love is four tackles away from his third straight season with 100+ tackles.
The Chicago Bears are a mess. They are failing Caleb Williams. Like him or not, Williams is talented. He doesn’t deserve to be in this situation. Williams is playing his heart out with 326 straight pass attempts without an interception. He can join Tom Brady and Derek Carr as the only quarterbacks in NFL history with 10 straight games of 20+ pass attempts and no interceptions. This Bears offense has talent, and so does their defense. My question with the Bears is what direction is this organization going in? They need a plan, an identity, stability to protect Caleb Williams and develop him into that elite quarterback I still think he can be. Williams and the Bears have the opportunity to play spoiler on Thursday night in their last home game of the season.
Top 12 Players in Seahawks-Bears
1. Keenan Allen
2. Montez Sweat
3. DK Metcalf
4. Tariq Woolen
5. Julian Love
6. Caleb Williams
7. Jaxon Smith-Njigba
8. Kevin Byard
9. Ernest Jones
10. T.J. Edwards
11. D’Andre Swift
12. Jonathan Owens
What to Watch for Thursday night
The Seahawks defense has had a subpar last two games, but they get to go up against a Bears offensive line that is much maligned. If they can get after Caleb Williams, who’s already been sacked 60 times this season, that will make the Seahawks offense not have to be as prolific in a game they need to win.
Game Pick: Seahawks 23 – Bears 16
I’m expecting an ugly, low-scoring game on Thursday night. Both teams have talent, but they both have their flaws. The Seahawks, though, are still playing for something meaningful. Given that they are 5-1 on the road this season, I’m picking the Seahawks to win this game and stay alive in the playoff and NFC West races.
Saturday Tripleheader
Los Angeles Chargers (9-6) @ New England Patriots (3-12) – 1 p.m. on NFL Network (Chris Rose, Ross Tucker, Steve Wyche)
Westwood One: Nate Gatter, Ryan Leaf
The Chargers got a really good bounce-back win last week against the Denver Broncos, and it now feels like they will be a playoff team in 2024. Give Jim Harbaugh a ton of credit. In his first season as the Chargers head coach, he has completely changed the culture and the identity of the team. They now have a winning formula and an identity that can win in the Playoffs.
It’s been a rough first season in New England for head coach Jerod Mayo. I don’t know what the future looks like for him, if he even stays beyond this season. One thing the Patriots do have is a bright future at quarterback in Drake Maye. He continues to show a lot of promise, even as the Patriots struggle as a team.
This is a game the Chargers should win. But there’s no guarantee in the NFL. Remember when the Chargers lost to the Houston Texans in Week 16 of the 2021 Season, part of them losing three of their last four games to make the Playoffs? That’s where we’ll find out if the culture and identity have really changed under Jim Harbaugh, and the maturity of this Chargers team to go on the road and take care of business and clinch a playoff berth in a game they should win.
Top 12 Players in Chargers-Patriots
1. Khalil Mack
2. Justin Herbert
3. Derwin James
4. Ladd McConkey
5. Drake Maye
6. Joey Bosa
7. Quentin Johnston
8. Rhamondre Stevenson
9. Tuli Tuipulotu
10. Bud Dupree
11. Tarheeb Still
12. Elijah Molden
What to Watch for Saturday afternoon
The Chargers can’t let the Patriots hang around in this game. New England has no business keeping this game close. But it’s still on the Chargers to go across the country and clinch a playoff berth. How far the Chargers have really come as a team and organization will show in this game.
Game Pick: Chargers 30 – Patriots 13
The Chargers defense has struggled of late, so this would be a good game to get back into form ahead of the Playoffs. This is a handle-your-business game for the Chargers. Whether or not they will remains to be seen.
Denver Broncos (9-6) @ Cincinnati Bengals (7-8) – 4:30 p.m. on NFL Network (Kevin Harlan, Trent Green, Melanie Collins)
Westwood One: John Sadak, Derek Rackley
Earlier this year, Netflix released a documentary called “The Comeback” that chronicled the 2004 Boston Red Sox coming back from down 3-0 in the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees. There’s a notable scene of Kevin Millar telling Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy “Don’t let the Sox win this game!” referring to Game 4. Millar’s belief was that if the Red Sox won that game, the first of four straight, they could win the next three and come back from down 3-0.
There’s a similar feeling I get with the Bengals as we enter the final two weeks of the NFL regular season. Don’t let the Bengals in the Playoffs. Because with this team, with Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, they can go toe-to-toe with anybody in the AFC and the NFL.
What Burrow and Chase are doing this season is absurd. It may be one of the best quarterback/wide receiver seasons in NFL history. All of a sudden, the Bengals have a pulse and their playoff hopes are very much alive. They need to win out and get some help, but this team sneaking into the Playoffs would make things very interesting.
The Broncos have far and away exceeded expectations this season. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix has really impressed this season. But what makes the Broncos formidable is how good they are in the trenches. The Broncos get after the quarterback and protect their quarterback. That’s a combination that can win in the Playoffs, which the Broncos can get to with a win on Saturday.
Top 12 Players in Broncos-Bengals
1. Joe Burrow
2. Ja’Marr Chase
3. Bo Nix
4. Trey Hendrickson
5. Patrick Surtain II
6. Tee Higgins
7. Nik Bonitto
8. Chase Brown
9. Courtland Sutton
10. Javonte Williams
11. Geno Stone
12. Garrett Bolles
What to Watch for Saturday late afternoon
The matchup between Ja’Marr Chase and Patrick Surtain II is going to be fun to watch. Surtain has established himself as one of the NFL’s best lockdown cornerbacks, and Chase had just one catch for three yards in his only career game against the Broncos in 2021. But Chase has now established himself as the NFL’s best wide receiver, and he can make any cornerback look ridiculous. This is going to be a fun matchup to watch on Saturday late afternoon.
Game Pick: Broncos 34 – Bengals 31
This game is going to be really entertaining. The problem is, the Bengals haven’t beaten a team with a winning record this season. But what’s crazy is, the Bengals look really good against teams with winning records… at least on offense. The Bengals defense had a really bad stretch against teams with winning records this season, which is why they’ve lost seven of their eight games to teams with winning records. The Bengals defense has been better the last three weeks, but can they take that next step with their season on the line? I’m picking Denver because they’re the better team, even if the Bengals have the best quarterback and wide receiver in the NFL.
Arizona Cardinals (7-8) @ Los Angeles Rams (9-6) – 8:15 p.m. on NFL Network (Rich Eisen, Kurt Warner, Jamie Erdahl)
Westwood One: Ryan Radtke, Mike Golic
For the second straight season, the Rams are on a second-half surge. And this year, they can win the NFC West. From 1-4 to 9-6, it’s extremely impressive how the Rams have turned their season around.
Matthew Stafford has become a quarterback that knows how to play and win this time of year. He and Sean McVay are one of the NFL’s best quarterback/head coach tandems in the NFL, and their offense is one no team will want to face in the NFL Playoffs. In addition, the Rams defense has gotten better throughout the season. This is a young defense that is being developed into a formidable unit.
What the Rams have done in retooling their team from salary cap adversity two years ago is extremely impressive. They’ve hit on draft picks, they’re developing those draft picks and the star veterans that were there when they won Super Bowl LVI are still high-impact players.
The Cardinals have exceeded expectations this season, even though they have been eliminated from playoff contention. This season wasn’t about making the Playoffs. It was about seeing if Kyler Murray can still be a good quarterback in the NFL- he is- and if Jonathan Gannon is the right man to be the Cardinals head coach- he is. They’re playing spoiler on Saturday, but they already have a win over the Rams this season.
This is a game the Rams can’t overlook. They can clinch the NFC West on Saturday night if the Seahawks lose on Thursday night, which would put the Rams in a win-and-clinch scenario.
Top 12 Players in Cardinals-Rams
1. Puka Nacua
2. Matthew Stafford
3. Cooper Kupp
4. Kyren Williams
5. Budda Baker
6. Kyler Murray
7. Braden Fiske
8. Jared Verse
9. Kobie Turner
10. Bryon Young
11. Marvin Harrison Jr.
12. Trey McBride
Week 2: Cardinals 41 – Rams 10
This was a beatdown by the Cardinals. I thought the Rams were done after this game. They had so many injuries coming out of this game that I didn’t know how they would respond.
Arizona dominated this game, nearly doubling the Rams in total yards (489-245). Kyler Murray was spectacular and efficient going 17/21 for 266 yards and three touchdowns, and Marvin Harrison Jr. had his first two touchdowns of his career in this game.
But as we have seen the last two seasons from the Rams, they embraced adversity and have put themselves in position to make the Playoffs. The Rams have won three straight division games since their blowout Week 2 loss, and they are poised to win their fourth straight division game and clinch the NFC West.
What to Watch for Saturday night
Can this young Rams defense bounce back against the Cardinals dynamic offense? The Rams are playing for something meaningful, but the Cardinals are not. Because of that, the Cardinals could come out loose and let it fly. Will the Rams defense come out tight or ready to make plays? That’s what I’m watching for Saturday night.
Game Pick: Rams 31 – Cardinals 24
This will be a fun game. The Rams are an easy team to root for, and they will be very interesting to watch in the Playoffs. They have to get there first, obviously, and I believe they will. They’re playing with a lot of momentum right now, and I believe they keep that going on Saturday night.
Sunday Night Football: Atlanta Falcons (8-7) @ Washington Commanders (10-5) – 8:20 p.m. on NBC (Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark)
Westwood One: Tom McCarthy, Mike Mayock
This game was flexed into Sunday Night Football last week, and I actually really like this matchup. There’s a lot riding on this game, and these two teams are new to the prime time spotlight this season. The Falcons did not play a prime time game last season, and the Commanders only played in one prime time game in 2023. Atlanta is playing in its fifth prime time game this season, while Washington is playing in its third and first at home.
The Falcons made a bold move by changing quarterbacks last week, inserting rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. for a struggling Kirk Cousins. It paid off as the Falcons not only routed the Giants to move to 8-7, but they also vaulted into first place in the NFC South with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing to the Dallas Cowboys. Now, the Falcons control their own destiny to win the NFC South.
Penix may hold the key to fully unlock this Falcons offense. There are some really good players on Atlanta’s offense, led by running back Bijan Robinson. He’s the best running back in the NFL that nobody talks about. Robinson is third in the NFL with 1,616 scrimmage yards, and he has nearly 1,200 rushing yards with 10 rushing touchdowns. Drake London is such an underrated receiver. He’s closing in on his first 1,000-yard season. Darnell Mooney is an underrated WR2, and he’s also closing in 1,000 yards this season. It would be Mooney’s second 1,000-yard season of his career.
The Falcons defense doesn’t get a lot of attention, and that’s because they struggled during their four-game losing streak. They’re a solid unit, though. Jessie Bates III is an absolute stud in the back end of the Falcons defense, having reached 10 passes defended for the third time in his career. Linebacker Kaden Elliss is underrated. He has 130 tackles this season and needs two tackles for loss to hit 10 on the season.
But the Falcons defense is going to have to beat a surging Commanders team that’s coming off their best win of the season last week against the Philadelphia Eagles. Jayden Daniels threw for five touchdowns in a come-from-behind 36-33 win.
What can you say about Jayden Daniels? He is so fun to watch, and he has exceeded all of my expectations in his rookie season. It’s not just that he threw for 258 yards, ran for 81 yards and threw for five touchdowns on Sunday against Philadelphia. He became just the second player in NFL history with 250+ passing yards, 75+ rushing yards and five+ touchdown passes in the same game. Daniels is mature beyond his years, and he is very capable of leading this Commanders team on a playoff run.
The Commanders may be the organization of the year in the NFL. They have completely rebranded themselves with new ownership, new coaching staff and a new quarterback. It finally feels like there is stability within this organization. The Commanders haven’t reached 11 wins since 1991, when they went on to win Super Bowl XXXI. They can win their 11th game of the season on Sunday in their first prime time home game this season, and I can’t wait to see what the environment will look like in Washington.
Top 12 Players in Falcons-Commanders
1. Jayden Daniels
2. Terry McLaurin
3. Bijan Robinson
4. Jessie Bates III
5. Bobby Wagner
6. Justin Simmons
7. Jonathan Allen
8. Chris Lindstrom
9. Kaden Elliss
10. Dante Fowler Jr.
11. Drake London
12. Frankie Luvu
What to Watch for Sunday night
This is obviously the first prime time game for Michael Penix Jr. in his rookie season. By the time this game kicks off, the Falcons may be in a win-and-clinch-the NFC South scenario if the Buccaneers lose at home to Carolina Sunday afternoon. Penix played on a lot of big stages in college, including the National Championship in 2023 with the Washington Huskies. But this is Sunday Night Football in the NFL, on the road against last year’s Heisman Trophy winner and a Commanders team that may be the best team the franchise has had in 33 years.
Game Pick: Commanders 28 – Falcons 21
This is going to be a fun game. Both teams are new, or at least returning, to the prime time stage this season. The Commanders have a lot of momentum right now, and I expect them to keep that momentum going by clinching a playoff berth and continuing the rebranding of their historic franchise.
Monday Night Football: Detroit Lions (13-2) @ San Francisco 49ers (6-9) – 8:15 p.m. on ESPN and ABC (Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, Lisa Salters)
Westwood One: Jason Benetti, Kurt Warner
The rematch of last year’s NFC Championship was expected to be a titanic matchup. Week 17. Monday Night Football. Possibly the No. 1 seed on the line, which it is. But both teams were expected to be really good coming into this game. Rather, the Lions have lived up to expectations and the 49ers have not. The 49ers have already been eliminated from playoff contention.
At 13-2, the Lions haven’t even won the NFC North yet. Yes, you read that correctly. They can clinch the NFC North with a win Monday night if the Minnesota Vikings lose to the Green Bay Packers on Sunday late afternoon. If the Vikings lose, the Lions can also clinch home-field advantage in the NFC with a win on Monday night.
With the Lions, this is their latest revenge game this season. They had the 49ers on the ropes in the NFC Championship this past January, leading 24-7 at halftime. In every revenge game the Lions have played this season, they have won and looked very good in doing so. They’re going into this Monday Night Football matchup in San Francisco expecting to win.
While the 49ers have been eliminated from playoff contention, I expect them to still play with pride in this game. They have too much talent not to. In addition, this may be the last home game for a lot of key members of the 49ers roster and organization. By organization, I’m talking Kyle Shanahan. Eight seasons in, he’s accomplished a lot and established himself as one of the NFL’s best head coaches and play callers. But have he and the 49ers peaked? Is it time for a fresh start in San Francisco? What’s going to happen with Brock Purdy this offseason? What about Christian McCaffrey and other key players? This offseason will certainly be fascinating for the 49ers.
Top 12 Players in Lions-49ers
1. Jared Goff
2. Amon-Ra St. Brown
3. Fred Warner
4. George Kittle
5. Penei Sewell
6. Nick Bosa
7. Brock Purdy
8. Deebo Samuel
9. Dre Greenlaw
10. Sam LaPorta
11. Jahmyr Gibbs
12. Brian Branch
What to Watch for Monday night
The Lions can impose their will on any team in the NFL. Going into the NFC Championship, I was concerned the 49ers would be too much for the Lions as far as physicality. But after what I saw in the NFC Championship, it was clear the Lions were no longer just a fun story. They were there to win, and they nearly did. Now on December 30th, just over 11 months removed from the NFC Championship, I am watching for the Lions to absolutely punish the 49ers in the trenches. Already eliminated from playoff contention, do the 49ers respond with pride? Or, will they succumb to the Lions physicality?
Game Pick: Lions 34 – 49ers 27
Even with all their injuries, the Lions are still a really good team. They have enough talent to overcome all of their injuries, especially in a game against a similarly banged-up 49ers team. The Lions will flash their talent and win a crucial game for them as they close in on the NFC North title and the NFC’s No. 1 seed, and they’ll get more revenge in doing so.
Let me be Frank and Cut to the Chase 