Week 17 features a tripleheader of Saturday games, exclusively available on NFL Network, followed by the usual slate of Sunday games, all of which feature some huge playoff implications. Below is a look at some of the top games to watch this weekend, as the playoff clock ticks louder.
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Saturday and Sunday, Week 17 — Top 5 games to watch
This game is certainly the most enticing game of Week 17. Both teams have top 10 offenses and defenses, making for elite matchups in virtually every corner of the field. Add the fact that they are division rivals competing for playoff seeding, and the game takes on a whole new meaning.
These two teams played in Week 4 and it was a 31-29 nailbiter in favor of the Vikings. Since then, both Green Bay and Minnesota look more refined and powerful than they have all season. This game seems like one of the few games in a season where you could flip a coin to pick a winner.
NFL Pro Insight for Packers-Vikings:
Josh Jacobs” data-link=”/players/josh-jacobs/” data-slug=”josh-jacobs”>Josh Jacobs has forced 44 missed tackles over his last six games, four more than the next closest player since Week 11. On the season, Jacobs has forced 92 missed tackles, tied for the second-most in the NFL along with Derrick Henry” data-link=”/players/derrick-henry/” data-slug=”derrick-henry”>Derrick Henry.
The Vikings defense has recorded the third-lowest missed tackle rate (10.0%) since Week 11. Only the Packers (9.5%) and the Cowboys (9.9%) have missed tackles at a lower rate over that time frame.
Joe Burrow’s buzzing offense will face the league’s No. 1 ranked pass defense in Denver this week in the Bengals’ quest to earn a playoff spot. We will likely see a Patrick Surtain II” data-link=”/players/patrick-surtain-ii/” data-slug=”patrick-surtain-ii”>Patrick Surtain II-Ja’Marr Chase” data-link=”/players/ja-marr-chase/” data-slug=”ja-marr-chase”>Ja’Marr Chase matchup, which might be the top CB-WR matchup you could conjure this season. Aside from the on-field matchups, the playoff implications here are what make this game interesting. A win for Denver clinches a wild-card berth. A win for Cincinnati keeps their playoff hopes alive. Both teams should come out firing — do not miss this one.
NFL Pro Insight for Broncos-Bengals:
Patrick Surtain II has been targeted on just 10.2% of his coverage snaps this season, the second lowest among cornerbacks (min. 300 coverage snaps). When he has been targeted, Surtain has recorded a 23.9% ball hawk rate, the second-highest rate among cornerbacks (min. 30 targets). Surtain has been targeted on just 7.8% of his zone coverage snaps (lowest among cornerbacks, min. 100 such coverage snaps).
Ja’Marr Chase has recorded a league-high 1,142 receiving yards against zone coverage this season, including the most receiving yards over expected (+385) and yards after the catch over expected (+228) on such receptions.
The Panthers are a dangerous team to watch right now. Say what you want about the 4-11 record, but quality football is brewing in Carolina. Last week, the Panthers spoiled the Cardinals’ playoff hopes despite already being eliminated from playoff contention themselves.
I wouldn’t count them out of doing the same thing to the Bucs, a division rival, who right now has a 53% chance of making the playoffs after their loss to Dallas last week. A loss for the Bucs here will drop their playoff chances to 13%. The Bucs barely beat the Panthers in Week 13. This game could be sneaky good.
NFL Pro Insight for Panthers-Bucs:
Chuba Hubbard” data-link=”/players/chuba-hubbard/” data-slug=”chuba-hubbard”>Chuba Hubbard has generated +282 rushing yards over expected, the third most in the NFL behind only Saquon Barkley” data-link=”/players/saquon-barkley/” data-slug=”saquon-barkley”>Saquon Barkley (+518) and Derrick Henry (+480).
Hubbard’s +282 RYOE is the most by any Panthers rusher in a season since the stat was first tracked (2018), besting Christian McCaffrey” data-link=”/players/christian-mccaffrey/” data-slug=”christian-mccaffrey”>Christian McCaffrey’s +212 RYOE in 2019.
The Cardinals were eliminated from playoff contention last week, but they could help spoil the playoffs for a division rival — whom they beat by 31 points in Week 2 — with a win here. That game saw Kyler Murray” data-link=”/players/kyler-murray/” data-slug=”kyler-murray”>Kyler Murray throw three touchdowns with an 81% completion rate and James Conner” data-link=”/players/james-conner/” data-slug=”james-conner”>James Conner tally 122 yards and a touchdown. Can the duo find its way back to that level of production?
The Rams look as good as they have in recent memory, perhaps most clearly proven by their big win over the Bills in Week 14. Now, they are controlling their own destiny and with a win over the Cards plus some favorable outcomes on Sunday could clinch the NFC West. The Cardinals offense proved to be too much for them in their first matchup, but they have a chance to rewrite history here.
NFL Pro Insight for Cardinals-Rams:
Kyler Murray has attempted passes outside the pocket on 16.3% of his throws this season, the 11th-highest rate in the league this season.
Murray has completed 57.7% of such passes (fifth highest) for 8.2 yards per attempt (seventh most) and a 46.8% success rate (fourth highest), all top-10 ranks. He has also avoided taking sacks with only eight taken for a 10.1% sack rate, the eighth-lowest rate.
The Rams have struggled against passes outside the pocket as they have allowed the second-highest completion percentage at 63.5% for a league-high 8.9 yards per attempt allowed.
Similar to the Cardinals and the Panthers, the Cowboys don’t have a spot in the postseason but have a chance to shake things up for a division rival headed for the playoffs. The Eagles’ loss to the Commanders made their quest for the No. 1 seed in the NFC highly improbable, but a win for the Cowboys here would make it impossible. Dallas has won four of its last five games preceding this one, including wins over the Commanders and the Bucs, so I wouldn’t write it off.
NFL Pro Insight for Cowboys-Eagles:
A.J. Brown has caught 10 of 24 targets in tight windows (<1 yard of separation>
The Cowboys have allowed 16 receptions on 63 tight-window targets this season for a 25.4% completion rate, the NFL’s third lowest. They have intercepted five tight-window passes, tied for fourth most in the league, while allowing three touchdowns (tied for the fifth fewest).
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