The final week of the NFL season is upon us. While that means we’ll see a lot of meaningless football, there are also some games with huge divisional and playoff implications. Because so much is at stake, the league chose to eliminate “Sunday Night Football” to build more drama and avoid having a game where teams already know the outcome from the 15 other games.
As we head toward the playoffs, nine teams have clinched a playoff berth and six others are fighting for the final three spots. That should make for an exciting finish.
Here are 15 key questions for NFL Week 17:
1. Is this Eli Manning’s final game with the Giants?
Manning is going to start for the Giants on Sunday in their season finale against the Redskins. Beyond that, no one knows what his future in New York looks like. Manning will turn 37 next week, and the Giants are in search of a new head coach. With a rebuild and a top-two pick in the NFL draft on the horizon, it may not make much sense for Manning to remain with the team.
The good news for Manning fans is new Giants general manager Dave Gettleman hinted on Friday that he is planning to keep Eli around in 2018. Of course, those plans could change in a hurry this offseason.
2. How will Patrick Mahomes look in his first NFL start?
With the Chiefs having secured the AFC West division title, Andy Reid has decided Week 17 is a good time for Mahomes to make his NFL debut. The rookie will be going against a historically tough Broncos defense on the road, though Denver has not been nearly as dominant this year as in past seasons.
Kansas City traded up in the first round to draft Mahomes back in April, so the expectations surrounding him are quite high. Reid has stuck with Alex Smith through some rough patches this year, but eventually the reins will be handed over to Mahomes. Sunday should provide a very small glimpse into the Chiefs’ future.
3. Have the Steelers given up on the No. 1 overall seed?
The Steelers can still earn the No. 1 overall seed if they beat the Browns and the Patriots lose to the Jets in Foxboro, but what are the odds of both of those things happening? The first should be a breeze. The second? Not so much.
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has said he is unsure if he will play his starters on Sunday, leading many to believe he is giving New York absolutely no chance to beat the Pats. Or, perhaps Tomlin trusts his second-stringers to beat a winless — albeit highly motivated — Cleveland team. The Patriots and Steelers play at the same time, so there will be no way to know the outcome before Pittsburgh’s game kicks off. It will be interesting to see how Tomlin handles a situation that could potentially open him up for a ton of criticism.
4. Can the Dolphins play spoiler against an AFC East rival?
Coming off their blowout loss to the Patriots, the Bills are looking to sneak into the playoffs by beating Miami and getting some help. Buffalo’s loss to New England included a very controversial touchdown catch that was overturned, but they will have to do their best to leave that in the past and focus on the task at hand.
Will the thought of ruining the Bills’ postseason hopes be enough to motivate Jay Cutler and company? We shall see.
5. How much does James Harrison have left in the tank?
Harrison signed with the Patriots this week after he was surprisingly waived by the Steelers, and it sounds like Bill Belichick made the move for more than just intel on a possible AFC Championship opponent. Harrison said he made a “business decision” by signing with New England, and the 39-year-old was told by the coaching staff that he will play on Sunday against the Jets.
Harrison was essentially phased out of Pittsburgh’s defense and appeared in just five games, which makes you wonder how effective he can still be. If he uses some of the things his former teammates are saying about him as motivation, he could provide the Pats with some much-needed depth at a position they are struggling with. The Harrison storyline is one to watch in Week 17 and through the playoffs.
6. Will Kirk Cousins light it up in his final game before free agency?
Cousins may be playing his last game as a Redskin, and don’t be surprised if he uses it to put on a show before free agency. Washington is traveling to New York to play a gutted Giants team in a matchup with no playoff implications, so Cousins could be the most motivated player on the field. He needs just 65 passing yards to put together his third straight 4,000-plus yard season, and he could set a career high with 30 touchdown passes if he throws just three more.
The Redskins are unlikely to franchise tag Cousins for a third straight year, and he may decide he wants to move on from a team with a depleted receiving corps that doesn’t look all that close to contending. Cousins is going to get huge money if he hits the open market. He may try to use Sunday’s game to remind teams just how good he can be.
7. Who will win the NFC South?
The NFC South has been the best division in football, and it remains up for grabs heading into the final week of the season. The Saints control their own destiny and only need a win over the 4-11 Buccaneers to clinch the title. The Panthers can win the division with a victory over the Falcons and a New Orleans loss to Tampa. Carolina is faced with a much tougher task, as the Falcons are also fighting for the No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs.
It’s only fitting that the NFC South is coming down to Week 17. If the dominos fall the right way, the division will have three postseason representatives.
8. Can the Chargers sneak into the playoffs?
The Chargers began the season 0-4 and were basically left for dead, but they find themselves with an outside chance at reaching the postseason entering their final game of the year. In order to clinch a playoff spot, L.A. needs to beat the Raiders at home, have the Titans lose to the Jaguars and either the Bills lose to Miami or the Ravens beat the Bengals. That’s all assuming no ties, which are extremely uncommon in the NFL.
In other words, the Chargers need to take care of business and get a ton of help. But the fact that they are even playing for something in Week 17 is a testament to their resilience. An 0-4 start is almost always a death sentence in the NFL.
9. Will the Cowboys change their game plan to please Dez Bryant?
With Dallas officially eliminated from playoff contention, Bryant decided to vent some of his frustrations to the media this week. He hinted that he has been unhappy with some of the play-calling this season, and some interpreted his remarks to mean he was taking a shot at the way Dak Prescott has played. Prescott doesn’t seem to think that was the case.
Bryant is scheduled to count $16.5 million against the cap the next three seasons, and there has been speculation that the Cowboys could approach him about taking a pay cut. The star receiver said he would not be open to that. We all know Dallas’ offense runs more smoothly when Ezekiel Elliott is on the field, but Bryant was a much bigger part of the offense with Tony Romo under center. Prescott could try to use Week 17 to prove he is the right guy to get Bryant the ball.
10. Have we seen the last of the Legion of Boom?
The Seahawks need to beat the Cardinals on Sunday and have the Falcons lose to the Panthers in order to make the playoffs. If that doesn’t happen, Seattle will miss the postseason for the first time since 2009. Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor are both out for the season with injuries, and there have been questions about whether the Seahawks will bring them back in 2018. Earl Thomas also raised eyebrows after last week’s game when he was caught on video telling the Cowboys to try to sign him.
If the Seahawks miss the playoffs, Sunday could be the last time we see the “Legion of Boom” together. Seattle may decide to rebuild rather than have so many highly-paid players who are on the wrong side of 30.
11. Who will claim the final playoff spot in the NFC?
As we just noted, the No. 6 seed in the NFC will go to either Seattle or Atlanta. The Falcons and Seahawks are both 9-6, but Atlanta holds the tiebreaker from beating Seattle in overtime earlier in the season. In order for the Seahawks to punch their ticket to the postseason, they need to beat the Cardinals and have the Falcons lose to the Panthers in Atlanta.
That situation is not all that far-fetched, especially since Carolina still has a chance to win the NFC South and should be highly motivated. Both Seattle and Atlanta have the potential to be a tough out in the playoffs, as each team has plenty of experience.
12. Is Hue Jackson really going to jump into Lake Erie?
Jackson was so confident that the 2017 Browns would be better than the 2016 Browns that he said he would jump into Lake Erie after the season if the team finished anywhere near 1-15 again. Well, Cleveland is 0-15 and has to beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh on Sunday to avoid an 0-16 season. Jackson said this week that he’ll make good on his promise, and the weather in Cleveland is expected to be in the teens or lower for the foreseeable future. This should be fun.
13. Can Todd Gurley win MVP without playing in Week 17?
The Rams are locked into the No. 3 seed in the NFC and have cliched the NFC West title, so they’re not going to play some of their key players on Sunday against the 49ers. Gurley is among the players who are expected to sit, and that could cost him the rushing title. The running back currently ranks first in the NFL with 1,305 rushing yards, but Kareem Hunt and Le’Veon Bell are right on his tail at 1,292 and 1,291 yards, respectively. Hunt and Bell could also sit with their team’s playoff spots secure, but one of them will likely pass Gurley if not.
Gurley and Tom Brady are considered the favorite to win the NFL MVP award. Even if Gurley sits in Week 17, he will still have a strong resume. The former Georgia star has 2,093 yards from scrimmage and 19 total touchdowns this season. He’s a big reason why the Rams have manufactured such an incredible turnaround.
14. Would a win over the Vikings save John Fox’s job?
Fox is believed to be a dead man walking, but he has a chance to end his season — and potentially Bears coaching career — on a high note. The Vikings are fighting for a first-round playoff bye, and they can clinch it with a win over Chicago. If the Bears somehow pull off the upset on the road, they’ll finish the season 6-10. Would that be enough for Fox to keep his job?
It seems doubtful. The Bears won three games last year and six in Fox’s first season with the team. They have an exciting young quarterback in Mitchell Trubisky, and they may think a fresh start would be best for the former North Carolina star. Fox may not be concerned about finding another job, but his days in Chicago seem numbered.
15. Is this Paxton Lynch’s final chance to state his case?
The Broncos expect Lynch to start under center against the Chiefs on Sunday, and it’s possible this could be the former Memphis star’s final opportunity to impress John Elway. Denver traded up to draft Lynch in 2016, and the quarterback has been a disappointment since. Injuries haven’t helped, but Lynch has repeatedly failed to impress in practice and in the limited game reps he has received.
If Lynch lights it up at home against the Chiefs, it could go a long way toward convincing the Broncos that he deserves to be in the mix this offseason. It probably won’t stop Elway from targeting another QB, but it could save Lynch’s roster spot.
