We have reached the final week of the season and there is still a lot on the line. There are only four games inconsequential to the playoff picture this week making this week such a great finale. There are also five playoff spots yet to be clinched with four of the eight divisions still without a winner. Buckle up for a thrilling finale to the regular season with a lot hanging in the balance.

Saturday, January 6

Steelers 20, Ravens 17

The Steelers need to win this game and get some help to make the playoffs while the Ravens are locked into the AFC’s number one seed and are resting some starters, including Lamar Jackson. Mason Rudolph has done a great job as the starting QB for Pittsburgh by making good decisions and being accurate with the football. The run game also came alive for the Steelers last week which they need will need again in this one against a physical Ravens defense. Tyler Huntley has played solid football in the past, but it’s tough to know what to expect having not started in a while. Ultimately, the Steelers find a way to eke out a close game and give themselves a shot to make the playoffs.

Colts 27, Texans 24

This is a win and in game for both of these teams to be a wild card team, with a chance for the winner to take the AFC South if the Jaguars lose to the Titans. The Colts have done a great job all year thanks to Shane Steichen’s play design and the play of their offensive line. The Colts should look to attack the Houston corners down the field where they have been vulnerable. Josh Downs and Michael Pittman should be in for big days because Houston’s defense is more likely to be able to limit the Colts ground game than their pass game. The Texans pass rush needs to step up and pressure Gardner Minshew if they want to win this game.

Sunday, January 7

Buccaneers 26, Panthers 17

The Buccaneers have a chance to win the NFC South here, something they failed to do last week against the Saints. They should be able to accomplish that this week against a Panthers team that failed to score last week. The Buccaneers offense also struggled last week because of an offensive line and run game that struggled badly. Carolina gives up a lot of production on the ground meaning Rachaad White should receive a heavy workload and bounce back after last week. The Panthers hope to see Bryce Young put up a big performance as the season ends but it doesn’t seem like we’ll see that this week.

Bengals 24, Browns 20

This is one of the four games with no playoff implications as the Browns are locked into the five seed and the Bengals are eliminated. Jeff Driskel will be starting for the Browns who just got signed a few days ago. Kevin Stefanski will put him in positions to succeed but with so many starters resting fir the Browns, it’s hard to know what to expect. If the Bengals have their full complement of WRs, they should be able to win and finish the season on a high note. This is also another opportunity for Jake Browning to prove himself going forward after filling in very nicely for Joe Burrow this season.

Lions 27, Vikings 20

The Lions are choosing to play their starters this week even though they have the NFC North locked up, although they do have a shot at the number two seed still. The Vikings need to win this game and get a lot of help to grab the final wild card spot. The Lions should look to refine both their offense and defense this week before the playoffs start. One area to look to improve upon is their third down efficiency which wasn’t great last week. Also, they need to focus on protecting the football, something they have struggled with at times this year. Nick Mullens will start for the Vikings which is usually a very up and down experience and figures to be again.

Patriots 17, Jets 13

Trevor Siemian will get another start for the Jets to close out the year. He has been solid the last couple of weeks, but now he has to face a Patriots defense that has been really good. They will be able to confuse Siemian and force some turnovers to get good field position. Bailey Zappe and the Patriots offense had a tough start last week in Buffalo and will need to get off to a better start this week. Bill Belichick will find a way to get a win in what is perhaps his final game as Patriots head coach.

Saints 24, Falcons 17

The winner of this game could win the NFC South if the Panthers were to upset the Buccaneers. The Saints put together arguably their best performance of the season in their win over Tampa Bay, while the Falcons got beat down by the Bears. These teams seem to be going in different directions, but these matchups always end up being tight. The Saints could be without Alvin Kamara this week which would be a huge loss, but Jamaal Williams ran well in his absence last week. Whether Taylor Heinicke or Desmond Ridder start for the Falcons, the Saints defense should be able to get their hands on some passes that can be intercepted.

Jaguars 23, Titans 17

The Jaguars late season slide won’t end up losing them the division as they take care of business and beat the Titans. Trevor Lawrence has progressed well this week and the re- emergence of the run game with Travis Etienne was hopeful. Will Levis may be able to play for the Titans but the Jaguars pass rush could make life miserable on the rookie signal caller. I suspect the Titans will go down fighting as they try to spoil their division rivals in this one, but the Jaguars are the better team at the end of the day.

Cardinals 34, Seahawks 31

The Seahawks need to win this game and get some help to make the playoffs. I don’t think they’ll be able to do their part against a surging Cardinals offense. Kyler Murray, Trey McBride, and James Conner have been the biggest reasons for Arizona’s offensive surge as of late. The Seahawks struggled mightily to stop the run last week and they can expect another heavy does this week. The Cardinals defense is really struggling as well so expect a shootout in this one.

Packers 24, Bears 23

The Packers scenario is simple: Win and get in. That will be a tough task against a Bears team that has been one of the better teams in football over the second half of the year. The Bears offense is much more dangerous with Justin Fields using his legs more like he has over the last month. The Packers offense will be going against a strong Bears defense, especially their run defense. A lot will be on Jordan Love and the pass game to move the offense. Love has played so well and I trust the Packers offense to have the answers and win a tight game to advance to the playoffs.

Chargers 24, Chiefs 20

This game has no implications as Kansas City is locked into the three seed and the Chargers are eliminated. The Chiefs will be resting some starters including Patrick Mahomes, which I think could be a bad idea considering how much the Chiefs offense has struggled. The Chiefs offense seems like it will be predicated on the run game going forward and that they will lean on their defense to win them games. Meanwhile, the Chargers have been very competitive the last two weeks under interim HC Giff Smith and will win to close out their season. This also seems like it could be the final game for Austin Ekeler as a Charger as he is set to become a FA in March.

Raiders 23, Broncos 19

This game might not have any playoff implications but it could be big in securing Antonio Pierce as the HC of the Raiders going forward. The Raiders defense continues to play with high energy and disruption, and should be able to play well against a Broncos offense that never seemed to hit its stride this year. The Broncos offense has had to settle for too many FGs and hasn’t received enough help from WRs other than Courtland Sutton. Jarrett Stidham play decent last week but will need to do more if Denver wants to close the season with a win.

Eagles 27, Giants 26

The Eagles continue to be a mess on defense and there offense still has too many moments when they are disjointed. At this point, it seems like the only chance they have going forward is if their offense consistently puts up over thirty points a week. Situational football has also been a big problem for the Eagles, where they have struggled to put away games on both sides of the ball. The Giants have done a great job playing competitive football over the last month and Tyrod Taylor is playing well enough to give the Giants a chance at the upset.

49ers 23, Rams 20

This is another toss up game as both teams will be resting starters in this one. The 49ers will be turning to Sam Darnold while the Rams will be going with Carson Wentz. Kyle Shanahan will be able to scheme up some open receivers for Darnold and they should still have a strong enough run game to complement him, even with Christian McCaffrey out. It will be interesting to see Carson Wentz make his debut in a Rams uniform and if Sean McVay can help Wentz play better, as he did with Baker Mayfield last December.

Cowboys 30, Commanders 17

The Cowboys can win the NFC East by winning this game. The Cowboys offense should have another big game against the worst defense in the NFL as they try to fix their issues on the road. Sam Howell will be starting for the Commanders as he tries to finish his season on a strong note after struggling the second half of the season. That will be a huge task against this Cowboys pass rush that will probably be able to tee off on Howell if Washington falls behind. The Cowboys should also try to kickstart their run game before the playoffs start because that seems like it could be their undoing if they have to play outdoor road games.

Dolphins 30, Bills 27

Game 272 of the regular season will determine the winner of the AFC East. There is also a possibility the Bills miss the playoffs completely if they lose this game and some other games don’t go their way, so this is a massive game. The Dolphins could be without Jaylen Waddle and Raheem Mostert again which are big losses for them. They also will be without Bradley Chubb for the rest of the year which drastically reduces their pass rush. The Bills offense has been a little shaky the last couple weeks but they can attack Miami through the air like Baltimore did last week. I’m worried the injuries Miami has will be too much to overcome but I think Tyreek Hill has a huge game and makes a statement for MVP in a thrilling game to close out the regular season.