NFL teams are running out of time to make a statement in the regular season.
With the penultimate week of the 2024 campaign already underway, the playoff picture has solidified, with only a few unknowns still yet to be resolved. And with more than a third of the league already eliminated from postseason contention and possibly looking ahead to 2025 as they close out disappointing runs, there’s only so much relevance to be squeezed from this weekend, which includes a Saturday tripleheader. Still, there are significant stakes for more than a few teams who have the chance to shake things up as they fight for berths or advantageous seeding.
Here are our bold predictions for NFL Week 17:
Michael Penix, Jr. will upstage Jayden Daniels
It has been quite a storybook season for Jayden Daniels, who has been the face — and arm and legs — of the Washington Commanders’ revival and is the heavy favorite to claim NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. And the latest showing for the former Heisman Trophy winner, with a last-minute comeback drive capped by his fifth touchdown pass of the game to seize a stunning upset against the Philadelphia Eagles, marked just another chapter. The kid is special. Yet Penix Jr., the Atlanta Falcons rookie, is rather special, too. It’s just that Penix didn’t make his first start of the season until last Sunday. So, now that he’s knocked off some rust with the win against the New York Giants, the stage gets bigger and the spotlight more intense with a ‘Sunday Night Football’ showcase at Washington. The Falcons, needing to win their final two games to make the playoffs, benched Kirk Cousins for the strong-armed lefty drafted eighth overall. Now comes the “real” unveiling, with both teams needing to win for their playoff lives. Daniels, the OROY-in-waiting, is the house money, playing on his own turf. Penix will be the X-factor. And here’s to expecting a big night – including his first three NFL touchdown passes? – to lead the Falcons to an upset victory that marks Penix Jr.’s own storybook episode.
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— Jarrett Bell
Michael Penix Jr. passes for over 300 yards, two touchdowns
In the first prime-time game in NFL history between rookie starting quarterbacks each selected in the first round, Penix shows off why the Falcons selected him No. 8 overall.
Penix has his first 300 passing yards game and throws for two touchdowns in a Falcons upset win over the Commanders.
The box score didn’t do Penix justice in his first career start last week. The one interception he threw was a straight-up drop by Kyle Pitts. Penix had command of the Falcons offense, was accurate throwing the football, he’s more athletic and has a stronger arm than his predecessor. I believe he’ll continue his positive trajectory in the nation’s capital in a game the Falcons need to win to keep their tiebreaker advantage over the Bucs, who come into Week 17 with the same record.
— Tyler Dragon
Bengals get a few breaks for playoff push … except
… their own victory. It’s been that type of season for Cincinnati.
Here’s what that means: the Denver Broncos beat the Bengals on Saturday afternoon and clinch a wild-card spot, the Indianapolis Colts lose to the New York Giants and the Miami Dolphins lose to the Cleveland Browns.
In this scenario, Cincinnati can still play spoiler to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18 to deny them a division title. It would also be incredibly boring for the NFL, essentially locking the AFC playoff picture in with a week left in the season (outside of seeding arrangements and the AFC North battle).
If the Bengals made the playoffs as the No. 7 seed and traveled to Buffalo to face the Bills, it would be the best 2-7 matchup since the league expanded the postseason.
An essential step for the Bengals to make the playoffs would include Indianapolis and Miami losing at least one of their final two games. No matter how unlikely all of this is, how cruel would it be for those losses to come the same weekend Cincinnati blew the one outcome it controlled? The kind of cruel that this entire season has been for the Bengals, the kind that keeps Joe Burrow at home during the playoffs despite his MVP-caliber season.
Denver would also have to lose to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 18 (with the Chiefs likely resting their starters), while the Bengals need a win over the Steelers, for Cincinnati to pull off a postseason miracle. But that means everything in Week 17 has to go right first. For the Bengals, it will – aside from their own game, of course.
— Chris Bumbaca
Panthers play spoiler again, deal potentially mortal blow to Buccaneers’ playoff hopes
I couldn’t quite bring myself to make this pick earlier in the week when we first had to make the call, but let’s go for it now. Despite standing at 4-11, the Panthers have exhibited remarkable resiliency since their Week 12 bye. That tenacity finally paid off last week, when Carolina eliminated the Arizona Cardinals from the playoff chase with a 36-30 overtime triumph. Now, they’ll again be looking to play the role of spoiler against the division-rival Buccaneers, who needed a fourth-quarter rally – including a 51-yard field goal as time expired – to set up a 26-23 win in overtime just four weeks ago. Tampa Bay this past week lost versatile defensive back Christian Izien for the season to a pectoral injury, and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and cornerback Jamel Dean are also ailing. That could provide enough of a window for Bryce Young to continue his late-season upswing and do the Atlanta Falcons a solid by pulling off the upset.
— Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz