NFL Week 17: It SHOULD Be the Final Week, But…

You know, the whole stupid owners’ greed, 17-game thing. Anyway, let’s look at some picks for the now-second-to-last week of the regular season:

Last week: 2-2

Season: 14-15

Las Vegas at Indianapolis (-7)

Sometimes tragedy can bring a team closer together. Call me crazy but with Carson Wentz possibly out and the tragic passing of John Madden this week, the Raiders may just sneak into the 2021 playoffs. Pick: Raiders.

Atlanta at Buffalo (-14.5)

This looks so obvious that Atlanta just might cover. The Falcons are somehow still alive and the Bills seem to be peaking, but maybe, just maybe, they are a little shot from their emotional win in New England last week and only win by two touchdowns. Pick: Falcons.

Kansas City (-5.5) at Cincinnati

Another week, another chance for the path-de-least-resistance Chiefs to prove an AFC wannabe to be a fraud. The Bengals are next up, fresh up a false-confidence-building whooping of the depleted Ravens. Kansas City seems to get every break in the book and when they don’t, other teams basically lie down for them. The Bengals may hang around a while, but not long enough to stop the KC train from another easy first-round bye. Pick: Chiefs.

Los Angeles Rams (-4.5) at Baltimore

The Rams can drive the stake a little deeper into the Ravens’ hearts in this final unnecessary 17th-game matchup of 2021. It doesn’t seem to matter who starts at QB for the Ravens, because they can’t keep the opposition from putting up freakish passing yardage. Pick: Rams.

Cleveland (-3.5) at Pittsburgh

Did I say rolling over for the Chiefs? No one laid down more pathetically than the Steelers last week. BUT, it is likely Big Ben’s final home game and the Browns are almost as hapless, so why not go with the Steelers to put up a fight at home against a team they’ve owned for most of Roethlisberger’s career? Pick: Steelers.