Mike

NFL Week 17 Preview

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Raiders @ Buccaneers, Sunday 1pm
Ahad: All Eagles fans will be rooting for the Raiders to pull off the upset, but I don’t see it happening. Everything points in favor of the Bucs in this one. Not only is the NFC South a juggernaut at home, but the Raiders won last week. When was the last time the Raiders won two weeks in a row? Pick: Buccaneers
Evan: I completely agree with Ahad. Pick: Raiders
Mike: What about that NFC South home juggernaut last week against the Chargers? Still, I don’t see it happening twice in a row. Pick: Buccaneers
Matt: You have to believe the Buccaneers can pull this one out, right? Teams have been able to run on the Bucs the past few weeks, so look for the Raiders to do more of the same. I don’t think it will be enough, though. Jeff Garcia should make just enough plays to get the Buccaneers over the hump. Pick: Buccaneers

Bears @ Texans, Sunday 1pm
Ahad: The Bears still have a shot at the playoffs and Texans are running out the clock on the season. The Texans are coming off a bad loss to the Raiders; any loss to the Raiders is a bad loss. Pick: Bears
Evan: Texans play the role of spoiler, briefly giving the Eagles fans hope before they flip the channel and see the Bucs stick a game winning field goal. Pick: Texans
Mike: Texans may be a .500 team forever. Just not getting over the hump. Although, you could argue that without the hurricane related troubles early in the season, they might have come close to a playoff spot. I don’t count the Raiders loss against them. They had to go to Oakland and the Raiders have been playing better. Pick: Bears
Matt: Like Mike said, Houston has been hovering around .500 to finish the season the past few years. They need one more win to get there. Chicago is still playing for a playoff spot and division title. I like Houston at home to end Chicago’s playoff run. Pick: Houston

Dolphins @ Jets, Sunday 4:15pm
Ahad: The Division is at stake in this battle. The Dolphins can complete one of the biggest turnarounds in NFL history with a win. I would love to see the Dolphins win this one just because of Chad Pennington. The Jets basically put the blame on him for the team’s recent failures. He is a solid quarterback. It would be amazing to see Pennington come into the Meadowlands and end the Jets season. Pick: Dolphins
Evan: I can’t wait for this game. I’m gonna go with Favre in the cold weather. Pick: Jets
Mike: Farve in cold weather? This won’t be Pennington’s 1st cold weather game. Also, its going to be fairly warm tomorrow, at least until the sun goes down. The Jets have been struggling and the Dolphins are 8-1 in their last 9. Pick: Dolphins
Matt: This should be a good game. It is hard for me to root against either team or either QB. I like them both. I think Pennington has more added incentive to win, and what a turnaround it would be for the Dolphins. You have to like a story like that. The Dolphins are hot, and the Jets are not. Simple as that. Pick: Dolphins

Cowboys @ Eagles, Sunday 4:15pm
Ahad: This game really doesn’t need any other build-up to be an intense battle. Both teams are fighting for playoff spots. These teams are very tough to get a read on. They can look really good and really bad in the same game. This could be the last game in the Reid/McNabb era and it could be Wade Phillips’ last game as head coach. I think this game will be just as exciting as the first matchup. With all of the receivers back, Reggie Brown can go back to being a spectator. He is a bum who won’t be back next year. The crowd should be extremely hostile for this game. I look for turnovers and special teams to be the difference. Pick: Eagles
Evan: I concur. Eagles.
Mike: I’m not sure this is an easy one to pick if it’s meaningless for the Eagles. Had they known the whole week they were out and playing to spoil the Cowboys season, I think its a different story. Of course, it is also the Eagles style to show up when they are just too far out. Pick: Cowboys
Matt: Let me just put it this way. If the Cowboys lose, I am going to lose a lot of faith in them further down the road in future seasons. They have tons of talent…let’s see it show up when they absolutely need a win. Granted, they have been struck by an enormous amount of injuries and drama this season, but good teams are supposed to overcome that. Let’s see if they do. In my opinion, the Cowboys need to ride Tashard Choice to victory. Yeah, that’s right, Tashard Choice. If he gets 25-30 touches, they should end up winning the game. Pick: Cowboys

Broncos @ Chargers, Sunday 8:15pm
Ahad: The Broncos are on the verge of a huge collapse. Granted if Ed didn’t blow the call in the first meeting, this game is meaningless. The Charges are on a hot streak and keep it going all the way into the playoffs. LT finally has an “LT” caliber game. Pick: San Diego
Evan: Ahad has shown to be incredibly intelligent this week. Pick: SD
Mike: The Chargers win in Tampa Bay gave me a little confidence in them. I have none in the Broncos. Pick: Chargers
Matt: Ah, yes, the Ed Hochuli Bowl. It would be great if he were officiating this one. The Chargers are hot and extremely lucky to be in the position they are. Denver could not get the job done in winning the division. San Diego will thank them for their collapse. They will be a tough out in the playoffs. Pick: San Diego

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