NFL Week 17 predictions: Projecting every game on NFL schedule this week

Whether or not George Pickens plays in this one is critical for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Kansas City Chiefs offensive line is still vulnerable and that opens up opportunities for the Steelers’ pass rush. With the NFL news on Pickens’ status for Week 17 trending in the right direction, we’ll say he and T.J. Watt lead Pittsburgh to a narrow Christmas Day win over Kansas City.

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The Baltimore Ravens already have one of he best NFL offenses in 2024. In the last five games, they’ve fielded a top-10 defense. Facing a bottom-five Houston Texans offensive line with only one viable receiving threat (Nico Collins) to worry about, Baltimore should cruise to victory in a game that projects to be more one-sided than the score suggests.

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The Seattle Seahawks will be fighting for their playoff hopes in Week 17 while the stakes for the Chicago Bears are about as low as they could get. Kenneth Walker III should fare very well against a Bears’ defense responsible for allowing 148.9 rushing yards and 1.3 rushing touchdowns per game since Week 6. We also expect Mike Macdonald’s defense to create chaos, which Caleb Williams just isn’t equipped to diagnose and beat right now.

The Los Angeles Chargers defense has taken a step back in recent weeks, allowing a 111.1 QB rating, 72.1 percent completion rate and 7-1 TD-INT line to opposing quarterbacks in the last three games. However, the New England Patriots offensive line will likely stand in the way of Drake Maye approaching those numbers. Maye will have some highlights against this Chargers defense in Week 17, but Los Angeles is far better-coached and should handle its business to earn a playoff spot.

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This Week 17 upset comes down to one thing, Joe Burrow’s ability to lift this team with its playoff hopes still alive. The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback has played at an MVP-caliber level this season, willing this team into the AFC playoff picture. While the Denver Broncos defense has been great this year, it has allowed 299.8 pass ypg with a 7-7 TD-INT line in the last four weeks and if Riley Moss is out, Tee Higgins can feast.

The Arizona Cardinals were eliminated from playoff contention this past week, but they could play spoiler in Week 17 versus the Los Angeles Rams. We don’t see that happening. Kyler Murray has been dreadful for over a month now – 4-6 TD-INT, 11 sacks taken, 80.2 QB rating – and the Cardinals’ defense has regressed. Los Angeles takes this one and wins the NFC West.

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Realistically, the Buffalo Bills probably aren’t winning the No. 1 seed in the AFC. So, after a rough statistical performance from Josh Allen, Week 17 provides an opportunity to lock him in for NFL MVP. Expect Allen to rebound from last week’s dud, delivering another 30-point game from this Bills offense and essentially locking up his first MVP award.

The Green Bay Packers defense will almost certainly have Jaire Alexander back on the field for this Week 17 matchup, it just might not be enough. Sam Darnold is playing like an All-Pro as of late, recording a 15-1 TD-INT ratio and 113.6 QB rating over the last six games. Minnesota will also have the home crowd on its side and a defense that can cause more issues for Jordan Love than Green Bay’s defense can for Darnold. In a close game, one interception from Love is the difference-maker.

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The Las Vegas Raiders barely survived against a Jacksonville Jaguars team that is seemingly out on its head coach. Now, they face a New Orleans Saints locker room that is playing with an added edge for interim coach Darren Rizzi. We expect this to be an ugly game between two of the worst NFL teams, but New Orleans emerges on top by making fewer mistakes.

Here’s what you need to know entering this Week 17 matchup, the New York Giants have allowed 151.3 rushing yards per game, 4.9 yards per carry and 15 rushing touchdowns in the last 11 games. The Indianapolis Colts ran the football to their last win over the Tennessee Titans, same formula here.

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers put themselves into must-win territory against a Carolina Panthers team that is causing problems for just about everyone in the second half of the season. Unfortunately for Carolina, as well as Bryce Young is playing, the Bucs can contain Chuba Hubbard – 72.4 rush ypg and 3.3 ypc allowed from Weeks 9-16 – and the Panthers defense is a massive liability. This should be a very entertaining NFC South battle, but Tampa Bay has the advantages it needs to beat Carolina.

The NFL schedule keeps throwing the Jacksonville Jaguars into matchups against teams at the bottom of the standings, allowing everyone to see just how bad this team is. It’s not like the Tennessee Titans are even marginally better, but they do have a better quarterback and defense. That should probably be enough in a Week 17 matchup that will be less fun to watch than paint drying.

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The Miami Dolphins are very good at beating bad teams, that’s their specialty. That bodes well for a Week 17 matchup against the Cleveland Browns. The weather could’ve swung this matchup in Cleveland, but the forecast right now is relatively mild with no snow and frigid temperatures to hinder the Dolphins’ offense. While Myles Garrett and the Browns’ pass rush can cause some disruptions, Miami’s quick passing game should mitigate it enough to escape Ohio with a win.

The Dallas Cowboys defense has played very well as of late, but the absence of DeMarcus Lawrence, Trevon Diggs and DeMarvion Overshown will be this unit’s undoing against the Philadelphia Eagles. For now, we’re making these NFL predictions on the assumption that Jalen Hurts (concussion) plays. If he can’t go, though, Dallas absolutely has a chance of pulling off the upset.

The Atlanta Falcons defense has looked better in recent weeks because it faced three of the worst offenses in football. That changes in Week 17. Jayden Daniels won’t face much of a pass rush in this one, allowing him to just drop back and pick the Falcons’ secondary apart from a clean pocket. The one thing giving Atlanta a shot in this one is a Commanders run defense responsible for allowing 139.2 rushing yards per game and 4.9 yards per carry over the last 14 games.

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While the Detroit Lions are banged-up, the NFL schedule worked out nicely for them with some winnable games versus bad teams in December. The San Francisco 49ers haven’t been able to stop the run all season and Kyle Shanahan’s offense is one-dimensional because of all the injuries at running back. San Francisco will have some explosive plays against the Lions defense, but Detroit should be in control of this one for all four quarters.