DTTWSB Week 17 NFL Picks

Ladies and gentleman, we've made it to the final week of the NFL season. With the playoffs just a week away, all but three spots have been secured. The good thing is that by late Sunday night we'll know all the playoff match ups. What makes the NFL so great is that every single game matters. Some teams control their own destiny while others are going to need to win and get some help to sneak into the playoffs. I no longer control my own destiny when it comes to passing the ESPN NFL experts. Last week I went 8-8 with my picks which brought my season total to 146-94. I'm pretty much relying on the playoffs to bring my expertise level back up to respectable. Here are my picks for Week 17 in the NFL.

Jets at Dolphins: Dolphins

This is one of the better matchups of the week. One of these teams has been playing hard during the past few weeks, while the other has been in turmoil. This is a huge game for the Jets organization. Even if they win, they aren't guaranteed a playoff spot. They need a lot of help to get in. I think it will all be a moot point because I believe the Dolphins are going to win this game. The Jets look like a team divided while the Dolphins are playing hard to keep their jobs when the next head coach comes in. Rex Ryan's act has worn thin in the locker room and his players are no longer responding. At this time of the year, I always go with the team that is united and that's Miami.

Panthers at Saints: Saints

If you look at the records of these two teams, it doesn't seem like it will be a good game. On the other hand, this game does have major playoff implications. I actually do believe this game will be very close. The Panthers' ability to run the football will keep this game competitive for about three quarters. I'm interested to see how Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams tries to defend rookie sensation Cam Newton. I can see the Swag Man giving the Saints defense problems but it won't be enough to top New Orleans. It's so difficult to beat the Saints in the Superdome because of Drew Brees and the passing attack. I'll go with the Saints to take this one.

Chiefs at Broncos: Broncos

The storyline that nobody could predict has finally come true! Just a month ago Chiefs quarterback Kyle Orton was on the Denver Broncos roster. Now he gets a chance to come back to Denver with the rival Chiefs and ruin the Broncos chances at winning the AFC West. Tebow vs. Orton has been the headline all week. The crowd at Mile High Stadium is going to be in a frenzy. In what will be a low-scoring game, I like the Broncos to win and clinch the AFC West championship. I think the Broncos will get back to playing football the way they had when they were on a six-game winning streak. Defensively the Broncos know Kyle Orton and should be able to take away what Orton likes to do. This will be an ugly game and those usually favor Tebow. Give me Denver.

Cowboys at Giants: Cowboys

In what is America's Game of the Week, I like America's Team to do the improbable and win the NFC East on the road at the rival New York Giants stadium. A lot of people are talking about the pressure being on the Dallas Cowboys. I honestly don't see that. Everyone expects the Cowboys to choke cause it's a big game. When this team gets kicked around by the media they usually respond with a great performance. When the Cowboys play their best football not many teams can beat them in this league. I think Tony Romo will come up big and the defense will make the necessary adjustments in the secondary to slow down Eli Manning and that Giants passing game. As long as Dallas doesn't beat themselves, they'll win this game and march on to the playoffs.

***Upset Special***
Ravens at Bengals: Bengals

My upset special of the week is the Cincinnati Bengals over the Baltimore Ravens. I haven't been drinking the Bengal juice this season but I'm drinking it this week. This young team will be energized by the sell-out home crowd this Sunday. It's going to be reminiscent of "The Jungle" from the 80's. Also, the Ravens have been very bad on the road. For some reason they forget to put the ball in Ray Rice's hands; that's when this team is at its best. Six weeks ago the Bengals gave the Ravens all they could handle in Baltimore without AJ Green. Now they're at home and they have AJ Green back. Don't expect to see much from Joe Flacco because he comes up small on the road against divisional opponents. That's why I'm taking the Bengals.

The rest of the week's picks:

Lions at Packers: Lions
49ers at Rams: 49ers
Bears at Vikings: Vikings
Bills at Patriots: Patriots
Redskins at Eagles: Eagles
Colts at Jaguars: Colts
Titans at Texans: Titans
Buccaneers at Falcons: Falcons
Steelers at Browns: Steelers
Chargers at Raiders: Raiders
Seahawks at Cardinals: Cardinals