NFL Game Previews: Breaking Down Week 17

N.Y. Jets at Buffalo (+3) - Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

Comments: It's win and they're in for the Jets, who also get the added motivation of facing Rex Ryan again after his Bills beat them in their own building back in Week 10. Buffalo might also be without Ronald Darby, who missed last week's game with a groin injury. The Bills' secondary is already thin without Stephon Gilmore (shoulder), and if Darby can't suit up either, Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker could have a field day. ... The passing game might be the only effective part of the Jets' offense though. Chris Ivory (knee) and Bilal Powell (ankle) are both banged up and listed as questionable, potentially leaving the backfield in Stevan Ridley's hands. Ryan Fitzpatrick is also questionable with a litany of bumps and bruises, including to his throwing elbow, but he's almost certain to play. Not that the Bills' offense is much healthier, mind you. Tyrod Taylor is playing through a shoulder injury, and while LeSean McCoy (knee) is questionable, with nothing on the line but pride Buffalo will likely keep him shut down. ... The Jets' rushing defense remains tops in the league in yards (81.5 per game) and TDs (incredibly still just two on the season) allowed, so whether McCoy plays or not could be a moot point, Mike Gillislee has been shockingly good as his replacement, scoring in three straight games and ripping off some long runs, but Karlos Williams got the bulk of the touches last week against the Cowboys and figures to do the same again Sunday.

Predictions: Ridley leads the Jets' backfield with 70 yards and a TD. Fitzpatrick throws for 240 yards and touchdowns to Marshall and Decker. Williams bangs out 50 yards, while Taylor throws for 220 yards and rushes for another 40, hitting Sammy Watkins for a score. Jets, 24-13

New England at Miami (+10.5) - Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

Comments: You can try to justify Bill Belichick's decision last week to kick the ball away in overtime all you want (they'd rather the Jets be in the playoffs than the Steelers! Having the second possession in OT gives you a strategic advantage!), but ask yourself these two questions. One, if the Patriots were trying to get a strategic advantage, why didn't they defer the decision, let the Jets choose the ball, and then get their choice of ends to play towards? And two, if New England's offense was healthy, do you think for one second Belichick wouldn't have put the ball in Tom Brady's hands and said, "Go win me the game?" The fact of the matter is, the Genius blew it, but given his body of work I think he's got a few mulligans banked. ... Anyway, the result of last week's gaffe is that the Pats still need a win or a Broncos loss to clinch home field advantage, so don't expect them to go easy of the poor Dolphins. Julian Edelman (foot), Danny Amendola (knee), Brandon LaFell (foot) and even Scott Chandler (knee) are all on the limp, though, so Brady's options on offense will be limited to Rob Gronkowski and his running game. Given that Miami is 30th in rushing yards allowed (129.9 per game), and Gronk is still Gronk (6-113-1 on nine targets against the Dolphins back in Week 8), that's not really much of a handicap. ... Miami's offense isn't exactly at full health either. Lamar Miller isn't on the injury report but hasn't looked 100 percent for a couple of weeks, while Jarvis Landry is questionable with a knee issue and Rishard Matthews (ribs) still hasn't made it back into action yet. The Dolphins don't have much to play for but a chance to be spoilers, and the Pats defense has quietly been a top 10 unit this season (eighth in points allowed at 19.7 per game), and after phoning it in for most of the second half it's hard to see them flipping the switch now.

Predictions:James White leads the Pats' backfield with 80 combined yards and a receiving touchdown for the third straight game. Steven Jackson also scored a short-yardage TD. Brady throws for 240 yards and a second score to Gronk. Miller picks up 70 combined yards, but it's Jay Ajayi who scores. Ryan Tannehill throws for 260 yards and a touchdown to DeVante Parker. Patriots, 27-17

New Orleans (+4) at Atlanta - Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

Comments: The question here might be not so much which team will win as which team will find a way to lose. The Falcons have rebounded a bit from their collapse in the middle months of the schedule, but after handing the Panthers their first defeat last week they're due for an emotional hangover. On the flip side, Drew Brees isn't at all the same player on the road (84.6 QB rating away from home versus 112.5 at the Superdome) and while his foot injury didn't slow him down last week against the Jaguars, that may not be the case again. Plus, they're got that whole "worst defense in the league and it's not even close, dear lord have you seen these stats, aaagh my eyes my eyes!" thing working against them. It wouldn't be surprising if this game were decided on special teams with a blocked punt returned for a touchdown or something. ... Devonta Freeman needs 20 rushing yards for 1,000 on the season, but he's also on the injury report with a knee injury. There's also a chance Tevin Coleman returns from his concussion, so Freeman could easily see a limited workload, reach his milestone early against a Saints run defense allowing a league-worst 5.0 YPC, and then get the rest of the day off. ... In last week's game cap, given that Ben Watson was dealing with a knee injury, I called for a New Orleans backup tight end to catch a TD but was too lazy to spell out Michael Hoomanawanui so I gave it to Josh Hill instead. Guess who scored? Now Hill's got a concussion and Watson is healthy again, but the Falcons have been fairly tough on TEs so I might just snub them all in a fit of pique. Harumph.

Predictions:Tim Hightower rushes for 70 yards and a touchdown. Brees doesn't finish the game, throwing for under 200 yards and a TD to Willie Snead. Freeman gets his 1,000th yard but Terron Ward leads the Falcons' backfield with 80 yards, while Matt Ryan throws for 320 yards and four touchdowns, one each to Jacob Tamme and Justin Hardy and two to Julio Jones, who pulls down 130 yards. Falcons, 34-17

Detroit (+1) at Chicago - Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

Comments: It's a good thing these two teams hate each other and have a long and storied rivalry, otherwise they'd really have nothing to play for. As it is, they may simply have nobody left to play. The Bears are already down Alshon Jeffery, Martellus Bennett, Eddie Royal and Marquess Wilson, and Matt Forte might not see any snaps either due to a back injury. Even Zach Miller is questionable with a toe injury. On the other sideline, Calvin Johnson (ankle) seems determined to play and if he's close to 100 percent again he did torch Chicago for a 6-166-1 line back in Week 6, but Ameer Abdullah is questionable with a shoulder issue. ... If Abdullah gets held out or sees limited snaps, Joique Bell becomes an intriguing Week 17 play against a Bears defense that ranks 27th in rushing yards allowed (124.5 per game). Of course, the last time the two teams met it was mostly the Matthews Stafford show, as he racked up 405 passing yards and four scores. ... Jay Cutler, at least, is finishing the season in style despite his lack of name-brand targets. He's got a respectable 5:1 TD:INT ratio over his last three games, and the Lions have a league-low six INTs on the season. They've also struggled against tight ends, but if Miller doesn't play that leaves undrafted rookie Khari Lee out of Division II Bowie State at the top of the depth chart.

Predictions: Bell picks up 60 rushing yards and scores, while Theo Riddick chips in 50 combined yards. Stafford throws for 210 yards and a TD to Megatron. Jeremy Langford gains 80 combined yards and a touchdown, while Cutler throws for under 200 yards but hits Lee for a TD. Bears, 20-17

Baltimore (+9) at Cincinnati - Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

Comments: The Ravens got to play spoiler last week against the Steelers, possibly costing them a wild card spot, and they get a chance to do the same on a smaller scale here as the Bengals still have a slim chance at a first round bye, though they'd need a Broncos loss to do it. Cinci also has an interesting dilemma at QB, as AJ McCarron has a sprained wrist on his non-throwing hand and Andy Dalton isn't likely to be ready for the first round of the playoffs. With Denver not playing until the late games, do they give McCarron a quick hook to ensure he's healthy for the postseason, or hope for the bye that might give Dalton the extra recovery time he needs? McCarron's backup is 2014 Ravens draft pick Keith Wenning, who has yet to take a snap in an NFL game. Decision, decisions. ... Baltimore has no such dilemma, as Ryan Mallett was shockingly competent in the win over Pittsburgh. This might be the best system fit he's had in his career, however. The Ravens' offense is built to Joe Flacco's strengths as a tall pocket passer, which also happens to be Mallett's profile too (their listed heights and weights are identical). He's still got limited receiving options with Kamar Aiken as his top healthy wideout, but he's probably found a home as Flacco's backup in 2016. ... Baltimore's secondary stepped up in a big way against Ben Roethlisberger, and starting cornerbacks Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb looked back in their form from a couple of years ago when they combined for nearly 40 pass defenses between them, but they'll need to be at their best Sunday given the 10-227-2 line A.J. Green hung on them back in Week 3. The unit also held Tyler Eifert to no catches on three targets in that game, although Eifert did have a TD taken away due to catch rule chaos. Expect this one to be settled in the trenches between Javorius Allen and the Jeremy Hill/Giovani Bernard duo, even though both teams have top 10 rush defenses.

Predictions: Allen picks up 80 combined yards and scores. Mallett throws for 230 yards but can't produce a TD. Bernard leads the Bengals backfield with 90 combined yards, but Hill punches in a short touchdown. McCarron stays in the game and throws for 240 yards and a TD to Marvin Jones. Bengals, 17-13

Pittsburgh at Cleveland (+10.5) - Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

Comments: Whoops. The Steelers were captains of their own destiny heading into last week, owning the tie-breaker advantage in the wild card chase, and then the Ravens went and ruined their party. Now Pittsburgh needs a win and a Jets loss in Buffalo to get to the postseason, which certainly isn't an impossible result but leaves them watching the scoreboard. They stomped on Cleveland 30-9 in their last meeting, and might have just a wee bit more incentive this time around. ... The Browns' run defense has come up big a couple of times in the second half this season despite their woeful stats (dead last at 135 rushing yards allowed per game) and they're one of just two teams to keep DeAngelo Williams out of the end zone over the last seven games, holding him to just 54 rushing yards in Week 10. Their pass defense is just as bad, though, especially with Joe Haden out, and they had much less luck containing Ben Roethlisberger. ... Johnny Manziel may have already played his last game for Cleveland, as he's out with a concussion, leaving the offense in Austin Davis' hands. He wasn't awful in his one start this year against Cincinnati, but not awful is probably the best the Browns can hope for.

Predictions: Williams rips off 140 yards and two TDs, while Roethlisberger throws for 280 yards and two scores of his own, one to Antonio Brown and one to Markus Wheaton. Isaiah Crowell rushes for 60 yards and Duke Johnson chips in 50 combined yards. Davis throws for under 200 yards. Steelers, 32-6

Jacksonville (+6) at Houston - Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

Comments: The Texans don't quite have the AFC South locked up, but the set of circumstances that allows the Colts to steal it from them are ridiculous and involves things like the Dolphins beating the Patriots, the Raiders beating the Chiefs on the road and the moon being in the eighth house while Mercury is ascendant. Brian Hoyer will return from his concussion and see some action, but he may not finish the game with so little to play for. He did throw for three TDs and nearly 300 yards in the first meeting with the Jaguars, however, and could up big numbers again if he plays four quarters. ... Did Blake Bortlesactually become good this year, or were his big numbers simply a product of good luck and a high pass volume? His YPA jumped from a weak 6.1 as a rookie to 7.3 in 2015, which is a big improvement but still mediocre. To put things in perspective, Matt Ryan has throws about the same numbers of passes as Bortles with about the same YPA, a better completion percentage and Julio Jones on the other end, and has 16 fewer TDs. Despite high-quality receivers in Allen Robinson, Allen Hurns and Julius Thomas, don't count on the young Jaguar QB being among the fantasy elite again next season without further improvement in his efficiency. ... T.J. Yeldon (knee) and Cecil Shorts (hamstring) are both out, leaving more touches for the disappointing Denard Robinson and more targets for Nate Washington, respectively.

Predictions: Robinson runs for 60 yards. Bortles throws for 270 yards and TDs to Robinson and Hurns. Alfred Blue manages just 50 yards but scores, while Hoyer throws for 260 yards and touchdowns to DeAndre Hopkins (who tops 100 yards) and Ryan Griffin. Texans, 27-20

Tennessee (+6) at Indianapolis - Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

Comments: In theory Indy is still alive, but the circumstances that would get them there are so absurd as to be basically impossible. For instance, neither the Steelers nor the Raiders can lose in order to tip the tiebreakers the Colts' way, but if they both tie the Texans take the division anyway. At least the Titans know who their starting quarterback is. Zach Mettenberger will get the nod again for Tennessee, but with both Andrew Luck and Matt Hasselbeck out, the Colts are reduced to splitting practice reps between ex-Buc Josh Freeman, who hasn't played since 2013, and former Cardinal third-stringer Ryan Lindley, in the hopes one of them looks noticeably less terrible than the other. Yikes. ... Frank Gore is 109 yards short of his fifth straight 1,000-yard season, and given Indy's QB situation he could see a heavy workload if the team decided to try and continue his streak. The Titans aren't bad against the run, though, and if their lottery numbers aren't coming in on the out-of-town scoreboard the Colts could just hand the backfield over to Dan Herron and Trey Williams as they begin to look ahead to 2016. ... Kendall Wright's out again for the Titans with a knee injury, which is good news for Dorial Green-Beckham's target volume. The rookie has been coming on to close the season, popping for 100-plus yards twice in the last three games, but he will have to contend with Vontae Davis.

Predictions:David Cobb leads the Titans' backfield with 70 yards and his first career TD. Mettenberger throws for 270 yards and a touchdown to Delanie Walker. Gore rushes for 70 yards, while Lindley starts but throws for just 160 yards, although he does hit Phillip Dorsett for a score. Titans, 20-10

Washington (+3.5) at Dallas - Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

Comments: Washington is the only playoff team with nothing on the line Sunday, as nothing they do will change their seeding. As a result, players like Kirk Cousins, DeSean Jackson (questionable with a knee injury) and Jordan Reed could see very small workloads. Matt Jones is also doubtful with a knee injury, so their second half offense could feature a lot of snaps for guys like Chris Thompson and Rashad Ross. ... One of those guys is likely to be Pierre Thomas. The ex-Saint had a surprisingly large role last week, gaining 89 yards from scrimmage, but he's listed as questionable with a knee injury. How many snaps he gets will probably depend on how much of an asset the coaching staff views his as. If they have postseason plans for the veteran he'll sit, but if they don't they'll probably give him all the work he can handle. Dallas hasn't been great against the run or against pass-catching RBs this season, so he could have another productive day if he gets on the field. ... The Cowboys are also sitting as a No. 4 seed, albeit in the 2016 draft, but it would be so in keeping with the rest of their season if they cost themselves draft positioning with a meaningless win here. Most of their more current injuries are on defense, with Barry Church on IR and Sean Lee potentially sitting to nurse a hamstring injury, but having Kellen Moore under center is handicap enough for their offense. Moore's presence hasn't slowed down Darren McFadden, though, and the former Raider is just three yards shy of the second 1,000-yard season of his career.

Predictions: Thomas picks up 80 combined yards and catches a TD pass. Colt McCoy throws for 220 yards and a second score to Ross. McFadden rambles for 130 yards and a touchdown, while Moore throws for under 200 yards and a TD to Brice Butler. Cowboys, 23-20

Philadelphia (+3) at N.Y. Giants - Sunday, 1 p.m. EST

Comments: The Chip Kelly Era isn't going to be remembered fondly in Philly, but it was still a big of a shock when he was kicked to the curb with one game to go on the schedule. He might not be the only NFC East team looking for a new head coach this offseason, though, as the Giants' repeated late collapses may have not only cost them a division title, they might cost Tom Coughlin his job. From an emotional standpoint, then, that makes this game the most volatile one on the slate, and either or both teams could be very up or very down. ... With offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur taking the reins for the Eagles, the maddening backfield committee arrangement might finally be ditched, allowing DeMarco Murray to earn some small portion of his contract. He hasn't seen 20 or more touches since Week 10, but he did have his best game and only 100-yard rushing performance of the season in Week 6 against the Giants, and New York is still 25th in rushing yards allowed. With rumors already swirling that Murray could be a cap casualty in the offseason, a big game here would go a long way towards keeping him in green in 2016. ... Odell Beckham returns from his suspension needing 104 yards for a 1500-yard season. The Eagles held him to just 61 yards in the first meeting but couldn't keep him out of the end zone, but Beckham could well feel like he has something to prove after sitting in Week 16.

Predictions: Murray rushes for 110 yards and a touchdown. Sam Bradford throws for 280 yards and TDs to Jordan Matthews and Zach Ertz, but he also gets picked off twice. Rashad Jennings picks up 120 combined yards, while Eli Manning throws for 340 yards and four touchdowns, two to Beckham (who pulls down 140 yards) and one each to Will Tye and Rueben Randle. Giants, 37-24

Tampa Bay (+10.5) at Carolina - Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST

Comments: The Panthers have just one loss but don't yet have home field locked up, needing to either beat the Buccaneers or have the Cardinals lose to the Seahawks to nail it down. Their odds seem pretty good, but they will be missing a few pieces on offense with Jonathan Stewart (foot), Fozzy Whittaker (ankle) and Ted Ginn (knee) all on the shelf. Stars like Cam Newton and Greg Olsen could also get an early hook if either game is leaning strongly in their favor in the second half. ... The Bucs, on the other hand, are almost completely healthy. Doug Martin is 64 yards behind Adrian Peterson for the rushing title and Jameis Winston's strong finish has given him a shot at 4,000 passing yards, which would be pretty impressive for a rookie QB on a (presumably) six-win team. If Carolina does take their foot off the gas in this game and rest defensive starters along with its key offensive players, both those marks could be within reach. ... All that said, on paper this one shouldn't be close. The Panthers lead the league in QB rating against at 74.1, sit fifth in rushing yards allowed at 89.2, have the likely MVP at quarterback, and they beat Tampa, 37-23, in their first meeting.

Predictions: Martin collects 60 yards. Winston throws for 230 yards and a TD to Adam Humphries. Cameron Artis-Payne rushes for 80 yards and a touchdown, while Newton throws for 220 yards and two TDs, to Olsen and Devin Funchess, and adds 30 yards and a score on the ground before calling it a day. Panthers, 34-13

Seattle (+6.5) at Arizona - Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST

Comments: An Arizona win, and a Tampa Bay upset over Carolina, gives the Cardinals home-field advantage through to the conference final, so there's still plenty on the line for the Cards at kickoff. Meanwhile, Seattle has a home loss to 'Zona to avenge, and a win gives it a shot at the presumably easier trip to Washington in the first round rather than heading to face the NFC North winner as the six seed. Stakes! Such a refreshing change in Week 17. The Sunday nighter has the most riding on it, but this game figures to be just as intense. ... The teams are third and fourth in run defense, fourth and eighth in QB rating allowed, and yet their Week 10 matchup was a 39-32 barn burner despite the fact that it happened before David Johnson busted out and before Russell Wilson put the Seahawks' offense on his back and went on his dominant run. Chances are the defenses will step up in this one, but another shootout wouldn't be a shock the way Russell and Carson Palmer have been playing. ... Wilson led Seattle with 38 rushing yards last week, which tells you all you need to know about the state of their backfield without Marshawn Lynch or Thomas Rawls. Andre Ellington returned to action last week for the Cards and saw eight touches, but Michael Floyd is back to being questionable with a knee injury. Palmer has enough weapons that he can afford to be without one or two, though.

Predictions:Christine Michael leads the Seattle backfield with 40 rushing yards. Wilson throws for 260 yards and TDs to Jermaine Kearse and Fred Jackson. Tyler Lockett also returns a kick for a score. Johnson hits for 80 combined yards and a touchdown, while Palmer throws for 310 yards and touchdowns to John Brown and Darren Fells. Cardinals, 27-24

Oakland (+6.5) at Kansas City - Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST

Comments: The Chiefs still have a shot at the AFC West title, but they'll need to win and have the Chargers beat the Broncos, so it seems pretty safe to pencil them in for a game in Houston next week. Their nine-game winning streak has still been extremely impressive, and it's been carried by a defense allowing just 12.3 points a game during the streak. They beat the Raiders 34-20 in Week 13, and it was only the second time during the streak that a team even reached 20 points against them (the Bills managed 22 the week before). Starting OLBs Justin Houston (knee) and Tamba Hali (thumb) are both on the injury report as questionable, though, and if Kansas City ends up resting players in advance of the postseason, Oakland might pop them for 20 or more again. ... That KC defense has had to be good, because Alex Smith has done very little to keep the chains moving. Being a game manager is one thing, but when you go four straight games without topping 200 passing yards (his best effort over the last month was 191 against the lowly Chargers) it's not exactly a great sign. Amazingly, he's already set career highs in passing yards (3330) and rushing yards (437), but the only really notable number on his stat line is Smith's league-low five INTs. If the Chiefs are going to go anywhere in the playoffs, they'll need more from him. ... Not counting Week 1 when he was knocked out early, Derek Carr has only failed to throw multiple TDs in three of 14 full games this season, a nice run of fantasy consistency from the second-year QB. That includes the first meeting against the Chiefs, although his two scores were offset by a season-high three picks. Like Blake Bortles, his internal numbers don't suggest another 30-plus touchdown season is in the cards for 2016, but after improving his YPA from 5.5 to 7.0 and having two rookie targets in Amari Cooper and tight end Clive Walford who could take steps forward themselves next season, his future still looks bright.

Predictions:Latavius Murray knocks out 100 combined yards and a TD. Carr throws for 260 yards and touchdowns to Cooper and Seth Roberts, and minimizes his mistakes. Charcandrick West picks up 60 combined yards to Spencer Ware's 40, but neither score. Smith throws for under 200 yards again, with a single touchdown to Jeremy Maclin. Raiders, 24-16

San Diego (+9) at Denver - Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST

Comments: A win gets the Broncos the second seed in the AFC, and a first-round bye, so it'll be all hands on deck for Denver. Brock Osweiler will also remain under center despite the improving health of Peyton Manning, and while the Chargers' defense has looked a little better recently they still don't seem like the kind of unit that's going to force coach Gary Kubiak to re-consider that decision. C.J. Anderson (back), Emmanuel Sanders (ankle), Demaryius Thomas (hamstring) and even Osweiler himself (non-throwing shoulder) are all playing through minor injuries, so if Denver somehow has a big lead at halftime, plenty of players could get the hook. That said, they only beat San Diego 17-3 in Week 13, and they aren't exactly built to run up the score. ... After being almost Saints-bad at times this season, that Chargers defense has climbed its way back to 23rd in rushing yards allowed (119.7 per game) and 20th in QB rating against (94.9). In large part that's been fueled by an improved pass rush led by Melvin Ingram, who has a nice little four-game sack streak going. The Broncos' offensive line still isn't great, and between them Osweiler and Manning have been brought down 37 times, which would put them in the top 10 if they were a single person. It would also tie them with Philip Rivers, though, so if you're looking for a pass rush to tip the scales here, it's hard to bet against the Broncos' league-leading 49 sacks. ... They're also second in rushing yards allowed at 81.8, just a foot a game behind the Jets, so don't expect too much out of Danny Woodhead or Donald Brown.

Predictions: Brown leads the Chargers' backfield with 50 combined yards. Rivers throws for 220 yards and a touchdown to Antonio Gates. Anderson bangs out 90 combined yards and a score, while Osweiler throws for 260 yards and TDs to Thomas and Owen Daniels. Broncos, 24-10

St. Louis at San Francisco (+3.5) - Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EST

Comments: The Rams have a tidy little three-game winning streak going, for what that's worth, while the 49ers are really just trying not to screw up a top five draft spot. If at-the-moment-still-from St. Louis do make it four straight, though, they'll have to do it with Todd Gurley, who hasn't practiced all week due to a foot injury. He finishes his rookie season with over 1100 yards and 10 TDs in 13 games, while showing flashes of being an asset in the passing game. By the time 2016 fantasy drafts have started, it would be a little shocking if he weren't at the top of the Conventional Wisdom board. ... The Rams don't have much else gong for them on offense, with Case Keenum having yet to complete more than 14 passes in any of his starts since taking over the QB job. By comparison. Blaine Gabbert hasn't exactly set the world on fire and has yet to complete fewer than 15 in a game. The Niners' secondary is certainly vulnerable, sitting 27th in QB rating against (99.8), but even they can only do so much to make a quarterback look good. ... DuJuan Harris, San Francisco's new starting RB by default, had a solid game last week in Detroit, and the Rams sit 20th in rushing yards allowed (114.1 per game). If you need a desperation play, he's probably available. Of course, Tre Mason will start for St. Louis and the Niners are 28th (125.8 yards per game), so if you need two desperation plays at RB...

Predictions: Mason picks up 70 yards and scores. Keenum throws for under 200 yards and a TD to Tavon Austin. Harris runs for 80 yards and a touchdown, while Gabbert throws for 220 yards and a TD to Torrey Smith. 49ers, 17-14

Minnesota (+3) at Green Bay - Sunday, 8:30 p.m. EST

Comments: This one's for all the marbles in the NFC North, but depending on what happens in the Seattle game, the two teams could meet right back at Lambeau in the first round next week. More likely, the loser gets the fifth seed and travels to Washington, but it would be kind of awesome if they just played each other again right away, and for the third time in two months. ... The Packers won the Week 11 meeting 30-13, as Eddie Lacy outperformed Adrian Peterson and Aaron Rodgers had one of his increasingly rare multi-TD games. He's got just a 7:4 TD:INT ratio over his last five games, and offensive line problems and a lack of reliable targets has left the normally chill QB scrambling to make something happen. Minnesota's defense is healthier than they were a few weeks ago, but NT Linval Joseph is probably sidelined again with a foot injury, so Lacy could be poised for another big game. ... Teddy Bridgewater, on the other hand, is finishing the season on a high note, posting a 6:0 TD:INT ratio over his last three games and taking a slightly more active role in the offense again. He's not putting up Russell Wilson numbers or anything, but even on the road he could be more dangerous than expected against a Packers secondary that will be missing Sam Shields (concussion) again.

Predictions: Peterson rushes for 110 yards and a TD. Bridgewater throws for 230 yards and two touchdowns, one to Stefon Diggs and one to Jarius Wright. Lacy rumbles for 80 yards, while Rodgers throws for 240 yards and TDs to James Jones and Richard Rodgers. Vikings, 27-23

Last week's record: 8-8, 7-9 ATS
Season to date: 150-90, 130-103-7 ATS