Brads NFL Picks Week Seventeen 2016 – 2017
Brads Picks was 8-8 last week and is 146 – 92 – 2 on the season. Here’s what happened last week:
the good:
Cleveland 20, Chargers 17 – Hooray for the Browns! They won a game and are now 1-14 on the season. So the 2008 Detroit Lions remain as the only team to go defeated.
Green Bay 38, Vikings 25 – Sam Bradford threw three TDs and no INTs. Aaron Rodgers threw four TDs and no INTs. Rodgers also ran for a TD.
Oakland 33, Colts 25 – Raiders were leading 33-14 in the 4th quarter when QB Derek Carr went down with a boken fibula.
New England 41, Jets 3 – More that the Jets are bad than the Cheaters are good.
Forty Niners 22, Los Angeles 21 – It was Rams 21, 9ers 7 early in the 4th. But a 9ers TD made it 21-14. Then Colin Kaepernick threw a ten yard TD with 31 seconds left to make it 21-20. Eschewing the one point kick and a tie, Kaepernick ran it in for two points and the win.
New Orleans 31, Buccaneers 24 – Jameis Winston threw for two TDs (and two INTs) and Jacquizz Rodgers ran for a TD for the Bucs. Drew Brees threw a TD (no INTs) and Mark Ingram ran for two for the Saints. The rest of the scoring was on field goals plus a two point conversion by the Saints.
Pittsburgh 31, Ravens 27 – It was Ravens 17, Pittsburgh 10 after three quarters. With 9 seconds left, Steelers scored a TD for the final score (Antonio Brown caught a pass and seemed to be stopped just short of the goal but managed to reach across the fabled plane of the goal line with the ball).
Dallas 42, Lions 21 (MNF) – Dallas had nothing to play for, having already gained the top seed. But they still blew out the Lions, who were fighting for a playoff spot.
the bad:
Philadelphia 24, Giants 19 (TNF) – Eli Manning threw three INTs, one of which was returned for a TD. It was 21-6 late in the second quarter.
Dolphins 34, Bills 31 (OT) – Jay Ajayi returned to mid-season form and ran for 206 yards, including a 57 yard run in OT that set up a 27 yard winning FG with 47 seconds left. When Ajayi made his 57 yard run, the Bills only had ten men on the field. HC Rex Ryan was fired the next day.
Cardinals 34, Seattle 31 – Cards kicked a 43 yard field goal as time expired for the win. Carson Palmer is now 3-0 in Seattle.
Houston 12, Bengals 10 – Bengals missed a 43 yard field goal attempt as time expired.
the ugly:
Jacksonville 38, Titans 17 – Blake Bortles finally played a good game.
Falcons 33, Carolina 16 – Falcons are really playing good.
Redskins 41, Chicago 21 – Matt Barkley had been playing okay but 5 interceptions changed that story.
Kansas City 33, Broncos 10 – Broncos couldn’t stop TE Travis Kelce or WR Tyreek Hill.
this weeks games: (all games are on Sunday and all are Division games)
the 11:00 MST games:
New Orleans (7-8) at Atlanta (10-5) – Saints are out of it; Falcons can secure a first round bye with a win. Take the Falcons – they’re playing great lately.
Chicago (3-12) at Minnesota (7-8) – Four years ago the Bears fired HC Lovie Smith after a ten win season. They’ve lost ten or more ever since. Take Sam Bradford and the Vikings over Matt Barkley and the Bears.
Jacksonville (3-12) at Indianapolis (7-8) – Might be a good game, actually. Colts won’t want to lose at home to the lowly Jags.
Dallas (13-2) at Philadelphia (6-9) – Dallas could have mailed it in last week because they already had the top seed in the bag. But they didn’t. They do have a couple things to play for – the Cowboys have never won 14 games in the regular season, and Dak Prescott could set a record for most wins by a rookie QB. You could see some of Tony Romo in the second half, and even Mark Sanchez, but I think the Cowboys want to win the game so we’ll see how it plays out. Hell, the Eagles have less to play for.
New England (13-2) at Miami (10-5) – Interesting that, since Week Six, both teams are 9 – 1. Both teams are in the playoffs, but both have something to play for. Dolphins are currently the 6 seed which means they go to Pittsburgh next week. With a win though and a Chiefs loss at San Diego, , they would go to Houston as the 5th seed, which I’m sure they would prefer.
If the Cheatriots lose and the Raiders win at Mile High, the Cheaters drop to the number two seed. This happened to them last year, when they lost at Miami in Week Seventeen 20-10. The Cheaters then had to play the Championship game in Denver, which they lost 20-18. Take the Cheaters.
Buffalo (7-8) at NY Jets (4-11) – Hard game to call because neither team has much to play for. Bills fired HC Rex Ryan a week ago, and, in a business decision (to save money on QB Tyrod Taylor’s contract) will start EJ Manuel, a former first round pick. Jets have placed QB Bryce Petty on IR. I suppose they’ll start Ryan Fitzpatrick, who wants to show he’s better than he’s shown all year. I flipped a coin here. Bills.
Carolina (6-9) at Tampa Bay (8-7) – Carolina is out of the playoffs and so is Tampa, almost. Bucs could get in with a win and something like eight other things going right. Enough motivation for the Bucs to get a win. Cam Newton, over the last six games, has completed just 45% of his passes.
NY Giants (10-5) at Washington (8-6-1) – Reds 29, Giants 27 in Week Three. If the Reds win or tie, they’re in the playoffs (#6 seed). Unless, that is, if the Packers and Lions tie, in which case the Reds are out. Giants are locked into the #5 seed, so have nothing to play for. Take Washington.
Houston (9-6) at Tennessee (8-7) – Tom Savage was 18-29 -176 with no TDs or INTs in his first start as the Texans QB. Titans are out of the playoffs; Texans are locked in as the #4 seed. Take the Titans at home even though veteran QB Matt Cassell will play instead of the injured Marcus Mariota.
Baltimore (8-7) at Cincinnati (5-9-1) – Another who cares game. Take the Bengals at home.
Cleveland (1-14) at Pittsburgh (10-5) – Steelers are locked into the 3rd seed and will rest a lot of players. Browns are on a roll, having won last week.
the 2:25 MST games:
Kansas City (11 – 4) at San Diego (5-10) – If the Chiefs win and the Raiders lose, the Chiefs could get the #2 seed and a bye. If they lose, they’ll still have a wild card spot. Like Miami, they’d rather have the #5 spot and go to Houston next week. Chargers just want to win a division game, and it might be their last game in San Diego. Take the Chiefs.
Oakland (12-3) at Denver (8-7) – Raiders QB Derek Carr suffered a broken leg last week and will be replaced by Matt McGloin who was signed by the Raiders as a college free agent out of Penn State 4 years ago. McGloin is 1-6 as a starter. Raiders won the first game this year and the Broncos want some payback. But the Raiders want to keep the #2 seed (they could get the #1 seed with a win and a loss to Miami by the Cheaters). I don’t think McGloin will be able to pass for much, but I think the Raiders can get some yards on the ground, especially with DE Derek Wolfe out. But I’ll take the Broncos at Mile High.
Seattle (9-5-1) at San Francisco (2-13) – Seattle could end up with the #2 seed if the Falcons lose.
Arizona (6-8-1) at Los Angeles (4-11) – Arizona’s RB David Johnson needs 159 yards receiving to join Roger Craig and Marshall Faulk as the only players to top 1,000 yards on the ground and in the air in one season. I doubt he gets it but Arizona will get the win.
the SNF game:
Green Bay (9-6) at Detroit (9-6) – Packers played last Saturday, Lions played on the road on MNF. The winner of this game wins the division and is in the playoffs (if they tie, they’re both in). Packers have been hot, Lions not so much (they’ve lost three in a row – Bears, at Giants, at Dallas). Packers have won 5 in a row. Packers won the first game in Week Three, 34-27 but ten of the Lions points came in garbage time. Take the Packers.