It’s the penultimate weekend of the 2024 season, and five more teams can punch their playoff tickets. Others can cement their spots on the playoff tree.
Either way, we’re two weeks away from the start of the postseason, which will consist of games far more compelling than the college football playoffs. (It’s a low bar.)
Here’s a look at the 13 remaining Week 17 games.
9-6 Chargers (-4.5) at 3-12 Patriots, Saturday 1:00 p.m. ET, NFL Network (Chris Rose and Ross Tucker)
The Chargers are in with a win or losses from the Colts and Dolphins.
The Patriots have lost five in a row. They’re hoping to avoid their second six-game losing streak of the season.
Currently, L.A. is on track to face the Ravens in the wild-card round of the playoffs. Which would give us a rematch of Harbaugh vs. Harbaugh, in Jim’s first season after a nine-year break from the NFL.
9-6 Broncos at 7-8 Bengals (-3.5), Saturday 4:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network (Kevin Harlan and Trent Green)
The Broncos are in with a win, and the Bengals are out with a loss.
The Bengals, to punch a postseason ticket, need to win out (they visit Pittsburgh in Week 18) and have the Broncos lose two and the Colts and Dolphins lose one game each.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is the first player in NFL history to have seven straight games with 250 or more passing yards and three or more touchdown passes.
Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase has a chance to be the fifth receiver to lead the league in catches, yards, and receiving touchdowns since the merger. The others? Jerry Rice, Sterling Sharpe, Steve Smith Sr., Cooper Kupp.
7-8 Cardinals at 9-6 Rams (-7), Saturday 8:00 p.m. ET, NFL Network (Rich Eisen and Kurt Warner)
The Cardinals were eliminated in Week 16, fueled by losing four of five games. The Rams can clinch the division with a victory and at least three wins or a tie from six other teams.
The Cardinals, who won the first game between these teams in a Week 2 41-10 blowout, haven’t swept the Rams since they became the L.A. Rams again.
The Rams are 8-2 since entering the bye at 1-4, and they’ve won four in a row.
4-11 Jets at 12-3 Bills (-8.5), Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS (Jim Nantz and Tony Romo)
The Bills won narrowly in Week 6, the first game for Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich. This time around, the Bills are trying to clinch the No. 2 seed, while the Jets are once again playing out the string; they haven’t been to the playoffs since 2010.
With a victory, the Bills will match a franchise record with 13 regular-season victories.
Bills running back James Cook has seven touchdowns in the last five games. He’s tied for the NFL lead with 14 rushing touchdowns. He has 16 total touchdowns.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who is the betting favorite for MVP, admitted this week that he has been playing with a broken left hand for most of the season.
3-12 Titans at 3-12 Jaguars (-1), Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS (Spero Dedes and Adam Archuleta)
The Titans have lost four in a row, and the Jaguars have lost seven of eight.
Jacksonville is 2-2 in the AFC South, and 1-9 against the rest of the league.
3-12 Raiders (-1.5) at 5-10 Saints, Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox (Adam Amin and Mark Sanchez)
The Saints became the first team in 2024 to be shut out, in a 34-0 Lambeau Field blowout on Monday night.
Quarterback Derek Carr, thanks to a lingering hand injury, won’t get a chance to face the team that cut him only months after signing him to a $40 million-per-year extension.
7-8 Colts (-7.5) at 2-13 Giants, Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox (Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma)
The only drama in this one is whether the plane will be back, again.
Indy needs a win to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
The Giants will clinch the top draft pick with two losses to end the season. They’ve already tied a single-season franchise record with 13 losses, and they’ve set a team record with 10 straight losses.
7-8 Cowboys at 12-3 Eagles (-8.5), Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, Fox (Joe Davis and Greg Olsen)
The Eagles are looking to sweep Dallas for the first time since 2011.
Jalen Hurts is out for Philly. Kenny Pickett will get the start for Philly.
Dallas has played hard despite being eliminated. Will that be enough to get another season or two for Mike McCarthy?
4-11 Panthers at 8-7 Buccaneers (-7.5), Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET, CBS (Ian Eagle and Charles Davis)
The Bucs need to pick up a game on the Falcons in the final two weeks to win the division. Tampa Bay is out with a loss and an Atlanta win.
Carolina is 3-4 in their last seven games; they’ve lost three by one score — to the Chiefs, Bucs, and Eagles.
Tampa Bay receiver Mike Evans needs 182 receiving yards to hit 11 straight 1,000 yard seasons. That would tie Jerry Rice for the most consecutive 1,000-yard seasons in NFL history.
7-8 Dolphins (-6.5) at 3-12 Browns, Sunday 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS (Andrew Catalon, Tiki Barber, and Jason McCourty)
Miami can make the playoffs by winning the final two games and having the Broncos or Chargers lose their final two.
The Dolphins have lost 11 in a row with the temperature at kickoff under 40 degrees. The streak dates back to 2016.
The Browns have lost four in a row since their epic snow-globe win over the Steelers on a Thursday night in Cleveland.
11-4 Packers (-1) at 13-2 Vikings, Sunday 4:25 p.m. ET, Fox (Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady)
By rule, game couldn’t be moved to prime time because the first match was played on CBS. At least one of the annual games between NFC division rivals must be played on Fox, where it was flexed to 4:25 p.m. ET.
The last time around, Minnesota led 28-0 before holding on to win, 31-29.
The Vikings secure the No. 1 seed (and the division title) if they win out. If the Vikings lose to the Packers, the Lions can clinch the top seed with a win on Monday night.
Minnesota quarterback has 16 touchdowns and one interception over the past six weeks. Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love and eight touchdowns and no interceptions in the last five games.
Receiver Justin Jefferson has 349 receiving yards and five touchdown catches in the last three games.
A win by the Vikings will give them their first nine-game winning streak since starting the 1975 season at 10-0.
8-7 Falcons at 10-5 Commanders (-4), Sunday 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock (Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth)
For the first time ever, a pair of rookie first-round quarterbacks will meet in prime time.
The Commanders clinch with a win or a Buccaneers loss. Washington can still win the NFC East if they win out, and if the Eagles lose out.
A victory would give Washington its most wins in a single season since 1991.
13-2 Lions (-3.5) at 6-9 49ers, Monday 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN/ABC (Joe Buck and Troy Aikman)
If Minnesota loses, a Detroit win clinches the top seed. If Minnesota wins, the game becomes irrelevant to the Lions. They still plan to try to win the game — despite the short week on the back end before the Week 18 showdown with the Vikings.
The 49ers have lost five of six and are eliminated from playoff contention.
The game is a rematch of the NFC Championship; the Lions led by 17 at the half before the 49ers stormed back.
