Why We Care: To be honest, the level of caring surrounding this game is at a minimal. Neither team is playoff bound and the only real effect this game will have on either team is the determination of a few selections higher in the 2008 draft. Knowing that the final score of the game means very little, we've got a couple of things you can watch for after the jump as well as Brian Westbrook audio.
Detroit Lions 7-8 (3rd in NFC North) Green Bay Packers 12-3 (1st in NFC North)
Last Game:
Lions 25, Chiefs 20 Bears 35, Packers 7
When the Lions have the ball: They'll surprise you by running the ball more than you'd expect. Mike Martz has already told T.J. Duckett to have an oxygen mask handy for the week since he'll be getting the ball plenty. In the cold conditions at Green Bay, passing the ball a ton won't be much of an option for the Lions who only attempted 16 passes last week. Perhaps it's a luxury to have a bruiser like Duckett available to carry the load.
When the Packers have the ball: Who knows? They've already locked up the second spot in the NFC playoffs, so they're likely to rest many of their starters. Brett Favre will start to keep his streak alive, but he probably won't play most of the game. The same can likely be said for Ryan Grant, Greg Jennings, Donald Driver, and many of the regulars on offense. What they do remains a mystery to me, though I'll guess they run the ball for the most part.
San Diego Chargers 10-5 (1st in AFC West) Oakland Raiders 4-11 (t-3rd in AFC West)
Last Game:
Chargers 23, Broncos 3 Jaguars 49, Raiders 11
When the Chargers have the ball: They'll give it to LaDainian Tomlinson and hope for the big plays he's been delivering. LT has reasserted himself as the top back in the game, rushing for over 100 yards in each of the last four games, scoring six touchdowns in the process. With the Chargers playing good defense, the offense hasn't needed to throw the ball much over the last month, keeping Philip Rivers at 25 or fewer attempts for the most part.
When the Raiders have the ball: They'll try to run the ball so that it's not up to JaMarcus Russell to make the big plays. Getting the first start of his career, it will no doubt be a rocky game for Russell who only completed 7 of 23 passes. Luckily with it being the final week of a lost season, the Raiders will probably let Russell throw the ball plenty, they'll just use the run to ease the pressure on him.
San Francisco 49ers 5-10 (4th in NFC West) Cleveland Browns 9-6 (2nd in AFC North)
Last Game:
49ers 21, Bucs 19 Bengals 19, Browns 14
When the Niners have the ball: They'll run the ball with Frank Gore, and stick to short -- and I mean short -- passes. Chris Weinke will be getting the nod at QB, making him the 4th quarterback to start for San Francisco this year. The Niners don't have many play-making receivers to begin with, and it's not like they're going to ask Weinke to make big plays in his first start for them. They'll keep it simple and run the ball.
When the Browns have the ball: They'll employ their hearty balance of Jamal Lewis and their aerial attack. Derek Anderson had a slow day last week throwing four interceptions against the Bengals to blow Cleveland's chance at locking up a playoff spot. He'll most certainly look to rebound, as long as the weather permits him to throw several passes. You can bet they'll be looking in Braylon Edwards' direction considering he's averaged a touchdown a game this year.
2007 Records: Dallas Cowboys: 13-2 (NFC East Champions) Washington Redskins: 8-7 (3rd in NFC East)
Last Week: Cowboys 20, Panthers 13 Redskins 32, Vikings 21
Why We Care: Well, it is the Cowboys-Redskins. Plus, a Redskins win puts them in the playoffs. If Washington loses this game, they need the Saints and Vikings to lose to guarantee a postseason berth.
2007 Records: Cincinnati Bengals: 6-9 (3rd in AFC North) Miami Dolphins: 1-14 (4th in AFC East)
Last Week: Bengals 19, Browns 14 Patriots 28, Dolphins 7
Why We Care: For the outsider, nothing really. For fan of the two teams, it will be the last time we will see alot of the familiar faces. Miami has Bill Parcells ready to gut this franchise, so who knows who will be back. As for the Bengals, this horrible season has to be dealt with in some manner ... so a franchise guy or two may not be there in 2008. Oh, and there is the face-to-face between Levi Jones and Joey Porter since their tussle in Vegas.
Lions 25, Chiefs 20 Titans 10, Jets 6 When the Chiefs have the ball: There's some good news as it looks like Brodie Croyle will be healthy enough to play on Sunday. Good news is relative when discussing the K.C. offense, of course, but with Croyle in line to start next season every little bit of preparation helps the cause. Despite their miserable record, the Jets defense won't provide an easy opponent. They've been much better since the bye and did yeoman's work in last week's loss. They are still vulnerable to the run but the Chief offensive line hasn't offered much space for Kolby Smith or anyone else to operate. The more aggressive Jets can put some heat on Croyle and could force some mistakes if he looks to make the big play.
Pittsburgh Steelers: 10-5 (AFC North Champions, hosting game Wild Card Weekend) Baltimore Ravens: 4-11 (Last in AFC North) Last Week: Steelers 41, Rams 24 Seahawks 27, Ravens 6 When the Steelers have the ball: The Steelers have nothing to play for this week which is a good thing. They are mighty banged up on offense and will take the free week to rest Ben Roethlisberger and get Najeh Davenport fully integrated as the starting tailback. Marvel Smith won't be at left tackle, Hines Ward probably won't play that much and anyone else of import will likely be shackled to the bench before the game is settled. Even without so many of their stars, the Steelers should be able to score points. The Ravens won't have Chris McAlister or Samari Rolle and will probably not push ailing players like Ray Lewis, Kelly Gregg or Terrell Suggs too hard in a meaningless game. That should mean plenty of opportunities for Davenport and Charlie Batch.
When the Cardinals have the ball: Although the Cardinals are on the brink of .500, they've reached this point without a solid running game. And although Edgerinn James has gone over the 1,000 yard mark for the seventh time in his career, Arizona still ranks 29th in the NFL in rushing. For that very reason, with 8-8 on the line, Kurt Warner and the Cardinals are likely to air it out this Sunday against the Rams 19th ranked secondary.
Defensively, St. Louis has struggled all year and week five against the Cardinals was no exception. They gave up nearly 400 total yards and 34 points in an embarrassing loss at home. They did, however, force a few costly turnovers that kept them in the game -- one of the few things they'll be looking to repeat this week in Phoenix.
Redskins 32, Vikings 21 Chargers 23, Broncos 3 When the Vikings have the ball: There's no secret about what it takes to beat the Broncos this season. Run the ball until the final whistle and you're going to give yourself a healthy chance at winning the game. That shouldn't be a problem for the Vikes. With Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor, Minnesota is well suited to letting their running game do all the heavy lifting. Yet last week against the Redskins they threw the ball 41 times, a dubious idea when the erratic Tarvaris Jackson is your quarterback. Jackson has shown flashes this year but they are almost always because the run game has set him up to make big plays downfield. The Broncos have tried eight and nine men in the box to stop the run, to no effect, and should try the same this weekend. Unless the Vikings pin all of their hopes to the aerial game again, they won't have any more success defensively.
To get you ready for week 17, 
To get you ready for week 17, 
To get you ready for week 17, 
To get you ready for Week 17, 
To get you ready for Week 17, 
To get you ready for week 17, 
To get you ready for week 17, 
To get you ready for week 17, 
To get you ready for week 17, 
