There are only two weeks left in the season and playoff positions are on the line for several teams. Week 16 was full of great games and some results that made some playoff paths far more difficult. The Commanders dream season continued with a win over Philly, the Bucs coughed up a game to the Cowboys, and it looks like the Michael Penix Jr. experiment put new life into the Falcons. Each game is of the utmost importance in the penultimate week of the season. Here are our Top 3 2024 NFL Games Week 17.
Kansas City Chiefs vs Pittsburgh Steelers
Merry Christmas, we have a great game for you on December 25. In fact, there are two great Christmas day games that will be fun to watch. The Chiefs continue to win games at an unprecedented rate and pulled off a great victory over the Houston Texans last week. The Chiefs need a win in this game because they would claim the top seed in the AFC with a victory. The Steelers need a win in this game after a loss to Baltimore last week. A win against Kansas City would give Pittsburgh the tiebreaker of the Ravens due to a better conference record. This Steelers defense doesn’t look as good as it once did earlier in the year. T.J. Watt is beaten up and Russell Wilson is turning it over. KC continues to win games, and I have no reason to believe they won’t do it again. Prediction: Chiefs 27 Steelers 21
Baltimore Ravens vs Houston Texans
Last week was an overall big loss for the Texans. Not only did they lose the game to Kansas City but also lost wide receiver Tank Dell to a gruesome leg injury. They are already down Stefon Diggs so the injury will limit what C.J. Stroud will be able to do in the pocket. Houston has clinched the AFC South already but needs to keep playing for seeding reasons. As for the Ravens, the Steelers are still in the driver’s seat but with a loss to KC, they can leapfrog them for first place and control their own destiny with a win. Home field advantage is clinched with a division title. Lamar would be the MVP if it weren’t for Josh Allen, and I don’t think this depleted Texans offense can keep up. I’ll give this game to Baltimore as they keep rolling towards winning the North. Prediction: Ravens 28 Texans 17
Atlanta Falcons vs Washington Commanders
The Falcons are now in control of their own destiny in the AFC South thanks to a win over the Giants and the Bucs loss to Dallas. This game is a perfect opportunity for Tampa to once again leapfrog Atlanta since they are playing the Panthers. Washington is coming off an impressive come from behind win against the Eagles. I think it is too much for the Commanders to catch the Eagles at this point, but I do think they are the much better team in this matchup. While Vegas opened this game with Washington as a 4.5-point favorite, I don’t think the final score will be as close. Prediction: Falcons 26 Commanders 34