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Predict the final game of the regular season (1 Viewer)

Yogibear

Footballguy
It's getting late, and we're just 3 weeks away from the end of the regular season. I always like to look at the schedule and predict what the Sunday night game is for the last week of the regular season because it almost always determines the last spot in the playoffs. So, let's look ahead and see if we can figure out what the Sunday night game is for Week 18. I'm going to take a wild guess and say that it's going to be Jets-Dolphins that will determine the last spot in this year's playoffs. We don't know what's going to happen from now until Week 18 & that's what makes this an interesting debate. Depending on how everything goes from now until the beginning of Week 18, what do you think the Sunday night game for that week is going to be?
 
Detroit Lions are only NFL team without a primetime game on the 2022 schedule.
It's a travesty, a sham and a mockery.

They're probably the most fun team to watch in the NFL right now. Everyone's second favorite team.

Detroit Lions are only NFL team without a primetime game on the 2022 schedule.
Thanksgiving with the 12:00 time slot to themselves?
Maybe that doesn't qualify

prime time
/ˈprīm ˌtīm/
Learn to pronounce

noun
noun: primetime
  1. the regularly occurring time at which a television or radio audience is expected to be greatest, typically the hours between 8 and 11 p.m.
 
Detroit Lions are only NFL team without a primetime game on the 2022 schedule.
They are no the same team outdoors - even in this 5 of 6 win run they have. GB in Dec/Jan sounds horrible for them

Goff's home/away splits are Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

8 H games: 277.1 YDS 20 TDs 3 INT
5 A games: 227.0 YDS 2 TD 4 INT

Then again in their two worst road games ARSB played 21 (at NE) and 10 snaps (at DAL) - he was inactive the week before and trying to play through an injury.

They scored 6 points total in those back to back losses; they've average 28.7 PPG in road games he was healthy. Overall, 26.8 PPG on the season.
 
I love this game! I usually try to do it at the beginning of the season, but forgot this year.

A couple things to keep in mind: Last year aside, the game usually ends up being for a divisional title, because it's hard to have a wildcard matchup that's not also affected by other games earlier in the day. The last thing the NFL wants is to have a juicy matchup that suddenly becomes irrelevant because the Jags upset the Colts. Remember the game two years ago when the Eagles pulled Hurts and handed WFT the division?

Also, as we saw a few years ago, if there's no game that meets their criteria, they will cancel SNF entirely.

So then the question is, which divisions will still be undecided by Week 18? Baltmore-Cinci seems the most likely, but it could also be Jags-Titans if Tennessee continues to struggle, or -- and may God have mercy on our souls -- either NFC South matchup: Bucs-Falcons or Panthers-Saints. I think that's pretty unlikely, because it's hard to imagine the Falcons staying competitive with Ritter, but it's also hard to imagine the Bucs not at least being in the mix.

So I say Ravens-Bengals, and if one of them clinches the week before then no game.
 
Detroit Lions are only NFL team without a primetime game on the 2022 schedule.
They are no the same team outdoors - even in this 5 of 6 win run they have. GB in Dec/Jan sounds horrible for them

Goff's home/away splits are Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

8 H games: 277.1 YDS 20 TDs 3 INT
5 A games: 227.0 YDS 2 TD 4 INT

Then again in their two worst road games ARSB played 21 (at NE) and 10 snaps (at DAL) - he was inactive the week before and trying to play through an injury.

They scored 6 points total in those back to back losses; they've average 28.7 PPG in road games he was healthy. Overall, 26.8 PPG on the season.
Right. I don't think you can throw out those games entirely, since they showed some of Goff's limitations, but I think "He struggles against top defenses" is a better takeaway than "He struggles on the road".
 
Detroit Lions are only NFL team without a primetime game on the 2022 schedule.
They are no the same team outdoors - even in this 5 of 6 win run they have. GB in Dec/Jan sounds horrible for them

Goff's home/away splits are Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

8 H games: 277.1 YDS 20 TDs 3 INT
5 A games: 227.0 YDS 2 TD 4 INT

Then again in their two worst road games ARSB played 21 (at NE) and 10 snaps (at DAL) - he was inactive the week before and trying to play through an injury.

They scored 6 points total in those back to back losses; they've average 28.7 PPG in road games he was healthy. Overall, 26.8 PPG on the season.
Right. I don't think you can throw out those games entirely, since they showed some of Goff's limitations, but I think "He struggles against top defenses" is a better takeaway than "He struggles on the road".

He’s fully capable of struggling against average defenses as well.

Been doing a good job taking care of the ball. No bad decisions and the OL is making sure he keeps it in his tiny hands.

Team is playing well, all phases. Goff is part of that.
 
If the Detroit/GB game is a win or go home game this will the game for sure. Detroit is gaining steam as everyone is jumping on the bandwagon and you get Rodgers trying to will his team to the playoffs.
 
I guess if they pick the game with the most riding on the outcome . . .

NE @ BUF . . . The Patriots could be playing for a playoff spot and the Bills could be fighting for a bye.
NYG @ PHI . . . The Giants could be playing for a wildcard and the Eagles could lock up the top seed.
DAL @ WAS . . . The Cowboys could be fighting for the 1 seed while the Giants could have to win to make the playoffs.

BAL @ CIN . . . Could determine who wins the division, but both teams will likely make the playoffs and neither one is likely going to get the bye. The Bengals face TB, NE, BUF, and BAL, but even if they lose out, they would still be at 47% to earn a playoff spot.
NYJ @ MIA . . . It's possible both teams could be fighting for one playoff spot and the winner makes it and the loser goes home.
DET @ GB . . . There's a slim chance that both teams could still be mathematically alive, but a more likely chance both teams would have already been eliminated.

Barring absolutely crazy outcomes the rest of the way, the remaining slate of 10 games the final weekend will most likely have 6 games with playoff implications and the other 4 games featuring teams playing out the string.

There are currently 14 teams with at least a 50% chance to make the playoffs and another 5 teams that have at least a 25% chance. As things stand currently, it appears LAC, NE, and NYJ are fighting for one spot or MIA, NE, NYJ are fighting for two spots. In the NFC, NYG, WAS, SEA, and DET are battling for 2 spots.
 
Baltimore @ Cincinnati

LaMar(assuming he's healthy)
Joe Cool
Playoff spots on the line
Cold weather December game
Heated division rivalry
 
I would think Mia/NYJ or Det/GB will likely result in 1 play-in game. If not you have some other games with both teams having seeding/playoff making implications.
 
Detroit Lions are only NFL team without a primetime game on the 2022 schedule.
I thought every team has to play a Thursday night game ?

Thursday Night Football appearances:
  • SF 18
  • DEN 17
  • BAL 16
  • CAR 16
  • IND 16
  • NYJ 16
  • ARI 15
  • CLE 15
  • DAL 15
  • LV 15
  • ATL 14
  • JAX 14
  • PIT 14
  • TB 14
  • CHI 13
  • KC 13
  • LAC 13
  • LAR 13
  • MIA 13
  • NE 13
  • TEN 13
  • CIN 12
  • GB 12
  • HOU 12
  • SEA 12
  • NO 11
  • PHI 11
  • BUF 10
  • NYG 10
  • WAS 10
  • MIN 8

  • DET 3
 
Detroit Lions are only NFL team without a primetime game on the 2022 schedule.
It's a travesty, a sham and a mockery.

They're probably the most fun team to watch in the NFL right now. Everyone's second favorite team.

Detroit Lions are only NFL team without a primetime game on the 2022 schedule.
Thanksgiving with the 12:00 time slot to themselves?
Maybe that doesn't qualify

prime time
/ˈprīm ˌtīm/
Learn to pronounce

noun
noun: primetime
  1. the regularly occurring time at which a television or radio audience is expected to be greatest, typically the hours between 8 and 11 p.m.
That's one way to look at it but the fact remains they had the country all to themselves.
I wonder what the ratings are for Detroit on Thanksgiving vs one of these 8:00 games ye speak of.
 
I would think Mia/NYJ or Det/GB will likely result in 1 play-in game. If not you have some other games with both teams having seeding/playoff making implications.
The problem with wildcard play-in games is that they may be impacted by other non-divisional games earlier in the day. So maybe Miami and the Jets are fighting it out but if the Chargers win then Miami is eliminated and all of a sudden their game is meaningless. That’s why it will very likely be a game to decide a divisional title
 
BAL @ CIN . . . Could determine who wins the division, but both teams will likely make the playoffs and neither one is likely going to get the bye. The Bengals face TB, NE, BUF, and BAL, but even if they lose out, they would still be at 47% to earn a playoff spot.
This has happened before and the NFL has scheduled SNF games where both teams were already in the playoffs but the division was still up for grabs. The logic is that both will still try if it means they can get a home game
 
I love this thread every year. As mentioned multiple times above, they’ll never risk flexing a game that might be rendered moot by outcomes from earlier in the day. They’ll cancel it rather than end the season with a national display of 1 or even 2 teams with nothing to play for

We’ll know a lot more after next week. Like if the Eagles lock up the NFC East, then the Cowboys are locked into #5 and neither will have anything to play for

I’m leaning toward Baltimore-Cincy. If Baltimore wins this week (or vs Pittsburgh in 2 weeks) then the only way that game is not for the division is if Baltimore is a game ahead of Cincy
 
With Tannehill out, maybe TEN/JAX for a divisional championship not affecting other playoff contenders.
 
With Tannehill out, maybe TEN/JAX for a divisional championship not affecting other playoff contenders.
I wish this forum software allowed for puke emojis
They aired other puke games using this logic.
I remember the first year they ever did the Week 17 flex, it was sub-.500 Rams-Seahawks teams (with Charlie Whitehurst at QB for Seattle!) A few years ago, they had the opportunity to put another putrid win-and-in matchup (Panthers-Falcons) and declined
 
With Tannehill out, maybe TEN/JAX for a divisional championship not affecting other playoff contenders.
Possible but if they're in the same position, TB-ATL will be the choice due to it possibly being Bradys final game
That's possible, but the NFL will have to thread quite a needle over the next couple weeks in order for that game to be the one that decides the NFCS. Basically, you need to have Atlanta win their next two (definitely possible, since it's Balt without Lamar and then AZ) while Tampa loses its next two. Except one of those two is against Carolina, and if they beat Tampa they will have swept the season series and win any tiebreakers. And you also need New Orleans to be eliminated before Week 18.

Maybe there's a way all of this can happen, but it seems pretty unlikely. I still think the most likely candidates are Balt-Cinci or Jax-Tenn
 
With Tannehill out, maybe TEN/JAX for a divisional championship not affecting other playoff contenders.
I wish this forum software allowed for puke emojis
They aired other puke games using this logic.
I remember the first year they ever did the Week 17 flex, it was sub-.500 Rams-Seahawks teams (with Charlie Whitehurst at QB for Seattle!) A few years ago, they had the opportunity to put another putrid win-and-in matchup (Panthers-Falcons) and declined
the article does mention that NYE played a role in that decision too.
 
With Tannehill out, maybe TEN/JAX for a divisional championship not affecting other playoff contenders.
I wish this forum software allowed for puke emojis
They aired other puke games using this logic.
I remember the first year they ever did the Week 17 flex, it was sub-.500 Rams-Seahawks teams (with Charlie Whitehurst at QB for Seattle!) A few years ago, they had the opportunity to put another putrid win-and-in matchup (Panthers-Falcons) and declined
also, are you sure that was a win and in? Both teams made the playoffs.
 
With Tannehill out, maybe TEN/JAX for a divisional championship not affecting other playoff contenders.
I wish this forum software allowed for puke emojis
They aired other puke games using this logic.
I remember the first year they ever did the Week 17 flex, it was sub-.500 Rams-Seahawks teams (with Charlie Whitehurst at QB for Seattle!) A few years ago, they had the opportunity to put another putrid win-and-in matchup (Panthers-Falcons) and declined
also, are you sure that was a win and in? Both teams made the playoffs.
You're right, I was conflating two different years. In 2017, there were no win-and-in games so the NFL didn't have an SNF match-up. In 2014, the NFL chose to put Bengals-Steelers on SNF -- they had both already clinched playoff spots but were still fighting it out for the division -- instead of Panthers-Falcons, which was a true win-or-go-home between two sub-.500 teams.

Ironically enough, the final game of the 4:25 window in 2017 ended up having an incredibly exciting ending that impacted the playoffs (Tyler Boyd's last minute TD that eliminated Baltimore and put the Bills in).
 
With Tannehill out, maybe TEN/JAX for a divisional championship not affecting other playoff contenders.
This is it. At this point, only way it’s not a “winner is in, loser goes home” game is if the Titans win their next 2 and the Jags lose to the Texans next week
 
With Tannehill out, maybe TEN/JAX for a divisional championship not affecting other playoff contenders.

With Tannehill out, maybe TEN/JAX for a divisional championship not affecting other playoff contenders.
This is it. At this point, only way it’s not a “winner is in, loser goes home” game is if the Titans win their next 2 and the Jags lose to the Texans next week

I think this this it. The fact that no other team should be affected makes it even easier. Winner gets a home game against the ravens (although I’m not sure how the tiebreakers fall if the ravens lose to the bengals)
 
Regardless of the outcomes in Week 17, the winner of the Jaguars and Titans game in Week 18 is guaranteed to win the AFC South.
Also, Atlanta was eliminated today, so Bucs-Falcons is out. Still think that if the league has a choice, they’ll avoid the Malik Willis Bowl. But i think Balt-Cinci is the only other possibility in play

So does this mean that there’s a risk of Titans and Jags players being benched next week since it’s all about week 18?
 

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