Sam Bradford can lead his Rams back to the playoffs with a victory over the struggling Seahawks.
Here it is, the 17th and final week of the NFL regular season and there's still a lot left to be decided in the playoff races; especially in the NFC. With that in mind, let's take a look at the games this weekend with playoff implications.
The new wave gunslingers game
Bears vs. Packers
For football fans who love to see two quarterbacks fill the air with big league throws, it doesn't get much better than Jay Cutler versus Aaron Rodgers. The Bears have already locked up the second seed in the NFC, and if the Falcons beat the Panthers in the early game, then they will have nothing to play for. The Bears are giving every indication that they will take this game seriously and head coach Lovie Smith says he plans on playing all of his starters. Even if there is nothing to play for, the Bears would love to damage the playoffs hopes of their division rivals. The Packers on the other hand have everything to play for; a win and they are in the post-season. Sufficiently recovered from his concussion, Rodgers shredded the Giants secondary last week. Rodgers is clearly a better quarterback at Lambeau Field then he is on the road. At home, Rodgers has 18 touchdowns, five interceptions with a quarterback rating of 115.7.
The save Tom Coughlin's job game
Giants vs. Redskins
Call me a cynic, but I'm not buying the claim that if the Giants lose again and miss the playoffs that Tom Coughlin's job is safe. Especially when you consider the Giants have given up a staggering 73 points in their last five quarters of football. A loss to the Redskins might be enough for Giants management to drop the hammer on Coughlin and make a coaching change. The Redskins are a dangerous opponent for the Giants. The Redskins players know that a strong performance in the season finale might be enough of a reason for head coach Mike Shanahan to bring them back next year. Give Shanahan some credit, since naming Rex Grossman his starting quarterback, the Redskins have been significantly more competitive, including a close loss to the Cowboys and an overtime win over the Jaguars. What should be even more troubling for Eli Manning and the Giants is the recent play of the Redskins defence. In their last two games, the Redskins defence has six sacks, 10 quarterback hits and two interceptions. Manning goes into the game with the dubious distinction of leading the league with 24 interceptions.
The get Bourbon Street ready for a party game
Buccaneers vs. Saints
The Who Dat Nation in New Orleans might once again turn Bourbon Street into the party capital of America if their beloved Saints go on another playoff run. Drew Brees is still one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, but he's thrown 21 interceptions this season, the most of his career. In fact, Brees has thrown at least one interception in his past 11 games. Brees got away with throwing a pick-six in last week's win over the Falcons because he was able to come back and engineer a 92-yard scoring drive. The Bucs have been far and away one of the great surprises in the NFL this season. They have gone from three wins in 2009 to nine wins this year and a shot at the post-season (albeit with a ton of help) Even if they don't make the playoffs, quarterback Josh Freeman and the Bucs have earned a ton of respect throughout the NFL. I'm sure Sean Payton has reminded the Saints all week long that despite their youth, the Bucs are 5-2 on the road. Payton likely also spent a lot of time reminding his team that rookie running back LeGarrette Blount didn't play the last team these two teams met.
The not ready for prime time game
Rams vs. Seahawks
The Rams and Seahawks might be two of the least known teams in the NFL, but they will receive the star treatment from NBC on Sunday night. Matt Hasselbeck is suffering from a variety of injuries and is listed as doubtful for the game. That means backup Charlie Whitehurst would get the start in Seattle's biggest game of the year. Whitehurst's last start came in Week 9 as the Giants pounded the Seahawks 41-7. It really is remarkable to think the Seahawks are still in a position to get in the playoffs. In each of their nine losses, the Seahawks have been beaten by at least 15 points. Making life more difficult for Whitehurst is the fact the Seahawks are dead last at running the football. The Rams have no such worries at quarterback because rookie Sam Bradford is good to go. Last week, Bradford broke out of his slump and helped lead the Rams to a crucial win over the rival 49ers. This week the Rams will have to contend with the famous 12th man at Qwest Field in Seattle. This is where running back Steven Jackson becomes the key to the Rams game plan. It is vital to the Rams success that they give the ball to Jackson as least 20 times. This will establish a running game, take pressure off of Bradford and dictate the tempo of the game. A win and the Rams, who were 1-15 in 2009, will advance to the post-season for the first time since 2004.
The Colts are a machine game
Titans vs. Colts
A win over the Titans and the Colts will have survived their vast number of injuries and advance to the playoffs for another year. Thanks in a great part to Peyton Manning, the Colts have been in the playoffs every year since 2002. Through 15 games, Manning has thrown 17 interceptions, his most since 2002. A big part of that is the absence of his close friend and security blanket on offence, tight end Dallas Clark. Despite all of this, the Colts are on a three-game winning streak and much to the delight of Manning, they have been able to run the ball effectively the last two weeks. After starting the season with five wins through the first seven weeks, the Titans go into this game limping along with only one win in their last eight games. If Jeff Fisher is trying to coach his way out of Tennessee, he's doing a very good job. Chris Johnson has been chirping all week that it was "bogus" he wasn't voted to the Pro Bowl. Bogus or not, the fact remains that in 2009 Johnson ran for at least 150 yards four times and it still hasn't happened in 2010.
The close but no cigar game
Jaguars vs. Texans
If the Colts lose and the Jags win, they win the AFC South. Any chance of the Jaguars winning this game took a big blow with the news that David Garrard has a broken finger and is out for the rest of the season. That means former Bills quarterback Trent Edwards will get the start. It gets worse for Jack Del Rio. After missing last week's game with a knee injury, running back Maurice Jones-Drew missed practice Thursday and is listed as questionable for Sunday. It isn't all bleak for the Jags, because the Texans have far and away the worst pass defence in the NFL. So maybe even Captain Checkdown (Edwards) can put up some numbers against the Texans. The bigger story for the Texans emerged from the Houston Chronicle this week as owner Robert McNair reportedly wants to keep Gary Kubiak and hire Wade Phillips as the team's defensive co-ordinator. While he's not much of a head coach, Phillips has an outstanding track record as a defensive coach.
Quick note: After being hit a total of 27 times in his last two games and suffering a bruised leg against the Vikings, Michael Vick will take a break this week against the Cowboys. That means Kevin Kolb gets the start.
