AFC #LETME Week 17

Least Exciting To Most Exciting.

8. Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots (1 ET, CBS: Spero Dedes and Solomon Wilcots) Sunset at 4:20.
The Pats claim the #8 spot on the list for the first and only time this season by resting their starters. Bills 38, Patriots 7

7. New York Jets at Miami Dolphins (1 ET, CBS: Andrew Catalon, Steve Beuerlein, and Steve Tasker)
The other AFC East game rounds out the bottom two. Jets 17, Dolphins 14

6. Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans (noon CT, 1 ET, CBS: Tom McCarthy and Adam Archuleta)
If the Colts win, they can clinch the 3rd seed if CIN/PIT tie. Therefore, they do have something to play for. They would avoid PIT who already whooped them and would host one of the four teams struggling to stay alive this year, playing a tough game this week and perhaps being drained for next week. Titans 18, Colts 15

5. Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans (noon CT, 1 ET, Fox; Chris Myers, Ronde Barber, and Jennifer Hale)
It is unfortunate to Texans fans outside Houston, Beaumont, and Victoria that they won't get to see their favorite team in a playoff implication game, but to even the crossflexes following CAR-ATL, the NFL couldn't cross-flex BUF-NE since NE-BUF was already crossed, SD-KC not to screw over CBS, NYJ-MIA since the Giants are on Fox, or CLE-BAL since CLE has already crossed twice this season. Out of the two remaining options, the NFL chose the game with playoff implications. Texans 28, Jaguars 14

4. Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens (1 ET, CBS: Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon) Sunset at 4:50.
Connor Shaw is starting, making Columbia the only disjoint market receiving this game. Ravens 28, Browns 17

3. San Diego Chargers at Kansas City Chiefs (noon CT, 1 ET, CBS: Ian Eagle, Dan Fouts, and Jenny Dell)
Many questioned why this game wasn't flexed to 3;25, and it's because it must take place simultaneously as the other AFC wild card implication games since both teams are wild card contenders. Chiefs 31, Chargers 28 (OT)

2. Oakland Raiders at Denver Broncos (2:25 MT, 4:25 ET, CBS: Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, and Evan Washburn) Sunset at 4:42.
Peyton Manning looked weak Monday night, and is coming off a short week. Broncos 48, Raiders 28

1. Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers (8:30 ET, NBC: Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, and Michele Tafoya)
It's possible the flexing of this game was done with the thought the Bengals would likely lose to the Broncos, but nevertheless this game matters as the teams will be fighting to host the weakling wild card that will come off a victory this week, giving it their all. Steelers 38, Bengals 35