NFC #LETME Week 17

Least Exciting To Most Exciting.

8. New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1 ET, Fox: Sam Rosen, Kirk Morrison, and Donovan McNabb)
The Saints are a bad team. No more excuses Buccaneers 20, Saints 17

7. Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings (noon CT, 1 ET, Fox: Dick Stockton, Brady Quinn, and Kristina Pink)
At least it's not a couple of days from now, when the high will be 7. Vikings 14, Bears 7

6. Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants (1 ET, Fox: Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, and Tony Siragusa) Sunset at 4:36.
The Eagles needed a miracle last week on that Hail Mary from Sanchez, and didn't get it. Maybe they'll get one at the Meadowlands. Giants 27, Eagles 13

5. Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers (1:25 PT, 4:25 ET, Fox: Thom Brennaman, David Diehl, and Laura Okmin) Sunset at 4:57.
Presumably Harbaugh's last game as coach of the 49ers Cardinals 23, 49ers 10

4. St. Louis Rams at Seattle Seahawks (1:25 PT, 4:25 ET, Fox: Gus Johnson, Charles Davis, Brendon Ayanbadejo, and Molly McGrath) Sunset at 4:24.
Rams 13, Seahawks 10

3. Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins (1 ET, Fox: Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch, and Pam Oliver) Sunset at 4:53.
This is the last regular season game sideline-reported by the great Pam Oliver. The only thing the Cowboys have to play for in this game is homefield advantage throughout the playoffs if they hope for a DET/GB tie. While this is a rare occurrence, it would be ridiculous to rest starters, lose the game, see DET/GB tie, and know they could have had the first seed. This is why I expect they will play their starters. Also, Fox must think so as well since they've sent Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch, and Pam Oliver to Landover. Finally, the reason the Cowboys have nothing to play for regarding getting a first round bye if both Seattle and Arizona lose is that if both Seattle and Arizona lose, the Cowboys will get the first round bye anyway, even if they also lose to the Redskins! With this win, the Cowboys can complete a perfect 8-0 season on the road. Cowboys 31, Redskins 24

2. Carolina Panthers at Atlanta Falcons (4:25 ET, CBS: Jim Nantz, Phil Simms, and Tracy Wolfson) Sunset at 5:36.
Many thought this game would be flexed to Sunday Night Football since it is the only true playoff game (win-and-you're-in, lose-and-you're-out) in Week 17, citing the example of St. Louis at Seattle in 2010. This was the year when the Seahawks won the division at 7-9 and went on to upset the defending champion Saints in the Wild Card Round on the earthquake Beast Mode run. This is a bad example as that year, St. Louis at Seattle was the only divisional championship game in Week 17 whereas this year there are two others: Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, and Detroit at Green Bay: America's Game of the Week. Both of the last two meetings between these two teams, including a Week 17 showdown last year at the Georgia Dome, had a final margin of victory of fewer than 3 points. No team has ever won the NFC South in consecutive years, and the Panthers won it last year (clinching it with that victory at the Georgia Dome). Panthers 22, Falcons 21

1. Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers (3:25 CT, 4:25 ET, Fox: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman, and Erin Andrews) Sunset at 4:19.
AMERICA'S GAME OF THE WEEK as for the third straight year, the Week 17 Fox late game features the Packers. Last year it was another divisional championship game, at the Bears, and the previous year it was at the Vikings when the Packers needed to win to clinch a first round bye, and the Vikings needed to win to clinch a playoff spot. Adrian Peterson fell nine yards short, but perhaps had Blair Walsh missed the field goal, AD could have broken the record in overtime. Packers 45, Lions 38