There are definitely some games to pay attention to in the NFL in Week 16 of the season. There will be teams trying to boost themselves into the playoffs, while others are aiming for a first-round bye, and even home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
That will start right away with the first game of the week on Saturday night between the Atlanta Falcons and the Detroit Lions.
For the Falcons, the stakes are simple. If they win, they clinch a first-round bye and home field in the NFC for the duration of the playoffs. Atlanta needs just one win in their last two games to lock up the home field, ensuring that they won’t have to leave the Georgia Dome until the Super Bowl in New Orleans.
Then on Sunday, there are a couple of more games that people should be paying attention to.
Beginning at 1pm ET, the Dallas Cowboys will be hosting the New Orleans Saints. And while the Saints are out of the playoffs, Dallas is in the middle of the race for the NFC East, and a wildcard spot potentially,
Obviously that makes the game between Washington and Philadelphia important as well. The Eagles have lost seven of their last eight, and the Redskins are favored to win and put the pressure on both Cowboys and the Giants. New york squares off in a tough matchup with Baltimore in the late wave of afternoon games at 4:25 pm ET. The Ravens and Giants matchup is a game between two teams that could really use the win.
In the AFC North, the Cincinnati and Pittsburgh game has huge implications. Right now, the Bengals are one game up on the Steelers for the final playoff spot. The winner of this one moves just one game away from making the playoffs.
Then finally on Sunday night, the NFL exercised their Flex schedule option to oust the Jets and Chargers from primetime, and insert the 49ers and Seahawks. This is a matchup of two likely playoff teams. Seattle is in the hunt for the wildcard, though they could still win the division with a victory over San Francisco and a win in Week 17 combined with a second-straight 49ers loss.
So as you can see, there is a lot at stake, and a lot that can potentially happen, as we get prepared to the last two weeks of the regular season.