Los Angeles Chargers (9-6) at New England Patriots (3-12), 1 p.m. ET, NFL Network
The Chargers have the best scoring defense in the NFL, allowing only 18.3 points per game. They haven’t allowed more than 20 points in a road game this season, a feat achieved by only five teams in NFL history, including the 2010 Chicago Bears and the 2001 Philadelphia Eagles.
The Patriots have struggled with turnovers. They’ve lost five straight games while starting rookie quarterback Drake Maye (14 touchdowns, 10 interceptions). Maye has thrown at least one touchdown pass in seven consecutive games, tying Jim Plunkett’s (1971) record for the longest streak by a rookie in franchise history.
Maye has also completed 67.6% of his passes, just shy of the rookie record of 67.8% set by Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys, 2016). However, Maye has thrown an interception in seven straight games. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert has 18 touchdowns and only three interceptions this season, although two of those interceptions came in the last two games.
New England has a strong record at home in this matchup, with a 12-2 all-time record when hosting the Chargers.
Denver Broncos (9-6) at Cincinnati Bengals (7-8), 4:30 p.m. ET, NFL Network
The Broncos are fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive as the end of the season approaches. Denver lost the chance to secure a wild-card spot to the Chargers last week, but they still have a shot at reaching the playoffs and winning 10 games for the first time since 2015, when Peyton Manning led the Broncos to a Super Bowl victory.
Denver leads the NFL with 51 sacks, and rookie quarterback Bo Nix has thrown two or more touchdowns in six games without any interceptions this season. That’s an impressive achievement, but Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has been even better.
Burrow leads the league with 4,229 passing yards and 39 touchdown passes. He is one of only four players to throw for 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns in three of their first five seasons, joining Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Dan Marino.
Burrow has been incredibly consistent, setting the record for the most games with 250 or more passing yards and three or more touchdown passes in a row, a streak he can extend to eight games on Saturday.
Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase leads the NFL with 108 receptions, 1,510 yards, and 16 touchdowns this season, and has 45 career touchdowns so far. Only Randy Moss (53) and Jerry Rice (49) had more in their first four NFL seasons.
Arizona Cardinals (7-8) at Los Angeles Rams (9-6), 8 p.m. ET, NFL Network
If the Rams beat the Cardinals, they’ll secure their sixth season with double-digit wins under head coach Sean McVay. However, Los Angeles will need to wait until Week 18 to see if they can make the playoffs, as they will face the Seahawks in that final game.
The Rams’ defense has been performing well, thanks to the strong play of their young players on the defensive line and linebackers. Wide receiver Puka Nacua has been a standout for the Rams, leading the NFL with 57 receptions since Week 10. He has caught at least five passes and gained more than 50 yards in every game during that stretch.
The Cardinals’ playoff chances are now gone after a loss to Carolina in overtime last week, which was their third consecutive loss on the road. The Rams defeated the Cardinals 26-9 in Los Angeles last season. Since their bye week, the Rams have won 8 out of 10 games after starting the season 1-4.
Running back Kyren Williams has been a key contributor in the Rams’ success, especially during their 4-0 run in December. Williams, a Pro Bowl selection last season, has a career-high 1,243 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 303 carries, including a 122-yard game against the Jets last week.
–Sunday
New York Jets (4-11) at Buffalo Bills (12-3), 1 p.m. ET, CBS
The Bills are trying to get wide receiver Amari Cooper more involved. Cooper was traded from the Cleveland Browns to Buffalo in October and has made 17 catches for 241 yards and one touchdown in seven games with the Bills. However, he had just one catch for 10 yards last week against the Patriots.
Buffalo needs a win to finish the season 8-0 at home, a record they have achieved only twice before (1988, 1990). Bills quarterback Josh Allen has 75 career regular-season wins, which ties him with Russell Wilson for the most wins by a quarterback in his first seven seasons in NFL history.
The Jets, on the other hand, are not playing for the playoffs but for individual milestones. Aaron Rodgers has thrown 499 regular-season touchdown passes and is one away from joining the 500 Club, which includes Tom Brady (649), Drew Brees (571), Peyton Manning (539), and Brett Favre (508).
Rodgers is playing in his 247th career game on Sunday. The Jets are 1-5 in their last six games and lost the first game between these two teams 23-20 in Week 6.
Carolina Panthers (4-11) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7), 1 p.m. ET, CBS
Carolina scored 36 points and defeated the Cardinals last week. The Panthers are playing with a lot of energy and would love to spoil the Buccaneers’ chances of winning the NFC South title.
Tampa Bay’s quarterback Baker Mayfield, who started for Carolina in 2022, has been playing well under the coaching of Dave Canales, who was the Panthers’ offensive coordinator last season. Mayfield has had five games this season where he threw for over 300 yards and multiple touchdown passes.
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young hopes to reach that level but is happy to rely on running back Chuba Hubbard when needed. Hubbard has set career highs in yards from scrimmage (1,366), rushing yards (1,195), and rushing touchdowns (10) in 2024. The Buccaneers are looking to bounce back after a tough loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
Down by two points late in the fourth quarter, Buccaneers running back Rachaad White fumbled, ending their potential game-winning drive. Mayfield is focused on helping wide receiver Mike Evans reach 1,000 yards for the 11th straight season. Evans needs 182 more yards, and he has had a lot of success against Carolina, averaging 140.5 yards in his last four home games against them.
Dallas Cowboys (7-8) at Philadelphia Eagles (12-3), 1 p.m. ET, FOX
The Eagles may rely heavily on running back Saquon Barkley this week due to some injury concerns at quarterback. Jalen Hurts (concussion) and Kenny Pickett (ribs) were both hurt in last week’s 36-33 loss to the Washington Commanders.
There’s a lot that has changed since the Cowboys were beaten badly 34-6 by the Eagles on Nov. 10. Dallas is trying to get back to .500, but they lost another key player: wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. Lamb, who is second in the NFL with 101 receptions, is out for the rest of the season along with quarterback Dak Prescott.
The Eagles are expected to lean on Barkley, who leads the NFL in yards from scrimmage (2,114) and rushing yards (1,838). Without Lamb, Dallas faces bigger challenges, and quarterback Cooper Rush will have to step up to lead the offense. Rush has led the Cowboys to victories in four of their last five games, throwing nine touchdown passes and only one interception.
The Eagles’ defense had five takeaways against Washington last week but has a negative turnover margin for the season (28 turnovers, 18 takeaways). In comparison, the Cowboys are tied for fifth in the NFL with a plus-10 turnover margin (26 takeaways, 16 turnovers).
Indianapolis Colts (7-8) at New York Giants (2-13), 1 p.m. ET, FOX
The Colts are still in the playoff race, but they are two games behind the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos, with just two games left. The Chargers and Broncos both play on Saturday.
If both teams win, the Colts will be eliminated from playoff contention and miss the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson may not play if there’s no chance for Indy to make the playoffs, as he’s dealing with foot and back injuries.
Running back Jonathan Taylor, however, is ready for a bigger role after rushing for 218 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries in last week’s 38-30 win over the Tennessee Titans. The Giants are at risk of losing their 11th straight game. They have struggled offensively, averaging only 14.3 points per game this season.
Drew Lock is starting at quarterback for the fourth time in the last five games. He had an MRI on his shoulder after the 34-7 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, but no serious injury was found. Lock is 0-3 as a starter this season and has completed only 52.7% of his passes, with one touchdown and four interceptions in 129 attempts.
Tennessee Titans (3-12) at Jacksonville Jaguars (3-12), 1 p.m. ET, CBS
For the second time in 21 days, the Titans and Jaguars are facing off, with both teams fighting for a spot at the bottom of the AFC South and a better position in the NFL draft. The loser of this game may actually benefit in the long run, as it would improve their chances of getting the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Mason Rudolph will start for the Titans this week after throwing for 252 yards and two touchdowns, but also three interceptions, in last week’s 38-30 loss at Indianapolis. The Titans have the highest turnover total in the NFL with 32 turnovers, and their offensive line has allowed 47 sacks this season, including 40 while Will Levis was the quarterback.
Levis has thrown 12 interceptions and lost two fumbles, while Rudolph has thrown eight interceptions and lost a fumble. In their previous meeting on Dec. 8, Jacksonville won 10-6, holding Tennessee to just 272 total yards and limiting Levis to 168 passing yards. This was Jacksonville’s only road win of the season.
The Jaguars are coming off a 19-14 loss to another three-win team, the Las Vegas Raiders, which moved them up to the projected No. 3 pick in the draft, just ahead of Tennessee. Jacksonville may be missing up to six regular starters on offense this week.
Las Vegas Raiders (3-12) at New Orleans Saints (5-10), 1 p.m. ET, FOX
The Las Vegas Raiders hired Antonio Pierce as their head coach after he stepped in as interim head coach last season and helped the team achieve a 5-4 record. However, the disappointing 2024 season has left Pierce’s future uncertain.
The New Orleans Saints are 3-3 under interim head coach Darren Rizzi, who took over after Dennis Allen was fired following a seven-game losing streak. The Raiders are expected to start second-year quarterback Aidan O’Connell, who has shared the starting role with Gardner Minshew and Desmond Ridder.
Rizzi had a strong start, winning his first two games and three of his first four, but the team suffered its worst loss under his leadership with a 34-0 defeat to the Green Bay Packers on Monday night. Former Raiders quarterback Derek Carr, who is now in his second season with New Orleans, is trying to recover from an injury to his left (non-throwing) hand.
Rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler, who is 0-4 as a starter and struggled in the loss to the Packers, is more likely to start on Sunday. Last week, the Raiders ended a 10-game losing streak with a 19-14 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Miami Dolphins (7-8) at Cleveland Browns (3-12), 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS
Saturday’s NFL games could decide if the Dolphins have a chance to make the playoffs. Miami is hoping for a shot at the postseason, while Cleveland is just looking for a rare win after a disappointing season.
The Browns, who were expected to compete for the playoffs, now have a slim chance of securing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. With quarterbacks Deshaun Watson (Achilles injury) and Jameis Winston (shoulder injury) both unavailable, second-year quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson will start.
Last week, Thompson-Robinson struggled in a 24-6 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, completing 20 of 34 passes for 157 yards, two interceptions, and being sacked five times. He is dealing with a quad issue and is looking to avoid those mistakes this week.
Miami’s defense, which has 31 sacks (ranked 26th) and eight interceptions (tied for 22nd), will try to pressure him further. Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel stated he will not rest any players, even if Saturday’s results cause Miami to miss the playoffs.
Green Bay Packers (11-4) at Minnesota Vikings (13-2), 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX
Both the Vikings and Packers are still fighting for playoff positioning, with both teams trailing the Detroit Lions in the NFC North.
Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold has had an impressive first season with the team, becoming the first quarterback to win 13 or more games in his first year with a team since Dak Prescott in 2016 and the first non-rookie since Peyton Manning in 2012.
He has been supported by former Packers running back Aaron Jones and All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who has 92 receptions for 1,387 yards and 10 touchdowns. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell has led the team to 13 wins in two of his first three seasons, a feat matched only by Packers coach Matt LaFleur and former 49ers coach George Seifert.
Green Bay has also secured a playoff spot for the fifth time in six years under LaFleur. The Packers, led by running back Josh Jacobs (with a career-high 13 rushing touchdowns) and quarterback Jordan Love, nearly made a comeback in the first meeting with the Vikings.
Love threw for 389 yards and four touchdowns in that game but was intercepted three times. Last season, Love also had four total touchdowns in a win against Minnesota on New Year’s Eve.
Atlanta Falcons (8-7) at Washington Commanders (10-5), 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC
The “Sunday Night Football” game in Week 17 features two teams with top-10 draft picks. Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who was selected No. 8 in the 2024 NFL Draft, will try to help Atlanta’s playoff hopes in his second career start.
The Commanders, led by quarterback Jayden Daniels (the No. 2 pick), are fighting for their first playoff spot since 2020. Washington can secure a playoff spot if the Panthers beat the Buccaneers earlier in the day.
If Tampa Bay wins, Washington will need to beat Atlanta to clinch. The Falcons are looking for their third straight win, while Washington has won three in a row and could reach 11 wins for the first time since 1991. Penix won his debut last week with a 34-7 victory against the Giants, completing 18 of 27 passes for 202 yards and an interception.
Daniels, meanwhile, had an incredible performance last week, throwing for 258 yards and running for 81 yards, including a game-winning touchdown with six seconds left, in a win over the Eagles. Daniels has rushed for a team-high 737 yards and six touchdowns this season. Washington’s offense ranks third in the league in rushing (152.7 yards per game) and 16th in passing (220.9 yards per game).
