Week 17, in the NFL, does not have all the drama for clinching a playoff berth. However, there are a handful of important games that mean division titles and home playoff games. 10 of the 12 playoff spots have been clinched. The New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers are both alive heading into their Sunday matchups. The scenario is simple. A win by the New York Jets and they are in. The Steelers need to beat the Cleveland Browns and hope for a Jets loss, to make the playoffs. The Houston Texans or Indianapolis Colts will secure the fourth seed, in the AFC. If the Texans take care of business and win, they will clinch the AFC South and make the playoffs. Should the Texans lose and the Colts win, a tiebreaker on strength of schedule will determine the AFC South champion. 

The biggest game of the weekend has been flexed to Sunday night. The Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings will battle for the NFC North title. The Packers have won the last four division titles, and the Vikings last division title was 2009. The AFC West is also up for grabs. The Kansas City Chiefs who had been written off early in the season can win the division if they win and the Denver Broncos lose. Denver will also clinch a first round bye with a win or Cincinnati Bengals loss. The Carolina Panthers and Arizona Panthers have clinched first round byes but home field advantage has yet to be determined. The Panthers will clinch home field throughout the NFC playoffs with a win or Arizona loss. The same scenario is true for the Cardinals. They need a win and a Panthers loss to claim the number one seed.

After week 17, black monday is the day that coaches are sent packing. The Philadelphia Eagles didn't wait until the season was over to release Chip Kelly. Kelly made some head scratching moves in the off-season, and they didn't pan out. The Eagles were eliminated from the playoffs after week 16, and now Kelly is searching for a new job.

The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers came into Sunday's game having already clinched a playoff berth. The Cardinals dominated all aspects of the game, and showed the NFL that they are the front runner to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. Arizona held the Packers to 178 total yards and forced four turnovers (3 fumble recoveries, 1 interception). They returned two fumbles for touchdowns, and kept the Packers from scoring a touchdown with the interception. 

Green Bay did not have an answer for the Cardinals front seven. They allowed nine sacks and Aaron Rodgers was scrambling for daylight all game. The Packers also committed seven penalites for 59 yards. It was not the number of penalites that hurt the Packers, it was when the penalites happened. Josh Sitton and Corey Linsley, had penalties that ultimately led to the Packers punting. 

After a scoreless first quarter, the Arizona Cardinals put up 17 points in the second quarter and never looked back. The outcome of this game could have been decided late in the second quarter. After the two minute warning, Carson Palmer had his screen pass intercepted by Mike Daniels, who returned the ball to the Arizona 15. With the score 10-0, the Packers could have went into halftime 10-7. Justin Bethel intercepted Rodger's pass intended for James Jones. 

The Cardinals started shutting the door on the this game by dissecting the Packers defense. With 57 seconds left, Palmer led the Cardinals on a seven play, 80 yard drive that was capped with a seven yard touchdown pass to John Brown. Instead of being down by three or seven points, the Packers faced a 17 point halftime deficit. This momentum swing carried over into the second half. The Cardinals defense kept their foot on the gas and scored two defensive touchdowns. 

The loss means the NFC North Division title will be on the line next week when the Packers host the Minnesota Vikings.

The Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals have clinched a playoff berth. There will be no resting players due to the importance of this game. With a win, the Arizona Cardinals would clinch the second seed and a first round bye. A Packers win would keep their hopes of a first round bye alive. Should this happen, they would need to defeat the Minnesota Vikings and hope the Seattle Seahawks can defeat the Cardinals, in week 17. 

The Packers and Cardinals both have veteran quarterbacks, but it has been the defensive units that have helped these teams win double digit games. Both teams rank in the top seven in points allowed. The Packers 18.9 points allowed per game ranks fifth, while the Cardinals rank seventh at 19.2. There are some glaring differences between the units. The cardinals are a stingy defense that thrives on capitalizing on opposing quarterback mistakes. They rank seventh in yards allowed and have 18 interceptions and have returned four of them for touchdowns. The Packers have allowed teams to move the ball, but they can apply pressure to opposing quarterbacks. Although they give up yards, they have done a good job forcing teams to settle for field goals.

No wide receiver has filled the shoes of Jordy Nelson, and the Packers offense has struggled most of the season. The Packers have scored 24.8 points per game, compared to 31.8 for the Arizona Cardinals. Green Bay will need to figure out how to extend drives if they want to leave the desert with a win. The Packers only convert 36% of their third down opportunities, whereas the Cardinals convert at a league leading 47%. Whichever team can extend drives and win the turnover battle should bome away with the victory. Listen in and call the show with your thoughts.

Odell Beckham Jr. has all of the skill in the world, but one skill he needs to work on is self control. Beckham Jr. was penalized three times for personal fouls. When Beckham Jr. launched his body to deliver a helmet to helmet hit on Josh Norman, that may have crossed the line. As reports come out, this fued started before the opening kickoff, and the Panthers secondary used gay slurs and threatened him.

The Green Bay Packers are headed to the postseaon for the seventh straight season after defeating the Oakland Raiders, 30-20. The Packers offense continued to struggle. Aaron Rodgers barely eclipsed 200 yards passing, and threw a late interception at the goal line. The Packers had five trips inside the red zone and scored a touchdown once. They struggled on thrid down, converting only 30%. A week removed from rushing for over 20 yards, they struggled to break the century mark (28 for 103 yards). Becasue the offense couldn't move the chains, or finish drives with touchdowns, the Oakland Raiders kept the game close.

Week 15, in the NFL, is already playoff time for a number of teams. Some teams need a win to maintain their playoff position, while others need to win and get some help. The New England Patriots, Carolina Panthers, and Arizona Cardinals have already punched their playoff tickets. 25 teams are mathematically alive for the 12 playoff berths.

When you face reality, that list shrinks to about 17. Take out the AFC South and NFC East where 6 teams are legitimately alive for the division title and you have a handful of teams that are fighitng for the playoffs. In the AFC you basically have a three team race for the wildcard: Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, and Pittsburgh Steelers. The Buffalo Bills and Oakland Raiders are still fighting but need a win to improve to 7-7 and would need major help.

The list in the NFC dwindles even more after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to the St. Louis Rams. The Atlanta Falcons are two games behind the Minnesota Vikings and can not afford to lose another game. Even if they won out, they would need some help to secure a playoff berth.

As stated, six teams are alive for their division title. The Indianapolis Colts and Houston Texans enter week 15 at 6-7 and play each other. The winner will have the inside edge to win the division. The up and coming Jacksonville Jaguars are still alive at 5-8. Even the Dallas Cowboys are not officially elminated from playoff contention at 4-9, in the NFC East. This is a three team race between the Washington Redskins, Philadephia Eagles, and New York Giants. 

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The Green Bay Packers will travel west to play the Oakland Raiders after dominating the Dallas Cowboys. Mike McCarthy took over the play calling duties and the offense looked more effective than weeks past. Eddie Lacy and James Starks ran for 195 yards on 35 carries. Both found the end zone, and Starks added a receiving touchdown.

The Oakland Raiders have quietly put together a solid year going 6-7. They are coming off a huge road win against the Denver Broncos, 15-12. Derek Carr continues to progress in his second year with the help of number one draft pick Amari Cooper. The have put together a pretty good run defense with Khalil Mack at linebacker. They have struggled stopping the pass.

What are the keys to the game? Listen in and call the show with your thoughts.

Joe Philbin was fired by the Miami Dolphins and replaced by Dan Campbell. The Dolphins were officially elminated from playoff contention after losing to the New York Giants. Campbell took over a team that was 1-4, and has guided them to a 4-4 record. Is this good enough for the Dolphins to take the interim tag off?

A year removed from the playoffs, the Detroit Lions reside in last place. At 4-9, the Lions have already made some changes in the front office, will Caldwell be back in 2016? The biggest win on his resume this year is winning at Lambeau Field, but the biggest loss is losing on a hail mary, at home to the Green Bay Packers.

Chip Kelly was granted full power in Philadelphia, and made some head scratching moves during the offseason. They are 6-7 and tied for first in the porous NFC East. Even if the Eagles make the playoffs, are they headed in the right direction? Will Chip Kelly bolt for the college ranks?

Tom Coughlin is in the same situation as Kelly. The Giants are in a three way tie for the NFC East title. Will Coughlin do enough to will the Giants into the playoffs? Should the Giants make a move not matter what happens in the next three games?

Listen in and call the show with your thoughts.

Three teams have punched their ticket to the NFL playoffs. New England and Carolina have already won their respective divisions, and the Arizona Cardinals are one win or a Seattle loss away from clinching the NFC West. Denver and Cincinnati hold two game leads, and are also vying for the second seee and a first round bye, in the AFC playoffs. The Green Bay Packers hold a one game lead over the Minnesota Vikings, which could make their week 17 matchup a winner takes all game. Two divisions, the AFC South and NFC East have a division leader under .500. Jacksonville defeated the Colts to pull within one game of the division lead at 5-8. The Colts or Texans will take control of the division this weekend, as they play each other. The Eagles, Giants, and Redksins are all tied atop the NFC East at 6-7. 

With the current playoff format, each division winner will host a game. With two division winners possibly entering the playoffs under .500, do they deserve to host a playoff game when the wildcard team has a better record? Listen in and call the show with your thoughts.

In a rematch from last years playoff game, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 28-7. On a rainy afternoon, the Packers decided to turn the play calling back to coach Mike McCarthy. This resulted in running the ball 44 times and accumulating 230 yards. The Cowboys cut the lead to 14-7, when Robert Turbin bolted in from seven yards out, in the third quarter. The Packers increased the lead in the fourth quarter with a 12 play, 84-yard drive that consumed over six minutes and increased their lead to 21-7. 

The Packers defense allowed two big runs to Darren McFadden but were able to get off the field when it mattered most. The Cowboys were a dismal nine percent, on third downs. Green Bay's top cornerback, Sam Shields, left the game after his head slammed into the turf making a tackle on Lucky Whitehead. With Shields out, rookie cornerback Quinten Rollins had the task of covering Dez Bryant. Rollins and the Green Bay secondary held Bryant to one catch for nine yards.

Eddie Lacy and James Starks would have made Vince Lombardi proud. Both running backs pounded the open holes created by the offensive line. The duo combined for 35 carries, 195 yards, and two touchdowns. Starks added a receiving touchdown. Aaron Rodgers completed passes to eight different receivers and ended his day 22 of 35 for 218 yards and two touchdowns.

The Packers improve to 9-4 and have a one game lead, and the tiebreaker over the Minnesota Vikings for the NFC North division lead. The Cowboys fall to 4-9 but only remain two games out of first place, in the NFC East. Next Sunday, the Packers travel to Oakland, while the Cowboys host the New York Jets, on Saturday. Listen in and call the show with your thoughts on the game.