There are only two weeks left in the 2021 NFL regular season. Some teams still have a lot to play for in regards to making the postseason or seeding therein, while others have been eliminated from playoff contention for some time. Even though it is late in the season, there are some people who are still alive in active survivor pools. For those who fall into that category, here are some NFL Week 17 survivor picks.
Top Picks for NFL Week 17 Survivor League
Buffalo Bills Versus Atlanta Falcons
The Buffalo Bills have been inconsistent at times this season, but after two wins a row, including an impressive road win over the New England Patriots last week, the Bills might be trending up at the right time. The Atlanta Falcons offense has been able to put up points in some games this season, but their offense has not shown consistency. And it is doubtful their defense will be able to continually shut down Josh Allen and the Bills offense. And the Bills have scored over 30 points in back-to-back games, including against a really impressive Patriots defense in Week 16. Five of the Falcons seven wins have come against the New York Giants, New York Jets, Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, and Detroit Lions. The Bills are better than everyone of those teams in all phases of the game. The Falcons will once again struggle against a quality opponent.
While it is extremely unlikely the Bills will be able to secure the AFC’s top seed, and therefore the only bye, they still have a lot to play for this season, while Atlanta does not. And that is important. The Bills and the Patriots are currently both 9-6 but Buffalo holds the tiebreaker. They want to make sure they stay atop the AFC East so they have a home game the first weekend of the playoffs. A 14.5-point spread might be a bit much, and there could be a backdoor cover, but Buffalo should not struggle to get the win.
New England Patriots Versus Jacksonville Jaguars
As with the Bills, the Patriots still have very important football to play. They want to do what they can to take the AFC East title this season and have a home game in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. And like the Falcons, the Jaguars have absolutely nothing to play for the rest of the season. While it might not be likely that the Patriots overtake the Bills in the AFC East, given the fact that Buffalo’s final two games should be easy wins, the Patriots will want to end the regular season by winning their final two games and that starts with a win over the Jags.
It seems like yesterday so many pundits were talking about the Patriots as the favorites to win the AFC while they were in the midst of their seven-game win streak. While that might have been an overreaction and the Patriots are coming off of two straight losses to the Indianapolis Colts and Bills, Bill Belichick’s squad is far superior to the Jags. The Patriots defense is allowing 17.3 points per game (tied for first) while the Jags defense is allowing 26.4 points per game (27th). New England’s offense is ranked 11th in scoring while Jacksonville’s is ranked dead last. After those two straight losses, this will be a “get right” game for Mac Jones and the Patriots as they try to secure a playoff spot this weekend (they’ll do so with a win and a Miami Dolphins or Las Vegas Raiders loss).
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Jets
There is some stiff competition in the NFC but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have already clinched the NFC South, are one of a handful of teams that are trying to get the NFC’s top seed and only bye in the first round of the playoffs. The Jets, on the other hand, are looking towards the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Jets defense is ranked dead last in scoring and horrible against both the pass and run, while the Bucs offense is second in scoring. The Bucs are missing some key pieces on offense (Chris Godwin is out for the season, Leonard Fournette is on injured reserved and Mike Evans is trying to clear COVID-19 protocols and has been battling hamstring issues), and it is possible they may not go all out to try to catch the Green Bay Packers for the number one seed in the NFC. But, even with all of that, it is difficult to envision a scenario where the Jets can score enough and stop the Tom Brady and the Bucs offense with enough frequency to take down Tampa Bay.
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