NFL Teams on Upset Alert in Week 17
By Pete Schauer
Find out which teams are on upset alert in Week 17 of NFL action.
Ah, Week 17 of the NFL season. We’re happy and we’re sad.
We’re happy because the playoffs are right around the corner, but we’re also sad because it means football season is almost over, and so is your fantasy football league.
Fortunately, there aren’t many things on God’s green earth that trump playoff football—or football in general—especially when there are upsets on the horizon.
There’s not much at stake in these two games—all four teams have been eliminated from playoff contention—but I think we have some real upset potential here.
If you’re already depressed because you lost your fantasy league, then definitely look away if you’re a New Orleans Saints or Minnesota Vikings fan.
New Orleans Saints (-4.0) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The New Orleans Saints are arguably the NFL’s biggest surprise this season—and not for a good reason—and I think they cap off what’s turned out to be a disappointing season for Drew Brees & Co. with a loss to their NFC South foe.
In their first meeting against the Bucs, the Saints narrowly defeated Tampa Bay in overtime by a score of 37-31, with Brees throwing for a total of 371 yards and two touchdowns.
So why do I like the Buccaneers this time around?
Rookie Mike Evans.
Evans missed the Week 5 matchup with New Orleans because of a groin injury, but the 6’5” emerging stud of a wide receiver has to be looking forward to a matchup with the Saints’ 29th-ranked pass defense.
Evans, who will surpass the 1,000 yard mark in Week 17, really came on toward the middle of the season.
In a Week 9 matchup against the Cleveland Browns, the rookie went off for seven receptions, 124 yards and two scores. He then followed that up with 7-125-1 in Week 10 and 7-209-2 the following week.
With nothing left to play for this season, New Orleans is without a competitive mindset in Week 17, and I think they get absolutely burned by Evans and Vincent Jackson.
New Orleans has been disappointing all season and I don’t see why it doesn’t disappoint one more time to close out this dismal season.
Minnesota Vikings (-6.5) vs. Chicago Bears
In all honesty, the Chicago Bears are terrible, but the Minnesota Vikings aren’t much better, and they’re definitely not good enough to be considered touchdown favorites against their division rival.
I realize the Bears haven’t won a game in more than a month, but there’s just too much talent on this team for them not to be able to beat a 6-9 Vikings team that can’t stop the rush—an area where Chicago should excel with one of the best in the game, in Matt Forte.
Forte, who is on pace to go over the 1,000-yard mark for the fifth time in his career, has been underutilized this year, due to the fact that the Bears are usually down for most of the game.
Positive news for Chicago fans here is the fact that the Bears already have a win under their belts against the Vikings—it came in Week 11, a 21-13 win that saw Brandon Marshall catch two TDs.
Marshall won’t play in this game, but Alshon Jeffery will. Jeffery ranks 14th among wideouts in receiving yards, and his 10 touchdowns make him one of 15 pass catchers to reach double-digit scores this season.
Minnesota’s defense is fresh off a whooping via Ryan Tannehill, who threw for 396 yards and four touchdowns in a wild 37-35 win for the Miami Dolphins.
I’m really not a Jay Cutler fan, but something tells me he has a bounce back game against this soft Vikings’ secondary.
Chicago wins, but the Bears’ roster gets scrapped next season.