Which NFL teams play on Saturday night in Week 17?
The stretch run has been very good for ESPN's Monday Night Football schedule. A well-timed flex put an Eagles-Seahawks thriller on in Week 15 while Christmas night brought a potential Super Bowl preview where the Baltimore Ravens made a statement by walking into Levi's Stadium and pummeling the San Francisco 49ers 33-19.
That game will be the last true Monday nighter of the season as ESPN's broadcast for Week 17 will move up to Saturday night in order to accommodate the network's coverage of the College Football Playoff semifinals on New Year's Day. The good news for football fans is that ESPN's streak of great NFL games will continue with a strong matchup of NFC playoff teams.
Which NFL Teams are playing on Saturday in Week 17?
Saturday's game takes place at AT&T Stadium as the 10-5 Dallas Cowboys play host to the 11-4 Detroit Lions. Both teams have already locked up playoff spots and are hoping to improve their playoff positioning with a victory.
Detroit wrapped up its first division title in 30 years on Sunday with a 30-24 win over the Minnesota Vikings, ensuring the first home playoff game in the history of Ford Field. San Francisco's loss on Monday night also opened the door for Detroit to secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs if they can win their last two games while the 49ers and Philadelphia Eagles each suffer one loss a piece.
Christmas Eve wasn't as fun for the Cowboys, who lost on a last-second field goal to the Miami Dolphins to fall one game back of the Eagles in the NFC East. The good news for Dallas is that this game is at home, where Dallas is 7-0 this season and has won 15 consecutive games dating back to last season.
These teams last met in Dallas last season, when the Cowboys picked up a 24-6 victory over the Lions in Week 7 to drop Detroit to 1-5. The Lions have gone 19-7 since that game, however, making it a much different contest now that has a lot of meaning to the NFC playoff picture.