Week 17 NFC East predictions: Cowboys right the ship but Eagles hold on to division
An NFC East title and playoff seeds are all up for grabs in these Week 17 matchups.
Detroit Lions (11-4) at Dallas Cowboys (10-5): The Lions won their first division title since 1993 on Sunday but a third
At AT&T Stadium on Saturday night, a straight win might be difficult. Although Detroit has a strong 6-2 road record this season, Jared Goff, the quarterback, struggles when playing outside of Ford Field.
The third-leading passer in the NFL had a much worse quarterback rating, six more sacks, and seven fewer touchdowns while playing on the road. Though his team performs significantly better at home, Dak Prescott’s away splits are worse than the Lions’.
Dallas is 18-12 all-time against the Lions, with victories in their previous five games. They have not lost at home this season. Dallas averages 39.9 points at home but only scoring 21.3 away from home.
Sunday’s two-point loss to Miami cost the team control of the NFC East, making them the No. 5 seed for the playoffs. Dallas must win to keep hopes of a division title alive and avoid their first three-game losing streak since 2020.
PREDICTION: Cowboys 30, Lions 21
San Francisco 49ers (11-4) at Washington Commanders (4-11): For a Washington club that has lost six straight games by a score of 208-118, three-game losing streaks mean nothing. QBs Brock Purdy and Sam Darnold combined for five interceptions on Monday night, which helped the 49ers lose 33-19.
That won’t happen again for San Francisco, especially up against a Commanders defense that surrenders the most points (30.2) and yards (384.3) per game with a -10 point difference. With the exception of Week 16, the 49ers have the third-highest scoring and third-lowest scoring defense in 2023.
As the club with the best record in the NFC East, expect Kyle Shanahan to make a statement by defeating his former team handily. This could be the final regular season game for many of his starters.
PREDICTION: 49ers 32, Commanders 10
Arizona Cardinals (3-12) at Philadelphia Eagles (11-4): Even with a 12-point victory over the Giants on Christmas Day, many Eagles were angry with the team’s overall performance. Wide receiver A.J. Brown refused to talk, which is something Cardinals coach and former Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon should have done leading up to Super Bowl LVII.
Arizona was found guilty of tampering by talking to Gannon shortly after last year’s NFC Championship game with the two sides swapping third-round picks as part of the settlement. Needless to say, head coach Nick Sirianni and the Eagles front office weren’t pleased with Gannon, who will return to Lincoln Financial Field for the first time since leaving for the Cardinals.
Philadelphia may be the ugliest 11-win team in football but few teams have looked worse than the three-win Cardinals. With the league’s 24th-ranked offense and 27th-ranked defense, a fourth victory isn’t likely against an Eagles team looking to stay atop the NFC East and become the first back-to-back winner of the NFC East since they did it in 2003 and 2004.
PREDICTION: Eagles 27, Cardinals 21
Los Angeles Rams (11-4) at New York Giants (4-11):
Tommy “Cutlets” DeVito was benched for quarterback Tyrod Taylor in the third quarter of Monday’s game because he couldn’t handle Philadelphia. Deonte Banks, the cornerback, may now be added to the bench following his game-ending shoulder injury.
That final point might be detrimental to a team that is set to visit MetLife Stadium with Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua, and the eighth-best scoring offense in the league. With 1,327 yards as a rookie, Nacua is the fourth-leading receiver in the league, and Kupp has scored a touchdown in three of his previous four games.
Winners of five of their last six games, the Rams will have no problem against a Giants defense allowing the fifth-most yards (363.9) and sixth-most points (24.7) per game in 2023.
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