We’ve reached the final week of the 2016 NFL season. All 16 games in Week 17 will be played on Sunday before the regular season officially comes to an end after Sunday Night Football.
For the first time in six years, the Bengals will be off for Wild Card weekend and can watch the entirety of the playoffs at home during the premature start to their offseason.
But, before we jump ahead to the offseason, let’s take a look at which games will be televised where you live on Sunday. Both CBS and FOX have early and late games to support the extra matchups on during the day with no Thursday Night Football and no Monday Night Football in Week 17.
The Bengals vs Ravens game will only be televised in the teams’ home markets, as you’d expect with a game that means about as much as a preseason game. Here’s the TV map via 506sports.com:
If you don’t want to watch the Bengals’ final game of the season, that would be a shame. You’ll probably be longing for Bengals football in a few months during the far-too-long offseason. But, if you’d rather watch another game, the Eagles vs Cowboys game will be on FOX in the early slot in Cincinnati. That game also has no playoff implications as the Cowboys have already clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs and the Eagles have been eliminated from contention for weeks.
Late on CBS are the two more important games in the AFC of Week 17. The Raiders play the Broncos while the Chiefs play the Chargers. The Chiefs and Raiders have both already clinched the playoffs, while the Broncos and Chargers have been eliminated from contention. Oakland will win the AFC West division title and a first-round bye with a win or tie, or, a Chiefs loss or tie. Oakland could also clinch home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a win and a Patriots loss. The Chiefs can win the AFC West and a first round bye with a win but also need a loss from the Raiders for that to happen. So while the Raiders control their fate, the Chiefs need help from the Raiders to land the No. 2 seed in the AFC playoffs.
If you’d rather focus your attention on the NFC, the Giants at Redskins game will be the featured game late on FOX. The Giants have clinched a playoff berth, while the Redskins are still fighting to earn one this week. The Redskins need to win (and not have the Green Bay vs Detroit game end in a tie, to land a Wild Card spot. Alternatively, the Redskins could make the playoffs if they (and this would be incredibly unlikely) tie their second game of the season, have Green Bay lose and have Tampa Bay lose or tie. What are the odds of the same team tying in two NFL games in one season?
The NFL 2016 regular season ends with the game that will decide the NFC North Champion as the Green Bay Packers travel to face the Detroit Lions. The Lions need a win (which would make them NFC North champs), or, a tie coupled with a Redskins loss or tie, to get into the playoffs via a No. 5 or No. 6 seed. There's a slim chance the Lions could even get the No. 2 seed if they win, the Seahawks lose or tie and the Falcons lose. The Packers would win the NFC North with a win or tie. They also clinch a playoff berth with a Washington loss, or a Washington tie, Tampa Bay win, and a strength of schedule tiebreaker that would require one of the following teams to win or tie: Seattle, Houston, Jacksonville or Philadelphia.
Which games will you be watching in the final week of the 2016 NFL season.