NFL Week 17 Picks: Early Predictions for All Season Finales

December 26, 2016   ·   Steve Silverman   ·   Jump to comments

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were a surging team just a couple of weeks ago. 
However, they have lost back-to-back games to the Dallas Cowboys and the New Orleans Saints, and that has put their playoff hopes on the shakiest of ground.
The Bucs are still alive, but they need a victory over the Carolina Panthers and multiple games to go their way (h/t ESPN Power Index), including the San Francisco 49ers (2-13) beating the Seattle Seahawks (9-5-1).
Nevertheless, expect Dirk Koetter's team to be fully prepared to play a strong game against last year's NFC champions. Quarterback Jameis Winston has shown steady improvement throughout his first two years in the league, and coming through with a victory here is not out of his reach.
Winston has an excellent working relationship with wide receiver Mike Evans, and the 6'5" pass-catcher is capable of beating opponents for 50-50 balls on a regular basis.
The Panthers have had a disastrous year, considering they were favor...

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