The Washington Commanders are giving the keys to the offense back to Carson Wentz in their fight for a spot in the playoffs. Wentz had started the first six games but broke the ring finger on his throwing hand in a win over the Chicago Bears. He was sent to injured reserve until December 17. Taylor Heinicke took over in his absence, leading the team to five wins in six games. However, the last three games have gone poorly, with the Commanders going 0-2-1. Heinicke has moved the ball well, but Washington is 26th in red zone offense and 20th in scoring for the eight full games Heinicke has started. Wentz came on in the fourth quarter on Saturday, a 37-20 loss to San Francisco, and he looked solid, going 12 of 16 for 123 yards and a score. Let’s break down each quarterback matchup as you plan your NFL betting for Week 17.
NFL News: Week 17 QB Matchups
→ Thursday, December 29
Dallas Cowboys (-9.5) at Tennessee Titans (8:15 pm ET, Prime Video)
Tennessee will have rookie Malik Willis running the offense, and we saw Houston almost beat Dallas with a run-heavy approach from Jeff Driskel and Davis Mills. Dak Prescott has an additional deep threat in T.Y. Hilton, but the Cowboys keep turning the ball over, as Prescott has been particularly interception-prone since Thanksgiving.
→ Sunday, January 1
Arizona Cardinals (+3.5) at Atlanta Falcons (1:00 pm ET, FOX)
Desmond Ridder will start for the Falcons as the team continues to evaluate whether he is the quarterback of the future. His first two starts have been losses, but they have come against tough defenses on the road. Colt McCoy or Trace McSorley will start for the Cardinals; McCoy is banged up but gives the team a chance, while McSorley is just trying to figure out NFL game speed at this point. He did have a nice bomb last week but missed a lot of open receivers.
Chicago Bears (+5) at Detroit Lions (1:00 pm ET, FOX)
Justin Fields is banged up, and the Bears have no shot at a postseason slot, but Matt Eberflus will keep running him out there anyway. Detroit still has a rejuvenated Jared Goff, although the offense was horrendous last week.
Denver Broncos (+12) at Kansas City Chiefs (1:00 pm ET, CBS)
The Chiefs led Denver, 27-0, up in Denver in Week 13, but they almost blew it as Patrick Mahomes threw three interceptions, two of which became Denver touchdowns. Russell Wilson will start opposite Mahomes again despite the punishment he has taken this season; can Wilson put together another throwback performance against the Chiefs?
Miami Dolphins (-2) at New England Patriots (1:00 pm ET, CBS)
The Patriots’ offense is taking on water, as Mac Jones is struggling to hit receivers, and tailback Rhamondre Stevenson has looked a lot easier to stop in two of the last three weeks. The Patriots’ defense may have trouble against the Dolphins, even with Teddy Bridgewater set to start, as Tua Tagovailoa is back in the concussion protocol despite finishing last week’s game without an injury.
Indianapolis Colts (+3.5) at N.Y. Giants (1:00 pm ET, CBS)
The Giants are edging toward a wild card spot in the NFC, as Daniel Jones is doing just enough in game management to get points on the board. The Colts will have Nick Foles running the offense again this week, but it’s hard to see that offense getting much going against the Giants’ defense on the road.
Philadelphia Eagles (+7) at New Orleans Saints (1:00 pm ET, FOX)
Jalen Hurts’ shoulder injury will keep him out for Week 17 at least, and possibly Week 18, so it’s another week of Gardner Minshew, who put up almost 400 yards in a close loss to Dallas last week. The Saints also continue with a backup, as Andy Dalton will start once again. Alvin Kamara is looking old, and Jarvis Landry and Chris Olave will miss with injury as well, so this line seems more than a bit unbalanced.
Carolina Panthers (+3) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1:00 pm ET, FOX)
Carolina has found a terrific running game despite having traded Christian McCaffery, as De’Onta Foreman has stacked up several 100-yard games since the transaction. Sam Darnold has been efficient at quarterback, as the Panthers are in line to win the NFC South if they win out. The Buccaneers still have Tom Brady, who keeps finding ways to eke out wins in the fourth quarter despite struggling to move the ball for most of the game.
Cleveland Browns (+2) at Washington Commanders (1:00 pm ET, FOX)
The Browns are considering going back to Jacoby Brissett as Deshaun Watson has so far failed to yield dividends for the $250 million investment the Browns made in him. Carson Wentz has a way of making bad decisions under pressure, though, and the Browns do have a solid pass rush.
Jacksonville Jaguars (-4.5) at Houston Texans (1:00 pm ET, CBS)
Houston went to Tennessee and beat the Titans, but another challenge comes this week with a visit from the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are riding Trevor Lawrence’s hot arm and remain on the edge of the playoff conversation. Davis Mills will lead the Texans’ offense, and Houston is getting about as much from him as they can.
San Francisco 49ers (-6.5) at Las Vegas Raiders (4:05 pm ET, FOX)
The Raiders have pulled off some shocking wins but have disappointed more often, sitting at 6-9 right now. The 49ers look like the best team in the NFC right now despite rolling with third-string quarterback Brock Purdy, thanks to their running game and their defense.
N.Y. Jets (+1.5) at Seattle Seahawks (4:05 pm ET, CBS)
Both teams sit at 7-8, as both have suffered epic collapses in the second half of the season. We will see Mike White back out there at quarterback, as his ribs have healed, and the Seahawks still have Geno Smith at the helm. Smith is putting up good numbers, but the Seattle defense is particularly generous these days.
Minnesota Vikings (+3.5) at Green Bay Packers (4:25 pm ET, FOX)
The Packers have won three in a row, and if they keep winning, they will snag a wild card. They faced the Vikings in Week 1 and lost by 16, but Aaron Rodgers is playing with a lot more confidence, and his receivers are listening, and while the Vikings have clinched the division, Kirk Cousins has looked bad several times in the second half of the season.
L.A. Rams (+6.5) at L.A. Chargers (4:25 pm ET, CBS)
The Rams will bring Baker Mayfield out again after he led them to a thrashing of the Denver Broncos last week. The Chargers have Justin Herbert, and they are looking solid on both sides of the ball.
Pittsburgh Steelers (+4) at Baltimore Ravens (8:20 pm ET, NBC)
Kenny Pickett continues to deliver, although the fact that he has already had two concussions this season may mean some fragility against a stout Baltimore defense. Lamar Jackson remains questionable, which means the Ravens might have Tyler Huntley out there one more week.
→ Monday, January 2
Buffalo Bills (-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (8:15 pm ET, ESPN)
The Bills have the better defense, but both Josh Allen and Joe Burrow have shown the ability to lead their team on heroic drives late in games. I’m leaning toward the home team in this one, especially with the Bengals having the slightly better running game and a healthy duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins running routes.
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