Three Must-Win NFL Games This Weekend
With the playoff picture gaining more clarity, some teams are in a position where a win will either save their season or help them hold on to current playoff positioning. Here are three games that are essentially a must-win for at least one of the participants.
1. Lions (7-3) at Patriots (8-2)
Detroit entered last week's game with Arizona as a team that was being talked about as being the best in the NFC. The Lions lost that game, however, and combined with a Green Bay blowout of Philadelphia, suddenly appear to be fighting off a downhill slide. New England might be the best team in the AFC, and Green Bay, who enters the week with the same record as Detroit atop the division, faces a very beatable Minnesota team. Another week with a Lions loss and a Green Bay win would give the Packers sole possession of first place and drop the Lions into a group of four-loss teams in the NFC that will battle to make the postseason.
2. Rams (4-6) at Chargers (6-4)
San Diego started the season with a bang and Philip Rivers was getting some love as a favorite to garner MVP honors this season, but the Chargers have hit the skids recently, with the low point being a shutout loss in Miami. With the Broncos and Chiefs each entering the week with three losses, it's tough to see three teams from the AFC West making the playoffs. A loss to the Rams would all but end the Chargers' postseason hopes.
3. Cardinals (9-1) at Seahawks (6-4)
Including this weekend, the defending champs have two games against Arizona, two against San Francisco, one against St. Louis, and a trip to Philadelphia. The 49ers have what should be an easy game against Washington, meaning that a win for San Francisco and a loss for Seattle would put the Seahawks in third place in the NFC West - and, again, it's not likely that three teams from the same division make the playoffs.