The penultimate week of the NFL regular season is in full swing. Six games are in the books after the Christmas Day doubleheader, Thursday night action and three Saturday contests. Nine more games follow on Sunday, and the action ends on Monday evening with the Detroit Lions visiting the San Francisco 49ers.

Ten of 14 playoff spots have already been taken. In the AFC on Saturday, the Los Angeles Chargers joined the Kansas City Chiefs (who secured the conference’s No. 1 seed), the Buffalo Bills, the Houston Texans, the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the postseason. The Denver Broncos missed a chance to clinch the final AFC spot when they lost 30-24 to the Cincinnati Bengals in overtime on Saturday night. In the NFC, the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers have qualified for the postseason. Is there anyone else there on Sunday?

Here are five of the most compelling storylines to watch in Sunday’s and Monday’s Week 17 games. (Find the full schedule here.)

1. Fight for the number 1 pick in the NFL Draft

Fans of the three-win Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders or Cleveland Browns or the 2-13 New York Giants might be unsure whether to cheer on their teams this week and next. None of these teams’ seasons were positive. But hope for the future remains high as the race for the top pick in the 2025 draft is on. The players and coaches on these teams care about job security, not draft placement, so they will do everything in their power to win this weekend. But a loss could mean more in the long run.

The Giants have a slight advantage over the field. On Sunday they face a 7-8 Indianapolis Colts team that is clinging to a glimmer of playoff hope at 7-8 but will be without quarterback Anthony Richardson (back/foot). Others in the mix:

• The Titans and Jaguars play each other, so unless there is a tie, they will slip further from the No. 1 seed.
• The Browns face the Miami Dolphins, who at 7-8 still have slim playoff hopes but may be without quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who is questionable with a hip injury.
• The Raiders’ meeting with the 5-10 Saints has the makings of an unsightly affair, but don’t tell that to quarterbacks Aidan O’Connell and Spencer Rattler. This game is one of their final interviews for their teams’ quarterback jobs in 2025. They may seem at first glance, but given the limited star power expected to be available at QB through the draft and free agency, there is always a chance.

(Titans at Jaguars, Raiders at Saints, Colts at Giants, Sunday 1:00 p.m. ET. Dolphins at Browns, Sunday 4:05 p.m. ET.)

2. Saquon Barkley’s Search for History

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley not only makes a strong case for MVP consideration, but is also in the hunt for history. Starting this week, he needs 268 yards to break Eric Dickerson’s 40-year-old rushing record of 2,105 yards in a single season. Barkley, who leads the NFL with a career-high 1,838 rushing yards, will need to average 134 yards in the final two weeks of the season to catch up to Dickerson. That’s 12 yards more than his season average of 122.5 yards per game (also a league high), but Barkley gained 150 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries in last week’s loss to Washington. The 29 rushing attempts were a season high for the 27-year-old Barkley.

Sunday’s opponent, the Dallas Cowboys, could support Barkley’s cause. Dallas gives up 135.9 rushing yards per game, which ranks 27th in the NFL. Barkley’s season high is 255 yards, which he gained in Week 12 against the Rams. The Eagles, who are 12-3 and can clinch the NFC East with a win or a tie or a loss or a draw from the Washington Commanders on Sunday, would be wise to lean on Barkley. This is especially true with Kenny Pickett starting in place of concussion-afflicted Jalen Hurts. Philadelphia has a 10-1 record in games in which he exceeds the 100-yard mark. (Cowboys at Eagles, Sunday, 1 p.m. ET.)

3. Falcons-Commanders SNF showdown

The Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders would like to win one of the final postseason tickets, and both have the opportunity to do so when they face off at Northwest Stadium on Sunday night.

The Commanders are on a three-game winning streak and had an electrifying comeback win over Philadelphia last Sunday. Jayden Daniels threw five touchdown passes, including a strike to Jamison Crowder with six seconds left, to move his team one step closer to its first playoff berth since 2020. Daniels, the front-runner for Rookie of the Year honors, became the first Washington quarterback to score five touchdowns in a game since Mark Rypien in 1991. The Commanders need a win or a tie or a loss or a draw at Tampa Bay on Sunday to qualify for the postseason.

Washington hosts an Atlanta team that hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2017 season but is pinning its hopes on rookie Michael Penix Jr., who replaced Kirk Cousins ​​as the starting quarterback last week and helped knock off the Giants. Relying heavily on a rushing attack led by Bijan Robinson (94 yards), Penix executed Atlanta’s offense well. But his performance came against the struggling Giants. Can he build on this performance and lead his team to victory, or will Washington’s defense make the Falcons one-dimensional and force Penix to make mistakes? Or will Robinson destroy Washington’s defense, just like Barkley did last week? The Falcons win the NFC South title with a win and a Buccaneers loss on Sunday.

Which team will end their drought first? (Falcons at Commanders, 8:20 p.m. ET, Sunday.)

4. Bucs on thin ice to make playoffs

After positioning themselves to overtake the Falcons in the NFC South standings last week, the Buccaneers suffered a painful 26-24 loss to the Cowboys. The Buccaneers managed 410 yards, but turnovers proved costly. Baker Mayfield threw an interception in the fourth quarter, and five minutes later running back Rachaad White fumbled, sealing the loss.

At 8-7, the Buccaneers need help to get into the playoffs and have no margin for error. On Sunday they host the Carolina Panthers, who ended the Arizona Cardinals’ playoff hopes with a 36-30 overtime win in Charlotte last week. The last time Tampa Bay and Carolina met in Week 13, the Bucs needed overtime to win 26-23. Bryce Young threw for 298 yards and the Carolina defense held Mayfield twice. To keep their hopes alive against an improved Panthers team and return to the playoffs for a fifth straight year, the Buccaneers will need to fix their ball security issues and be stingier on defense. (Panthers at Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET, Sunday.)

5. Double-dip in Detroit?

A week after a painful loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Detroit Lions bounced back with a 34-17 victory over the Chicago Bears. At 13-2, the Lions have a chance to score two wins this weekend. With a win on Monday night in San Francisco and a victory for the Packers over the Vikings on Sunday, the Lions can secure the NFC North for the second year in a row and thus move into first place in the NFC. That would give them a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the playoffs.

If the Vikings win on Sunday, Minnesota and Detroit would face off in a winner-take-all game in Week 18 for the NFC North crown and No. 1 seed.

San Francisco defeated Detroit 34-31 in last season’s NFC Championship Game. Lions coach Dan Campbell said he expects this loss to motivate his players, but also added that they fully understand what is at stake this week.

“We know we need another win, we understand where we are in the division, in the NFC. And I think it’s all-encompassing,” Campbell told reporters this week. “Most importantly, it’s the next thing, it’s the next thing ahead.” (Lions at 49ers, Monday, 8:15 p.m. ET.)

(Top photo by Jordan Love: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)