Throughout the 2024 season, NFL Network analysts will provide one bold prediction heading into each week's slate of games (see the full Week 17 NFL schedule).
People still refuse to believe that the Broncos are a good football team. But they are. And while the world wants to side with the Bengals on Saturday, I’m rolling with Denver and Bo Nix, who accumulates 400-plus passing yards and has a hand in four touchdowns as the Broncos win a shootout in Cincinnati.
Jahmyr Gibbs always had the look of a league winner. That look was enhanced when David Montgomery went down with a knee injury. Once upon a time, we would have feared the 49ers' run defense, but that hasn’t been the case this season. Gibbs will be the focal point of Detroit’s attack on Monday night and should get plenty of work near the goal line against San Francisco’s poor goal-to-go defense. Gibbs scores a trio of touchdowns.
The Packers and Vikings clash on Sunday in what could be one of the biggest and best games of the year. I think it delivers with high-flying, high-scoring goodness, to the tune of eight combined passing touchdowns -- to eight different pass catchers! Yup, that's right: Jordan Love and Sam Darnold pop off in a back-and-forth duel, spreading the wealth across both rosters. Enjoy!
The highest-scoring game of the 2024 season came in Week 15, when the Bills and Lions combined for a whopping 90 points. While I don't believe the Falcons and Commanders will come close to that mark when they meet on Sunday night, I am willing to go as far as saying Michael Penix Jr. and Jayden Daniels will help make this the highest-scoring contest between two rookie QBs this season -- besting Bo Nix and Spencer Rattler's 43 points in their Week 7 matchup. (To be clear, Nix did the heavier lifting in that game, a 33-10 win for Denver.)
Jonathan Taylor went off last week (218 rush yards and three TDs) and single-handedly helped some managers reach their fantasy championships. He builds on that performance against the helpless Giants, who have allowed the fifth-most fantasy points per game to running backs this season. Taylor will top 30 fantasy points for the second straight week.
The 49ers have really struggled to find the end zone with so many star players in and out of their lineup this season, but that changes Monday night against a Lions defense that has 14 players on injured reserve. George Kittle, who hasn't scored since before Thanksgiving, and Deebo Samuel, who found the end zone last week for the first time since Oct. 10, each record two touchdowns.
Michael Penix Jr. didn't throw a touchdown in his first NFL start, a home victory over the New York Giants. Now in his first start on the road and against a much better opponent, the Washington Commanders, the rookie finds his veteran pass catchers for four touchdowns to outperform Offensive Rookie of the Year frontrunner Jayden Daniels.
