Sixteen weeks down, just one to go.

Six of the league’s eight divisions have been decided, as too has most of your fantasy league as well as the requisite bragging rights therein. 

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In Lamar Jackson we have our likely league MVP, while his Baltimore Ravens, now winners of 11 in a row, have unquestionably emerged as the league’s best team and understandable Super Bowl LIV favourites.

Yet, ahead of the NFL regular season's final week there is still some uncertainty, and numerous reasons to tune in to the weekend's football with the same kind of gusto you’ve done over the season’s last few months.

NFC WEST STILL UP FOR GRABS...

The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers have fought tooth and nail all season for supremacy in the NFC West, and it's thus fitting that these two perennial foes will square off for the division title this weekend.

For the 49ers, a win in Seattle will not only secure their first division crown since 2012, but will hand the Kyle Shanahan coached team the NFC's number one seed and home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Seahawks remain in contention for its fifth division title this decade despite a strange season, which, though underpinned by an impressive 11-4 record, is accompanied by a very pedestrian +12 point differential. In contrast, the 49ers have a +164 point differential while boasting a much more menacing defense, particularly on the defensive line, where the 49ers have amassed 47 sacks this season in comparison to Seattle’s 26, which is the third worst mark in the NFL.

San Francisco will start favourites this week, with the Seahawks decimated by injuries on both sides of the ball. On offense, the first three running backs on the depth chart are injured, which has prompted Seattle to lure the legendary Marshawn Lynch out of retirement to help move the chains and rekindle some of the old ‘Beast Mode’ magic. 

On defense, star defensive end Jadeveon Clowney is considered highly doubtful, as too are Shaquill Griffin and Quandry Diggs. 

... AS IS THE NFC EAST

While the NFC East battle doesn’t have the same allure of the NFC West, it’s a division that’s still up for grabs, with the Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys still in contention for the crown.

After a middling season which has seen them win their last three consecutive games against divisial rivals, including most importantly, the Cowboys in Week 16, the 8-7 Eagles amazingly control their destiny, and a victory away against the lowly New York Giantswill secure them their fourth NFC East title this decade, and third consecutive trip to the playoffs.

As for the Cowboys, in order to qualify for the post-season, they’ll be relying on an Eagles slip up, while making sure they take care of the Washington Redskins, who, despite being marooned at 3-12 will be no sure thing for Dallas, which has lost eight of its last 12 games while carrying a lame duck coach in Jason Garrett, whose tenure in Texas should end regardless of this weekend’s results.

Should the Eagles indeed survive the weekend, their place in the post-season will have been well earned, with the Eagle’s offense stabilised with the emergence of rookie running back, Miles Sanders, who has amassed an astonishing 752 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns over the last four weeks. Sanders break-out has also meant a sharp uptake in ball security, with the Eagles responsible for just one multi-turnover match over its last seven assignments, compared to the lineup that had four such games over the first eight matches.

A WILDCARD UP FOR GRABS IN THE AFC...

While the Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Kansas City Chiefs and Houston Texans have all secured division crowns, the Buffalo Bills have also clinched their second post-season appearance in three years, meaning that in the AFC there is just one Wild Card spot up for grabs heading into Week 17.

The Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers have the inside running on that spot, while the Oakland Raiders, rather incredibly remain in contention, however would not only need to win on the road against the Denver Broncos, but also have both Tennessee and Pittsburgh fall in their matches against Houston and Baltimore, respectively, who’ll both be resting the bulk of their starters in preparation for the playoffs.

Should Tennessee and Pittsburgh both win, the Titans would claim the final playoff spot owing to their superior record in common games shared with the Steelers.

... AND COACHING MAYHEM

They don’t call it ‘Black Monday’ for nothing in the NFL, with the final game for so many non-contending teams signarlling the traditional end for underperforming head coaches.

While we referenced the expected cessation of ‘The Clapper’s’ time in Dallas, as many as six, potentially seven, head coaches may receive a pink slip once the dust has settled this weekend.

The Carolina Panthers and Washington Redskins are already in the market for new head coaches having dismissed Ron Rivera and Jay Gruden earlier in the season. The carnage in the NFC won’t end there, however, with many expecting the Giants to move on from Pat Shurmur who has a 29.7% win rate as an NFL head coach. The Atlanta Falcons may also look to replace Dan Quinn, however the Falcons fortunes have changed sharply in the second half of the season, winning five of their past seven games, taking the scalps of both the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers while averaging 26.8 points per game in the process.

In the AFC, the Cleveland Browns will think long and hard about a Freddie Kitchens divorce, owing to how thoroughly underwhelming the Browns' season has been. The Los Angeles Chargers enter Week 17 with a 5-10 record with Anthony Lynn’s job status the subject of intense scrutiny, especially considering last season’s 12-4 campaign.

Finally, expect some major changes at the Jacksonville Jaguars, with the likely departure of Doug Marrone, with the Jaguars having already dismissed Head of Football Operations, Tom Coughlan, a couple of weeks ago. Something simply must change in Jacksonville with the team missing the playoffs 11 times over the past 12 seasons.

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