Seven teams head into week 17 with hopes still alive and,
while there is plenty to be decided, it is the showdown for the NFC West
divisional title which is the most fascinating.
The clash in Seattle is a winner-take-all affair but,
with the Seahawks currently ranked 20th in the league and the Rams 18th, there
is not much case for either team being in the postseason action.
Seattle head coach Pete Carroll admits the Seahawks are
lucky to still be in the frame but feels there is nothing wrong with his
players entering the knockout phase despite teams with better records missing
out.
"It is what it is. You win the division, you've done
what you needed to do to position yourself as the system allows," he said.
"I know there are teams that have 10, maybe 11, wins
that aren't in as good a situation as we are right now, but that is their lot.
We're fortunate to be where we are and we'll see what we can do with it,"
added Carroll.
Sam Bradford has impressed at quarterback for the Rams
this year with a rookie record of 335 completions and he comes up against
opponents who have lost their last three games and have an injury doubt over
their quarterback Matt Hasselbeck.
Should Hasselbeck not recover from his hip injury then
reserve quarterback Charlie Whitehurst, who took all the reps in practice on
Thursday, will deputise.
Another appetizing match-up on Sunday features the
Chicago Bears, who have already secured a berth in the playoffs, against NFC
North rivals the Green Bay Packers.
There is no love lost between the two teams and there is
plenty at stake - the Packers need to win to be sure of postseason football
while the Bears want a win to increase their chances of homefield advantage.
The New York Giants will be hoping for the Bears to do
them a favor. In order for Tom Coughlin's team to make it through, they have to
win at Washington and hope that Green Bay lose.
The Giants have suffered a late season slump with bad
losses to Philadelphia and Green Bay but they have won their last five meetings
with the Redskins.
The Indianapolis Colts, beaten in the Super Bowl by the
New Orleans Saints last season, cannot afford to slip up on the final day -
they must win at home to Tennessee or risk letting the Jacksonville Jaguars pip
them to the AFC South.
The Jaguars, though, are hampered at Houston by the
absence of their injured quarterback David Garrard while key running back
Maurice Jones-Drew is doubtful with a knee problem.
In New York, the New York Jets have been fined $100,000
by the NFL for an incident where their fitness coach Sal Alosi tripped a Miami
Dolphins player on the sideline in a game earlier this month.
Alosi had already been suspended by the Jets after their
own investigation found he had instructed some of his players to form a wall on
the sideline, forcing Miami's kick coverage to run around them.
Dolphins player Nolan Carroll was tripped by Alosi as he
ran along the touchline, an incident which was captured on television.
"This is both a competitive violation as well as a dangerous
tactic," the NFL said in a statement.
The fine also includes discipline on the Jets for making
public accusations against other teams who they claimed used the same tactic.
NFL rules make clear that all complaints must go through the league's channels.
"The fine has been imposed on the Jets to emphasize
that clubs are accountable for the actions of their employees and have the
obligation to ensure that all members of their organization comply with league
rules," the league said.
In another development, the NFL has reduced the fine
levied on Steelers linebacker James Harrison for his Oct. 17 hit on Browns wide
receiver Mohamed Massaquoi from $75,000 to $50,000.
The league's appeals officer, Ted Cottrell, reduced the
fine because he said Harrison understands the player safety rules and has made
an effort to adjust his technique to play within those rules. NFL Commissioner
Roger Goodell supported the reduction.
Harrison's four fines this season for dangerous hits now
total $100,000.
Harrison's agent, Bill Parise, also plans to appeal a
$25,000 fine Harrison was assessed for a hit on Bills quarterback Ryan
Fitzpatrick on Nov. 28.
Harrison sidelined both Massaquoi and returner-wide
receiver Joshua Cribbs with hits that caused concussions.
He was not fined for the Cribbs hit. The teams meet again
Sunday in Cleveland.
