Week 17 NFL storylines: Cardinals need to stop slide

The playoff representation is opening to wide up arsenic the NFL transitions into Week 17, but plentifulness of intrigue and possibilities stay arsenic galore teams jockey for postseason presumption and part crowns.

That includes the Raiders, who request a triumph implicit the Indianapolis Colts to support their postseason hopes alive.

From Los Angeles to Cincinnati to Arizona, respective teams are trying to elbow their mode into the playoffs. That makes for what should beryllium an unthinkable play of football.

Here are 4 storylines to follow:

10-5 Cardinals astatine 11-4 Cowboys

Three weeks agone the Cardinals were a cinch to triumph the NFC West and possibly adjacent fastener up the apical effect successful the NFC playoffs. But a late-season descent has them scrambling to clasp disconnected the Rams, who person climbed into a necktie for the part pb and are sitting successful the driver’s seat. A Rams triumph implicit the Baltimore Ravens and a Cardinals nonaccomplishment to the Cowboys clinches the part crown for L.A.

Arizona is successful the playoffs regardless, and a way is disposable to triumph the division, though the Rams would person to stumble.

Quarterback Kyler Murray conscionable hasn’t seemed close aft returning from a midseason ankle injury. He doesn’t look arsenic decisive oregon explosive, making him little of a moving threat.

The Cardinals anticipation Murray is rounding backmost into shape. If so, helium could beryllium a crippled changer arsenic Arizona enters the playoffs.

11-4 Rams astatine 8-7 Ravens

The Rams brought the ultra-talented Matthew Stafford successful for moments similar this weekend. With their part connected the enactment and a agelong travel to Baltimore successful store, they request the backmost to deliver, particularly aft they surrendered truthful overmuch to get him.

The Rams person righted themselves aft a November swoon that near them reeling and near Stafford wondering if helium was inactive successful Detroit. It was bleak to beryllium sure, with Stafford’s turnover-prone ways straight starring to a brace of frustrating losses.

Just successful the nick of time, though, helium and the Rams person recovered themselves again, with a large assistance from spectacular wide receiver Cooper Kupp and antiaircraft stars Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey.

Kupp, successful particular, is emerging arsenic arguably the champion wide receiver successful the NFL. He’s surely 1 of the astir well-rounded. The transportation helium has forged with Stafford has been 1 of the astir noteworthy developments of the season.

11-4 Chiefs astatine 9-6 Bengals

For immoderate reason, it seems Bengals QB Joe Burrow was built for the infinitesimal helium faces Sunday, astatine location with each of Cincinnati connected his shoulders and a accidental to clinch the AFC North championship.

Making it adjacent much impactful, the Kansas City Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes are connected the different sideline.

This year’s Bengals person seemed to beryllium a twelvemonth up of schedule, but they support pushing guardant overmuch to everyone’s surprise. It each seems to beryllium coming unneurotic astatine warp speed.

Mahomes and the Chiefs volition person thing to accidental astir that, and with the apical effect successful the AFC good wrong reach, Kansas City intelligibly has a first-round bye successful its sights.

Keep an oculus connected the Bengals here. What amended clip to present a connection than against the two-time defending AFC champions.

8-7 Dolphins astatine 10-5 Titans

Raise your manus if you packed it successful connected the Titans erstwhile Derrick Henry went down successful precocious October.

Don’t consciousness bad, beauteous overmuch everyone other did too. Yet present they are, a triumph Sunday against the Dolphins distant from clinching the AFC South crown

But the Titans are a resilient clump who instrumentality a large pb from their tough-guy coach, Mike Vrabel. And helium wasn’t astir to fto his squad sulk to the sidelines aft it mislaid Henry. While the tally crippled isn’t astir arsenic potent, the passing crippled is coming live astatine conscionable the close time.

With A.J. Brown coming up with 11 catches for 145 yards connected a career-high 11 targets against San Francisco aft missing 3 games, the Titans’ walk crippled looked similar a wholly antithetic cognition past week.

If that is the absorption the Titans are headed, ticker out.