Two divisions have already been clinched, a third can be clinched tonight, and by the time Sunday afternoon’s games are completed, all eight division winners may have been crowned.
Yes, it’s possible that there won’t be a single division title on the line for the final week of the regular season.
The 49ers have already clinched the NFC West and the Lions have already clinched the NFC North. So those two divisions are sert.
The Ravens can clinch the AFC North tonight, if the Browns lose to the Jets.
The Dolphins would clinch the AFC East if they beat the Ravens on Sunday.
The Chiefs would clinch the AFC West if they beat the Bengals on Sunday.
The Jaguars would clinch the AFC South if they beat Panthers, the Texans lose to the Titans and the Colts lose to the Raiders on Sunday.
The Eagles would clinch the NFC East if the Cowboys lose to the Lions on Saturday and the Eagles beat the Cardinals on Sunday.
And the Buccaneers would clinch the NFC South if they beat the Saints on Sunday.
If that’s the way Week 17 plays out, Week 18 won’t have any division titles still alive. But it wouldn’t mean the top teams are resting their starters in the final game of the season. In the above scenario, the No. 1 seed would not be clinched in either conference (the Ravens and Dolphins would both be in contention in the AFC, while the 49ers, Lions and Eagles would all be in contention in the NFC). And multiple wild card spots would still be up for grabs. So Week 18 will still have plenty of intrigue, even if Week 17 is the end of all eight division races.
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said at a Thursday press conference that quarterback Trevor Lawrence was expected to be back at practice as a limited participant on Thursday, but something did not go as planned.
Lawrence is listed as a non-participant on the Jaguars injury report for the second straight day. He is dealing with an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder and Pederson said he would be limited to individual drills as the team continued to prepare for Sunday’s game against the Panthers.
Friday will bring another practice session, but the lack of progress since Lawrence left the Jaguars’ Week 16 loss to the Buccaneers would seem to increase the chances that he misses a game for the first time in his NFL career. C.J. Beathard will start if Lawrence does not get the green light.
Beathard (left shoulder) was listed as a full participant in practice. Cornerback Tyson Campbell (finger), safety Andre Cisco (groin), offensive lineman Ezra Cleveland (knee), wide receiver Zay Jones (knee, hamstring), offensive lineman Walker Little (hamstring), left tackle Cam Robinson (knee), and tight end Brenton Strange (foot) were listed as limited participants.
Quarterback Trevor Lawrence is expected back at Jaguars practice on Thursday.
Lawrence was held out of practice on Wednesday due to the AC joint sprain that he suffered during last Sunday’s loss to the Buccaneers, but head coach Doug Pederson said that he expects Lawrence to be a limited participant in Thursday’s workout. Pederson said that Lawrence is set to do individual drills as the team moves toward Sunday’s game against the Panthers.
Lawrence has also suffered a high-ankle sprain and a concussion in recent weeks, but has not missed a game. He was replaced by C.J. Beathard after getting hurt against Tampa and Beathard will be in line to start if Lawrence can’t go.
The Jaguars will win the AFC South this weekend with a win and losses for the Colts and Texans. A win would also snap the four-game losing streak that has made the AFC South race more competitive than Jacksonville would like.
Jaguars head coach Doug Pederson said on Tuesday that he didn’t think quarterback Trevor Lawrence would practice on Wednesday and that prediction proved to be correct.
Lawrence did not throw or do anything else because of the sprained right AC joint in his shoulder that he suffered in last Sunday’s loss to the Buccaneers. Lawrence told reporters that he was feeling better than he did earlier in the week, but that he’s not sure if he will be able to do anything more during Thursday’s practice session.
“Of course I will do anything I can to be out there to play,” Lawrence said, via Cameron Wolfe of NFL Media.
The Jaguars signed Matt Barkley to give them more depth behind C.J. Beathard on the quarterback depth chart and the next two days of practice will provide a fuller picture of whether they are going to need him against the Panthers on Sunday.
The reeling Jaguars may be getting some help for their offensive line.
Left tackle Cam Robinson is returning to practice on Wednesday. Robinson injured his knee in November and has missed the last four games.
Robinson will be eligible to return to the lineup as soon as this Sunday’s game against the Panthers and he can be activated any point in the next 21 days. He also missed the first four games of the season while serving a suspension, so the Jaguars have spent a lot of time playing without Robinson this year.
The Jaguars have lost all four games they’ve played since putting Robinson on injured reserve, so they’ll be hoping his return helps them get back to their winning ways.
