***SWAMPY SUNDAY LAST BUT NOT LEAST - MUCK 5 - WEEK 17***

***TENNESEE TITANS @ INDIANPOLIS COLTS***

Colts were left crambling for a starting QB after a season of them dropping like flies. They have signed and will start Josh Freeman off the street who hasn't started a game in two years, yikes! The Colts technically still have a long shot to make the playoffs with a win and a Texans loss PLUS like seven other outcomes needed involving other games. Pretty much impossible. That being said I think it will be hard for them to rally behind Josh Freeman to get the win today. The Titans are an organization hurting for a win. Yes, they are once again a possible outcome for the #1 overall pick in the draft with the Cleveland Browns who will most likely lock that spot up with a loss against a desperate PIttsburgh team today. That being said, the Titans are looking to end their lost season on a positive note versus a division rival who have pretty much OWNED them and the division for a while now. They came close to beating Indy earier in the season against Andrew Luck, but fell short in a hard fought game. QB Zach Mettenberger isn't all THAT bad and definitely better than a cold Josh Freeman. Not to mention Mettenberger has NEVER won an NFL game that he has started, I think he gets it here on the road today. The Titan defensive front will be too much for Freeman, and I expect LB Orakpo to lay the wood on him early resulting in rattling the QB for the rest of the game. TITANS+4

***WASHINGTON REDSKINS @ DALLAS COWBOYS***

The Redskins locked up the chaotic NFC East last weekend on Saturday Night with a win in Philly. That means that this game has literally no effect on anything for the Redskins and is nothing more than a possible platform for the Skin starters injure themselves for the playoffs which is of course a situation that anybody in Redskin Nation would like to avoid. Coach Gruden has gone ahead and said that he wants to head into the playoffs on a four game winning streak and will not "sit" players to avoid injury but let's be honest here, the Cowboys are pissed and going to want to beat up their playoff bound rival just out of pure spite. That being said, any logical coach will not want to risk injury to his QB or other important players who are already documented as banged up a bit. I see the Skin starters playing early and then if Dallas were to take a comfortable lead, being pulled to sit the rest of the game. Jerry will want this one for his fans at home to provide some positive vibes as the season comes to a close. I like Dallas to run the ball and play a physical game today utilizing their dominant offensive line. Young QB Kellen Moore is not a stud by any means but a much better option than Matt Cassel, and I think improving with the more experience he gets and will play his best game today against an unmotivated Redskin defense. These two teams faced off on MNF in a yawner a couple weeks back with the Cowboys lucky to sneak out a win and that was WITH an anemic Cassel at QB. This tells me that these two teams actually match up well, so I'm confident in backing the home team with nothing to lose who will want this game more.

COWBOYS-3

***NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS @ MIAMI DOLPHINS***

Miami's season is over, therefore this last game hosting their rival and AFC East King New England Patriot team will be their "Super Bowl" so to speak. We saw last week the Pats are focused on the playoffs by heping the Jets playoff chances (my personal opinion) to avoid possibly facing a high powered Steelers offense in the playoffs. They didn't throw the game, they competed but if they lost, it was more of an "oops, oh well" mentality. Bottom line is that when they had the opportunity to give the Jets the chance to win in OT they gave it to them. Belichick is the kind of coach that always has his eyes on the big picture, and that means getting to the playoffs as healthy as possible. For a team that has been severly banged up thus far, he is already sitting some key players who are nursing injuries on both sides of the ball. I don't think it is any secret that they do not care about covering a spread here, and are just looking to get out of Miami with a win and healthy which shouldn't be so hard to do. I can see them going up early in the first half, and then pulling off the gas during the second. Meanwhile Miami will be throwing everything they have at the Pats today with nothing to lose and wanting nothing more than to end the season with a win at home against the mighty Patriots. Will they get it done? Most likely not, but I will eat up the points here thinking they should be able to keep it close enough to make things interesting at the least. DOLPHINS+10

***TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS @ CAROLINA PANTHERS***

Almost the same scenario here in this game as the previous pick. The Panthers are at the top of the NFC next to the Arizona Cardinals and are sitting pretty so long as they get a win at home today against their lowly division rival. If the Cats win today, they clinch 1st place in the NFC for the playoffs which is no doubt, HUGE. However, I think they know they can most likely beat the lowly Bucs without exerting a full game effort and risking any possible injuries. The Bucs on the other hand really fell apart late in the season when they were still technically in the wildcard hunt, resulting in dissapointment. Rookie QB Jameis Winston has proved he is the future of this Bucs team and definitely has shown that there is much to look forward to for Buc Nation. Like the Dolphins, the Bucs will be playing with nothing to lose today and would like nothing more than to take out not only their rival, but the top NFC team. Will they do it? Most likely not, but I like "Diet-Cam" to rally the troops today to give maximum effort against a team that finally just lost their first game last week, and I got to think will be somewhat deflated during the last week of the season and focused on the playoffs with much bigger fish to fry then this Buccaneer team. In a nutshell, I expect the Panthers to win here, but the Bucs to make it interesting after seeing what their lowly division counterpart and equally as bad Atlanta Falcon team did against them last week. BUCS+10.5

***ST. LOUIS RAMS @ SAN FRANCISCO 49ers***

The Niners are a team that everyone fully expected to be in for a difficult season this year with all the changing pieces to key parts during the offseason. I don't think there was a ever a team to undergo and be victim to so much negative change in one offseason. However, they haven't been ALL that bad and may have found something in backup QB Blaine Gabbert. Ever since he took over for the struggling Colin Kaepernick, the team has played better. They have competed in almost every game, and when they do they can hang with any body, especially at home. That being said, today they host a hot rival Rams team on a three game winning streak. The Rams have also had a dissapointing season but have seemed to have found a late surge beating a lowly Lions team, ending the Bucs season on a Prime Time TNF game and possible last one ever in St. Louis, and upsetting and sweeping the Seahawks in Seattle last week which pretty much served as their Super Bowl I think most would say. I expect a let-down after that accomplishment today on the road in SF. Rams QB Case Keenum has been great during this stretch, but he is nothing to be afriad of. The Niners have faced some top QBs late this season and I don't think will have much trouble with Keenum today. Also, it is important to note that Ram's rookie RB phenom Todd Gurley will NOT be playing today. He is a HUGE part of this offense and the fact that he will not be suiting up for this one I got to believe is a deflating factor for the Ram's motivation today. On the contrary, I think the Niners will be JACKED up for this game to end the season on a positive note at home. SF Coach Jim Tomasula is a player's type of coach and unfortunately his job is most likely in question once the season ends, which is a shame because we all know he was dealt a bad hand to start. I think the players rally for him today and get it done. Swampy had the Niners in week 1 to open up the season, and is looking to end it the same. 49ers+3