The NFL must not have had many great options for the Sunday night game of Week 17.
The Los Angeles Rams vs. the Los Angeles Chargers wasn’t a great one, especially given the Rams’ injuries and overall struggles this season. Instead we get the Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens. The Rams-Chargers game was moved to the 4:25 p.m. Eastern time slot.
The Steelers are still alive in the playoff race but barely. The Miami Dolphins‘ loss on Sunday meant the Steelers couldn’t be eliminated in Week 16. The Ravens could be without quarterback Lamar Jackson, who has been out with a knee injury. It’s a great rivalry but not an incredible Week 17 game.
The drama centers on the Ravens’ pursuit of the AFC North championship. If they lose on Sunday night, the Bengals can clinch the division by beating the Buffalo Bills on Monday night. If the Ravens win or the Bengals lose, the AFC North will be decided when those two teams play in the regular-season finale.
It’s a bit of a stretch to make Steelers-Ravens a compelling matchup. But it’s probably better than Rams-Chargers.