Shout it from the top of Mount Washington: It’s the Game of the Year! Perhaps the Game of the Decade!! Maybe the Game of the Millennium!!! Or Quinnen Williams Jersey , very possibly, a big dud. Until their flop in Miami on Monday night, the New England Patriots were playing as many thought they would heading into the season: like a powerhouse. And the Pittsburgh Steelers were squeezing past inferior foes , bringing into question whether they could slow the Foxborough freight train. The Dolphins did just that, one day after the Steelers needed another late rally to edge archrival Baltimore and clinch the AFC North. So while Sunday’s contest at Heinz Field will almost certainly decide the top seed in the AFC, it’s not exactly Ali-Frazier, two undefeated heavyweights facing off. ”It’s good to be in big games than be in ones nobody’s watching,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says. ”We better be appreciative of this spot and not resist it in any way. This is what we’ve been fighting for since March. Why would you fight that? It’s an awesome thing.” Forget their `A’ game, which the Steelers (11-2) seem to have misplaced for much of the past two months despite winning eight straight, with a half-dozen of them close (decided by one, three, three, three, five and six points. They will need their `AAA game’ against New England (10-3), which knows a loss eliminates it from topping the conference heading into the postseason. ”It’s all about us being prepared to play Pittsburgh,” Patriots safety Devin McCourty says, mimicking his coach. ”All the extra stuff comes with it, but it’s just if we worry about the playoffs, we’ll go down there and we’ll get killed, honestly.” The action got started Thursday night in a game with no playoff implications, the Denver Broncos’ 25-13 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Brock Osweiler threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in relief of the injured Trevor Siemian, and C.J. Anderson rushed for 158 yards on 30 carries as Denver (5-9) won its second straight and handed the Colts (3-11) their fifth consecutive loss. Siemian injured his left shoulder in the first quarter and did not return. On Saturday night, Kansas City routed the turnover-prone Los Angeles Chargers 30-13 to seize control of the AFC West. Also Saturday, Detroit beat Chicago 20-10. Alex Smith threw for 231 yards and two touchdowns, and Kareem Hunt ran for 155 yards and a score for the Chiefs (8-6) http://www.newyorkjetsteamonline.com/jachai-polite-jersey , whose eighth straight win over the visiting Chargers (7-7) all but sewed up the division and a spot in the playoffs. The only way Kansas City can squander it is by losing its last two games and the Chargers or Oakland Raiders winning out. In Detroit, Matthew Stafford threw two touchdown passes and avoided mistakes, allowing the Lions (8-6) to stay in the playoff picture. The Bears (4-10) have lost six of seven. Dallas (7-6) at Oakland (6-7) Oakland might need to win out for any shot at the postseason. Same for Dallas, chasing a wild card in the much-stronger NFC. With star RB Zeke Elliott suspended for one more game, the combination of Dak Prescott throwing to Jason Witten and Dez Bryant has been the focal point on offense. Prescott’s coming off his first 300-yard passing game of the season with a career-high 332 against the woeful Giants. After fizzling in KC, Oakland needs to rediscover its offense and get pressure on Prescott from Bruce Irvin and Khalil Mack. Los Angeles Rams (9-4) at Seattle (8-5) The Rams lost two of four in the midst of a very difficult stretch. Now, the key division matchup with the banged-up, penalty-prone Seahawks. Seattle, whose air of invincibility at home has been punctured with two losses in the past three, won the first meeting and would have the tiebreaker with a repeat. This easily could come down to Russell Wilson , making a late run for league MVP, lighting up the skies against Rams QB Jared Goff, one of the NFL’s most-improved players in 2017. LA is 3-0 after a loss; the Eagles beat the Rams last Sunday. Green Bay (7-6) at Carolina (9-4) Huge one for both sides, and this time the Packers head into it with Aaron Rodgers back at quarterback. Recovered from his broken collarbone – Green Bay stayed relevant without him, going 3-4 – Rodgers might have some rust. Still, was there ever any doubt he would replace Brett Hundley when his wing was healed? ”Hopefully it gives a lift to some of the guys but I’m not coming back to save this team,” Rodgers said. ”I’m coming back to play quarterback the way I know how to play it.” Rodgers will face a formidable defense that includes end Julius Peppers, who left Green Bay for a return to Carolina this season and has 5 + sacks in the past four games against his former team, and LB Luke Kuechly (100 tackles in six straight seasons.) New York Jets (5-8) at New Orleans (9-4) New Orleans owns the tiebreaker over Carolina thanks to a season sweep, and gets fortunate here. Josh McCown, having the best season of his lengthy, vagabond pro career, has a broken hand, so untested Bryce Petty gets the start. The Saints lost two of their past three, against top-level opponents Chuma Edoga Jersey , so they aren’t likely to fall into any traps. Their well-balanced and top-ranked offense could go wild against the inconsistent Jets, and no team has improved more on D than Nawlins. Atlanta (8-5) at Tampa Bay (4-9), Monday night While the Buccaneers spiral enough to put coach Dirk Koetter’s job security in question, it’s the defending NFC champ Falcons who have been maddeningly up and down. Get this: Atlanta is 4-3 in its new, billion dollar palace. That means the Monday night spotlight should be fine, especially for WR Julio Jones. He had a season-best 12 receptions for 253 yards and two TDs against the Bucs three weeks ago – his NFL-record third game with 250-plus yards receiving. No other receiver in league history has more than one. Cincinnati (5-8) at Minnesota (10-3) Vikings will secure NFC North crown for second time in three seasons by winning, and the Bengals have never won in five trips to Minnesota. Cincinnati didn’t even show up at home last Sunday in being routed by the Bears. Yes, the Bears. Minnesota’s defense had an off day at Carolina, but is formidable enough to win big. The combined record of teams the Vikings have lost to is 27-12. Combined record of teams the Bengals have beaten, counting the Browns twice, is 14-51. Vikings coach Mike Zimmer was the defensive coordinator for the Bengals under current coach Marvin Lewis from 2008-2013. And here’s a strange stat: Lewis has never lost to any former assistant, going 6-0-1. Philadelphia (11-2) at New York Giants (2-11) An Eagles victory and a Vikings loss makes Philly the place to go through in the NFC playoffs. Of course, Eagles fans mostly are looking at the bleak side: Carson Wentz, the superb young quarterback who has engineered much of this year’s turnaround, tore his left ACL at the Rams and is done for the season. Then again, Philly probably could suit up Ron Jaworski instead of Nick Foles and win this by letting its top-notch defense loose against the beleaguered Giants. The Eagles have won six of seven and 15 of the past 19 against the Giants. Houston (4-9) at Jacksonville (9-4) OK, take a deep breath and listen: Jacksonville clinches a playoff berth with a win. It can even get in with help in other cities despite a loss. Not only that, the Jaguars, with their terrific pass rush and strong ground game, have a shot at a first-round playoff bye. ”To be at the bottom and to finally fight our way, work our way and get back up, just to be in the position that we’re at now, it’s great and it shows you that we’ve finally started to earn the right to win,” linebacker Paul Posluszny says. ”Now we want more.” Houston might have been in position for more in 2017 had the injury bug not ravaged the roster. The Texans, already minus brilliant DE J.J. Watt and excellent LB Whitney Mercilus http://www.newyorkjetsteamonline.com/trevon-wesco-jersey , are down to their third quarterback, T.J. Yates. Tennessee (8-5) at San Francisco (3-10) The Titans can’t afford a stumble against the suddenly competitive Niners. San Francisco lost its first nine, but now has won three of four. Jimmy Garoppolo is playing like he will fill that franchise QB role the Niners hoped he would when they dealt with New England to get him. Tennessee has a showdown in Music City in Week 17 with the Jaguars. The Titans can make that a winner-take-the-division matchup if they beat San Francisco and then the Rams in Nashville next week. Miami (6-7) at Buffalo (7-6) After stunning New England, the Dolphins go to a place they don’t much like, particularly in December. RB Kenyan Drake has emerged and receiver Jarvis Landry remains steady. The defense befuddled Brady last Monday night, and expected starter Tyrod Taylor is no Brady. Bills star LeSean McCoy probably has been doing a snow dance all week. He was dominant in last weekend’s 13-7 overtime win a blizzard against Indianapolis, the second time in his career the running back has dashed through the snow like that. Baltimore (7-6) at Cleveland (0-13) A sputtering offense came to life for the Ravens at Pittsburgh, where they should have won to make them a solid leader for a wild card. Even if that attack goes back to its previous ways, seeing Baltimore destroy much of its postseason chances in this one is unlikely. A 3-0 finish gets the Ravens in. A 3-0 finish would be miraculous for the Browns, the first team in NFL history to start 0-13 in consecutive seasons. Arizona (6-7) at Washington (5-8) Of interest here – wait, we’ll find something – is Cardinals RB Adrian Peterson, who needs one rushing TD to reach 100 and 37 yards to pass the great Jim Brown (12,312) on the career rushing list. But Peterson is battling a neck problem that could sideline him for the final three games. — LATROBE, Pa. (AP) — The unofficial credo as part of the Pittsburgh Steelers coaching staff for Darryl Drake this season was, “Shut out the noise,” quarterback Ben Roethlisberger relayed as training camp wrapped up Thursday.Drake perhaps was tacitly referring to some of the offseason off-field drama surrounding the Steelers, much of it in the wake of his star pupil, Antonio Brown, engineering a trade out of town.But after Drake was found dead in his Saint Vincent College dormitory room early Sunday morning, “Shut out the noise” could in some small way be applied to the grief the Steelers are feeling as they head back to work preparing for the season.“It’s hard to get back to the game you love because he’s not out there telling you what to do, he’s not out there yelling,” Steelers receiver Ryan Switzer said. “So it’s hard — but it’s part of our profession, and it’s something we have to do. And something that coach Drake would want us to do. Quite frankly, he’d be (ticked) at me right now for taking it as a hard as we are.”Switzer repeatedly stopped to compose himself and multiple times appeared to hold back tears during a three-minute session of speaking to reporters Thursday, the first time he felt able to do so since Drake’s death.The team attended a memorial Tuesday evening for the longtime NFL and college position coach who joined the Steelers prior to last season. Drake Alexander Mattison Jersey , who was 62, was beginning his 16th consecutive season as an NFL wide receivers coach.His death hit many of the Steelers receivers hard.“Coach Drake always called us his sons,” Switzer said. “He didn’t have any boys; he always called us his sons.”Drake, who had three daughters, quickly made an impression with the Steelers that extended beyond the wide receivers’ room.“I think in that year and a half he meant more to me than some people that I’ve known for my whole life,” Roethlisberger said. “I know he was an amazing football coach — but he was an even better man, a better husband, better father, and a better man of God than he was a football coach.”As the team’s oldest and longest-tenured member and co-captain, Roethlisberger strived to be a source of comfort to younger players who worked more closely with Drake.“Sometimes, the best thing you can do for grief is to listen,” Roethlisberger said.Switzer was one of the players who needed to be consoled when the Steelers returned to practice Tuesday following two days to mourn.On Thursday, Switzer characterized Drake’s impact on his life as “immeasurable.” Switzer said that when he joined the Steelers in late August 2018 as his third NFL team in 16 months since being drafted, he immediately took to Drake as a “trustworthy person … so welcoming and so warm.”“Coach Drake, beyond a shadow of a doubt, was that special person,” Switzer said. “The outpouring of love and support and kind words he’s gotten from everyone he came into contact with, I certainly quite didn’t understand the amount of people he reached and touched until I saw it. But it didn’t surprise me because I knew the man.”The Steelers have not yet announced who will take over Drake’s duties or if they will hire a replacement. They also have not divulged any formal plans to honor Drake this season, though coach Mike Tomlin indicated such ideas were being formulated.“What he brought to this team and to me and our relationship together, is truly something that can be never replicated,” Roethlisberger said. “He will be very dearly missed, but we know he will be with us and that he’s in a better place.”