Welcome to 2016! For fans of 20 teams, this is the final time you’ll see your team as you know it. Several teams will have new coaches, new quarterbacks, 30 percent roster turnover, perhaps all three. For fans of playoff teams, congratulations.

There are a few games this week with playoff implications, so they get the spotlight treatment. As for the other games, playing out the string with backup QBs, lame duck coaches and potential relocation makes them near impossible to predict.

Last week: 11-5. The season forecast bumps up to 146-94, a sunny way to kick off the new calendar year.

- Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals (-7.5): In the battle between A.J. McCarron and Ryan Mallett, give me McCarron. I’ll take the Cincy defense over Baltimore’s too, regardless of who is at the controls of either offense. Of course Baltimore torched said defense for almost 400 yards in the first meeting, a 28-24 Cincy win in Baltimore. That was in September though, back when the Ravens had Joe Flacco, Steve Smith, Justin Forsett and Crockett Gillmore on offense. All of them are gone.

Bengals 30, Ravens 17

- San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos (-8.5): I was impressed by Denver’s resolve in taking down a tough Bengals team Monday night. It wasn’t always pretty but that’s a strong win over a playoff opponent with high stakes.

Now a win sets them up with a much-needed bye, and perhaps even the No. 1 seed in the improved AFC. The depleted Chargers are not going to rain on the parade.

Broncos 23, Chargers 6 

- Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals (-6.5): This is a chance for Seattle to make a real statement about their playoff validity. The defending NFC champs are going to have to win every playoff game on the road this year, and I suspect Pete Carroll will sell to his players the road starts here.

If they’re to win in Arizona against the potential #1 overall (but likely #2) seed, they’ll need to play infinitely better in both phases of the passing game. Carson Palmer eviscerated their secondary in the first meeting, a 39-32 Cards win in Seattle. He threw for 363 yards and 3 TDs despite getting hit a lot and fumbling twice on three sacks. Meanwhile, Russell Wilson was off target and his receivers struggled to get open, resulting in a 14-for-32 outing on a day where Wilson also led the team in rushing over a healthy Marshawn Lynch.

Bruce Arians quickly dismissed any notion that his Cardinals would rest starters or take the foot off the gas. That’s smart. The chance to keep Seattle as the 6 seed and avoid them later is worth it.

Cardinals 31, Seahawks 28

- Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers (-3.5):

(Turns on Brent Musburger voice) You are looking live at Lambeau Stadium in beautiful Green Bay, Wisconsin! Two teams who don’t like each other meet with the NFC North Title on the line!

Ladies and gentlemen, it doesn’t get better than Aaron Rodgers facing a tough Vikings defense with so much to play for. Will he find receivers who can help him vanquish the hated foe? That is the question as we watch what should be a barnburner.

(Turns Musburger voice off) I don’t trust the Vikings' secondary. I don’t trust the Packers offensive line. I don’t trust Minnesota’s ability to stretch the field and spread out the Packers defense. I don’t trust Green Bay’s ability to run the ball on first down.

In short, I don’t know who to trust here. Because it’s in Green Bay and because the gulf between Rodgers--even though he hasn’t been great lately--and Teddy Bridgewater is still a lot deeper than the analytical folks would have you believe, I’m taking the Packers. But I don’t know what will happen here, a true 50% chance for both teams.

Packers 24, Vikings 21

- Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers (-10.5): The Panthers sew up the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a win. Of course, they’ve already clinched a bye and have a chance to earn it anyway if Seattle beats Arizona. The Bucs are one of six 6-9 teams in the NFC, so there are pretty significant draft slot implications in their outcome. Tampa turned the ball over 5 times in the first meeting and gave up 37 points despite allowing a season-low 244 yards. What that tells me is if they can avoid the catastrophic--like two defensive TDs for Carolina--a motivated Bucs team can keep this close. Will they be motivated? I’m leaning yes.

Panthers 24, Bucs 21

- New York Jets at Buffalo Bills (+2.5): If the Jets win, they’re in. A loss doesn’t eliminate them unless Pittsburgh beats Cleveland; in other words, New York needs to win. Bills coach Rex Ryan would love to play spoiler against his old team, but I’m just not sold his leaky defense can stop Ryan Fitzpatrick to Eric Decker and Brandon Marshall. The Bills do have some firepower of their own to counter, and the weather could play a factor too.

Bills 29, Jets 27 

- Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans (-6.5): The Texans have all but clinched the AFC South title. A win obviously wraps it up, but even with a loss Houston stands a very good chance of making it. The Colts would have to win and get a lot of help, about as much help as Martin O’Malley does to overtake Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. It won’t come to that.

Texans 23, Jaguars 20

- Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns (+10.5): For the third year in a row the Browns will start their third-string QB for Week 17. Last year they lost 20-10 and managed just 16 first downs, though that was actually more than the prior two weeks combined. In 2013 they lost 20-7 to these Steelers, with Jason Campbell (remember him?) throwing 41 times and netting just 240 yards.

Pittsburgh needs to win and get some help. They’ve only lost 4 times in 15 years to Cleveland. Put this with the above paragraph and pray for the Dawg Pound and replacement QB Austin Davis, who is actually the best QB the Browns have started all year.

Steelers 42, Browns 20 

- Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants (-3.5): With Chip Kelly gone, his Eagles have two options. Either Philly is going to rise up and prove he was holding them back or they are going to lay a massive egg to a Giants team which could be playing its last game with Tom Coughlin coaching.

Giants 33, Eagles 24 

- St. Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers (+3.5): The Rams don’t lose to NFC West teams. They’re sure as heck not going to lose to the worst NFC West team since, well, the 49ers of the pre-Harbaugh era. The post-Harbaugh era hopefully leads to the post-Tomsula, post-Baalke era. A crushing loss here might help that. Silver lining for San Fran fans in an otherwise black cloud of a season.

Rams 30, 49ers 12 

- Tennessee Titans at Indianapolis Colts (-6.5): The Colts are signing guys off the street to compete for the starting QB job. It’s been announced Chuck Pagano is being fired. I’ll have something to say about that in this week’s $.10. Despite all that considerable chaos, the Colts are still definitively better than the Mariota-less Titans.

Colts 19, Titans 9

- New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins (+9.5): The Dolphins quit three weeks ago. There is nothing to indicate a revival against a Pats team that 100% will not take this game lightly.

Patriots 28, Dolphins 13

- Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears (-1.5): Two 6-9 teams fight to avoid last place in the NFC North. Detroit has won 5 of 7, while Chicago has lost 4 of 6. The Bears will be without any wideout you’ve ever heard of other than Eddie Royal. Detroit’s pass defense has been top 5 in the league over the last two months. The matchups all point to Detroit, and the players could be motivated to try and save Jim Caldwell’s job. This one might be a blowout.

Lions 27, Bears 17

- Washington at Dallas Cowboys (-4.5): Even if Washington rests some starters, there is still no way this Dallas team should be 4.5 points better than them. None. Take the money and run.

Ethnic Slurs 20, Cowboys 17

- New Orleans Saints at Atlanta Falcons (-4.5): This could be Sean Payton’s final game coaching the Saints. I think his team rises up and sends him out with a bang, though I have no earthly idea how they slow down Julio Jones.

Saints 37, Falcons 33

- Oakland at Kansas City (-7.5): Oakland’s impressive rising season ends at the hands of their archrival, who need to win to get the 5th seed and a date with the Texans instead of the Bengals or even the Patriots. The Chiefs are no worse than the 2nd best team in football since October.

Chiefs 22, Raiders 20