Week 17 in the NFL (Saturday Night Game)

New England Patriots (15-0, 7-0 on the road) at New York Giants (10-5, 3-4 at home)
Last Week: New England beat Miami, 28-7; New York beat Buffalo, 38-21.

Technically, neither team has anything at stake entering this game. No matter what happens, the Patriots will have the number 1 seed and homefield advantage throughout the playoffs. Meanwhile, the Giants are already locked into a wild card match-up against the Buccaneers in Tampa Bay next weekend. Still, history is clearly on the line. The NFL Network actually bent, and now the game will be simulcast on CBS and NBC. The Patriots are gunning for a perfect regular season mark of 16-0, but that is not their ultimate goal. 16-0 means nothing without another Super Bowl title. Other marks to watch out for:

*Tom Brady is 2 TD passes away from breaking Peyton Mannning's 2004 record of 49
*Randy Moss is 2 TD receptions away from breaking Jerry Rice's 1987 record of 22
*Wes Welker can break Troy Brown's 2001 club record of 101 receptions with 1 more catch
*If a New England player scores his first touchdown of the season, the Patriots will set a new record for most players to score a TD in one season. They are currently tied with the 2000 Denver Broncos and the 1987 Los Angeles Rams, who each saw 21 different players make trips to the endzone.
*The Patriots currently have scored 551 points. With 6 more points, the Patriots will surpass the 1998 Minnesota Vikings for the most ever in a single season.

Some have said the Giants owe it to the NFL to play like their season is on the line. I say that's garbage. Teams have had 15 other games to knock the Patriots off their pedestal. New York coach Tom Coughlin has on obligation to his team to best prepare them for the postseason. If that means resting his starters to prevent injuries - thereby reducing the odds of winning - then so be it. The Patriots offensive line is banged up, and may be vulnerable to the strong Giants' pass rush. If the Patriots build a double digit lead by halftime, however, the Giants will most likely pack it in.

Who will win: New England (16)