NFL Football Games on Saturday

As the NFL enters its business end of the season, many teams are still fighting for playoff seeding while others are looking to avoid elimination. While college football games typically dominate the Saturday schedule at this time of year, there are a handful of NFL contests as well. The biggest of those will be a Week 17 matchup between the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys, with the winner locking up the NFC East title and a first-round bye.

The game will kick off at 4:30 p.m. ET and air on both ESPN and ABC. Here’s everything you need to know about the matchup, including TV and streaming options.

This one should be a fun affair. Michigan hasn’t been the dominant team of recent, say 2020 vintage, but it can still make a statement against Alabama. The Crimson Tide will be shorthanded with QB Taulia Tagovailoa off to the NFL, but LBs Junior Colson and Michael Barrett along with TE Amari Niblack should give the Wolverines some issues.

Meanwhile, Washington has a solid group of playmakers led by WR Rome Odunze and TE Ja’Lynn Polk. That group will test a Texas secondary that has been vulnerable to the pass. The Huskies can also run it if necessary, though they’ll probably struggle against LB Jaylan Ford and the Longhorns front line.

While Michigan is a slight favorite here, there is plenty at stake for both teams. The Cowboys, meanwhile, need to win out (vs. Lions, at Commanders) and hope that the Eagles lose one of their final two games (at Cardinals, at Giants). The Redskins are in the same boat as the Cowboys — they need to win out, but they have a tough road ahead of them against the Rams and Saints.

The other major Saturday contest is the Music City Bowl between Auburn and Maryland. The Tigers are in the thick of the SEC’s playoff hunt, while the Terrapins have a good shot at the Big Ten crown. They arrive in Nashville shorthanded, but LBs Billy Edwards and Cam Edge should help solve an Auburn defense that’s been good on most days but has struggled against the league’s top passing units.