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NFL Week 17 open thread

The NFL season has reached its final Sunday. There are still three divisions to be decided and playoff berths to be won. Cal alum "Riverboat" Ron Rivera will try to nab one of those playoff spots for his Carolina Panthers against the Atlanta Falcons.

Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports

The final Sunday of the NFL regular season has arrived. The playoff picture is still not completely clear.  There are three division titles up for grabs today: the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers will decide the NFC North champion at Lambeau Field; the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals will decide the AFC North winner in Pittsburgh; and, last but certainly not least (okay, maybe it is least in the eyes of many), the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers will play for the honor of NFC South champion and being the second sub-.500 division winner in NFL history.  As for wild card playoff spots, the San Diego Chargers, Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, and Kansas City Chiefs all remain alive in the AFC.  The Chargers are the only team of the four to control their own destiny: if San Diego wins at Kansas City, they're in.  For all of your playoff scenarios, including who can clinch first round byes and how, see here.

Also of interest to some might be the San Francisco 49ers matchup with the Arizona Cardinals today.  True, the 49ers are not going to the playoffs.  But the worst kept secret in football is that this will be Jim Harbaugh's final game as the 49ers' head coach.  Where will he be next year? Another NFL team? Or will the University of Michigan convince him to return to college coaching?

UPDATE: Multiple sources report that Jim Harbaugh will, indeed, become the new head coach at the University of Michigan.

However, FOX's Jay Glazer and ESPN's Adam Schefter have both reported that Harbaugh to Michigan is not yet a "done deal." Stay tuned!

Here is the full schedule of today's week 17 NFL action:

SUNDAY, DEC. 28
GAME TIME/SCORE TV LOCATION
Cleveland at Baltimore 1:00 pm CBS M&T Bank Stadium
Chicago at Minnesota 1:00 pm FOX TCF Bank Stadium
Jacksonville at Houston 1:00 pm FOX NRG Stadium
Indianapolis at Tennessee 1:00 pm CBS LP Field
Dallas at Washington 1:00 pm FOX FedEx Field
New Orleans at Tampa Bay 1:00 pm FOX Raymond James Stadium
San Diego at Kansas City 1:00 pm CBS Arrowhead Stadium
N.Y. Jets at Miami 1:00 pm CBS Sun Life Stadium
Buffalo at New England 1:00 pm CBS Gillette Stadium
Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants 1:00 pm FOX MetLife Stadium
Oakland at Denver 4:25 pm CBS Sports Authority Field
St. Louis at Seattle 4:25 pm FOX CenturyLink Field
Detroit at Green Bay 4:25 pm FOX Lambeau Field
Arizona at San Francisco 4:25 pm FOX Levi's Stadium
Carolina at Atlanta 4:25 pm CBS Georgia Dome
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh 8:30 pm NBC Heinz Field

Enjoy the games.  Talk about them here, especially the exploits of our numerous Cal alumni in the NFL.

Here is the full list of Cal alumni in the NFL:

Lorenzo Alexander (LB), Arizona Cardinals
Keenan Allen (WR), San Diego Chargers
Tyson Alualu (DE), Jacksonville Jaguars
C.J. Anderson (RB), Denver Broncos
Bryan Anger (P), Jacksonville Jaguars
Desmond Bishop (LB), San Francisco 49ers
Chris Conte (FS), Chicago Bears
Brian De La Puente (C), Chicago Bears
Thomas DeCoud (FS), Carolina Panthers
Justin Forsett (RB), Baltimore Ravens

DeSean Jackson (WR), Washington Redskins

Marvin Jones (WR), Cincinnati Bengals (INJURED RESERVE)
Cameron Jordan (DE), New Orleans Saints
Mychal Kendricks (OLB), Philadelphia Eagles
L.P. LaDouceur (LS), Dallas Cowboys
Marshawn Lynch (RB), Seattle Seahawks
Alex Mack (C), Cleveland Browns (INJURED RESERVE)
Chris McCain (LB), Miami Dolphins
Brandon Mebane (DT), Seattle Seahawks
Mike Mohamed (LB), Houston Texans
Aaron Rodgers (QB), Green Bay Packers
Richard Rodgers (TE), Green Bay Packers
Jeremy Ross (WR), Detroit Lions
Mitchell Schwartz (OT), Cleveland Browns
Brian Schwenke (C), Tennessee Titans
Craig Stevens (TE), Tennessee Titans
Nick Sundberg (LS), Washington Redskins
Will Ta’ufo’ou (FB), Jacksonville Jaguars
Shane Vereen (RB), New England Patriots
Steve Williams (CB), San Diego Chargers