Daily Freeman (Kingston, NY)

Game of the Millennium in Pittsburgh? Not quite

- By Barry Wilner

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, very possibly, a big dud.

Until their flop in Miami on Monday night, the way the New England Patriots were performing was the way so many predicted they would heading into the season: a powerhouse. And how the Pittsburgh Steelers were squeezing past inferior foes brought into question whether they could slow down the Foxborough freight train.

Then the Dolphins did so 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 halfdozen 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. Cowboys at Raiders

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. Rams at Seahawks

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. Packers at Panthers

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 5½ sacks in the past four games against his former team, and LB Luke Kuechly (100 tackles in six straight seasons.) Falcons at Buccaneers (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 seasonbest 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. Bengals at Vikings

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. Texans at Jaguars

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 firstround 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, are down to their third quarterbac­k, T.J. Yates. Titans at 49ers

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. Dolphins at Bills

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.

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