James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.

We're hitting the final stretch of the NFL regular season. Playoff teams are being finalized, bad teams are praying their draft position isn't ruined with a surprise win, and everyone left in the middle is just waiting to see how this plays out.

There are a few major games to circle on the calendar this weekend in how this could all shake out. The first is Chiefs vs. Texans, where Patrick Mahomes is going to stunningly play with a high ankle sprain. There's no doubt Kansas City needs Mahomes if they want to try and keep home field advantage through the playoffs, while the Texans honestly don't have a lot to play for after clinching the AFC South other than making a statement.

We then head to Vikings vs. Seahawks, which has some pretty wild ramifications. Minnesota would desperately love to find a backdoor into winning the NFC North and potentially have the best record in the NFC -- while Seattle is in desperate need of a win if they hope to have any shot of passing the Rams and making the postseason. Los Angeles plays the Jets this week, making this a must-win for the Seahawks.