Week 17 Takeaways for the 2024 NFL Season
Happy New Year everyone! Just one more game remains for each team with week 17 complete, and we’ve already seen many teams clinch and several players set records. The Eagles clinched their division despite losing another QB to injury. The Rams clinched theirs while sitting on their couches. Eagles RB Saquon Barkley reached 2000 yards and is closing in on Eric Dickerson’s single-season mark. Raiders TE Brock Bowers broke Mike Ditka’s rookie TE receiving yards record and Puka Nacua’s rookie receptions record. With that roundup complete, we can move on to all the playoff developments. Onward with my week 17 takeaways!
Chiefs and Ravens Highly Formidable on Christmas Day
Last week, Houston, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Kansas City all played on Saturday. Their hectic schedules continued, as they were the 4 teams featured on Christmas day. Unfortunately, we didn’t see very competitive football. That’s because the Chiefs and Ravens dominated the Steelers and Texans, respectively, on the road. We focused on the losers of these games last week because they lost then as well. In the spirit of holiday cheer, we’re going to examine the winners, who have now dispatched with two playoff contenders that reside in their conference in succession. We’ll start with the team that locked up the AFC’s #1 seed.
KC fans should be thrilled, because they just saw a season-best performance from QB Patrick Mahomes (29/38, 320 yards, 3 TDs). He was red-hot early before cruising late, getting TE Travis Kelce (8/84/1) and WR Xavier Worthy (8/79/1) involved with big days. This all came without much of a running game (3.5 YPC), which was extra encouraging. Defensively, the Chiefs didn’t have star DT Chris Jones, but that was no problem. Steelers QB Russell Wilson went down 5 times, with 2 sacks going to DE Mike Danna. Run defense (202 yards and a TD at 6.5 YPC) was a problem, but the pass defense excelled.
Already up 13-0, the Chiefs saw Pittsburgh drive down for a TD by RB Jaylen Warren (11/71), but a holding call brought it back. On the next play, S Justin Reid picked Wilson off in the end zone, and the Steelers never threatened again, even with WR George Pickens (3/59) back, falling 29-10. KC may also have solved its LT problem with an odd solution: elite LG Joe Thuney. RT Jawaan Taylor is still committing too many penalties, but Thuney did great on the blind side. That position switch has helped KC nab home-field advantage and a first-round bye, and it might be the thing that propels them toward a three-peat.
The second game was even less competitive. Houston, without WR Tank Dell and new waiver claim Diontae Johnson, faced an uphill battle, and they floundered. Early on, we saw how this game would go. Ravens RB Derrick Henry (27/147/1) was unstoppable, so QB Lamar Jackson (10/15, 168 yards, 2 TDs; 4/87/1 rushing) barely had to throw. Instead, he brought back his famous running skills, dashing for a 48-yard TD and surpassing Michael Vick for the most career rushing yards by a QB. Jackson added a 67-yard TD bomb to TE Mark Andrews for good measure, giving MVP voters quite a bit to think about.
Literally the only thing that went wrong for Baltimore was a great play by a Texans rookie CB. Kamari Lassiter somehow tackled Henry 1-on-1 in the end zone for a 4-yard loss and a safety. Baltimore’s defense, much maligned early in the season but better lately, made sure that those would be Houston’s only points. The Ravens obliterated Houston 31-2, controlling every phase of the game. With Pittsburgh’s loss, Baltimore is now just a win against the struggling Browns away from clinching their second consecutive AFC North title. Their success depends on the playoffs though, and Henry could push them over the top.
TNF Finale: Seahawks Win Ugly but (Deservedly) Eliminated Anyway
In a win-or-most-likely-go-home scenario, Seattle had to defeat the Bears in the rain without their top RB. Kenneth Walker was placed on IR, and though his replacements did alright, his absence clearly affected the offense. WR DK Metcalf (3/42) got in a fight with CB Tyrique Stevenson, TE Pharoah Brown lost a fumble, and the team managed just two field goals all game. Fortunately for the Seahawks, Chicago was much worse. QB Caleb Williams (16/28, 122 yards, INT; 5/37 rushing) had a poor day, missing several open receivers for would-be big gains. He also held the ball too long, taking 7 more sacks.
The Bears didn’t run the ball nearly enough to compensate for their struggles in the passing game. Defensively, the Bears were really good, notching 3 sacks and keeping Seattle out of the end zone all game. When they forced Brown’s fumble, CB Kyler Gordon thought he had a return TD, but it came off the board when he was determined to be down by contact upon picking up the ball (the fumble recovery stood). That really hurt, since Chicago needed the defense to score with the offense mustering a lone FG in a 6-3 loss. On top of that, the Bears simply made too many terrible mistakes to win this game.
Substitute LG Jake Curhan committed two crucial penalties; one was a hold that brought a TD back, while the other was a jump on 4th and 1. That let us see more clock management problems. Chicago brought out the punt team following the penalty and then wasted a timeout when they changed their minds. Williams converted while being chased, but then he dropped the next snap and took sack #7. In shades of the Thanksgiving game, the Bears let a ton of time come off between plays, and Williams eventually threw his first INT in 354 passes on a 4th-down desperation throw. Chicago passed on a 57-yard FG attempt to do it.
The fans booed their team throughout, as they didn’t sit in the rain for this. As far as Seattle is concerned, the defense was fantastic. They earned the 7 aforementioned sacks, including 2 by DT Leonard Williams despite being constantly double-teamed. However, that offense did not deserve a playoff spot. QB Geno Smith (17/23, 160 yards) battled admirably through knee pain, but they simply couldn’t score. On Saturday night, the Rams put their playoff hopes on life support with a win featuring a miraculous INT and a blocked punt, and tiebreakers finished the Seahawks off. They’d have been booted in the first playoff round anyway.
Chargers Clinch AFC’s Second Wild Card; One Spot Remains Available
When the Chargers summarily dispatched the lowly Patriots on Saturday, they wrapped up a wild card spot. The #7 seed became the last hope for the 4 teams remaining in the hunt: the Broncos, Bengals, Colts, and Dolphins. One Denver win would eliminate the other three, so all eyes were on the Broncos-Bengals matchup Saturday afternoon. That game had its ups and downs, but they led us to a 17-17 tie with 2:38 to go, at which point Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix (24/31, 219 yards, 3 TDs, INT; 7/31 rushing) made his worst throw on an INT. Cincinnati quickly reached the red zone and turned their attention to burning clock.
RB Chase Brown (20/67; 4/24 receiving) wisely slid at the 1 to burn time, but he hurt his ankle doing so. That saved Denver a timeout and changed the situation, forcing Cincy to score a TD as they wouldn’t be able to run out the clock. QB Joe Burrow snuck it in, and the Bengals were 1:29 from victory. Then, the defense that stung them all year struck again, allowing Nix to lead the Broncos on a 7-play, 70-yard scoring drive that ended with WR Marvin Mims Jr (8/103/2) outjumping two defenders for a TD. Thus, the game went to OT, where Denver surprisingly went 3 and out after winning the coin toss.
Cincinnati’s offense carried the day as usual. Burrow (39/49, 412 yards, 3 TDs; 4/25/1 rushing) had arguably his best game of the year despite being under constant pressure. Denver sacked him 7 times, including 3.5 by DE Zach Allen. Still, he led the team to a 33-yard FG attempt, which K Cade York doinked off the upright. Shockingly, the defense got another 3 and out, and Burrow finished the job. He fired a big pass to WR Tee Higgins (11/131/3) and then a TD to Higgins, eschewing another FG attempt and taking a 30-24 win. Along with WR Ja’Marr Chase (9/102) and TE Mike Gesicki (10/86), the offense saved the three 7-8 teams.
With the Bengals surviving, the Colts and Dolphins just had to win to stave off elimination. I thought the Colts would have an easy time with the league-worst Giants, especially with Joe Flacco starting at QB in place of an injured Anthony Richardson. Flacco (26/38, 330 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs) was fine, and he put up 33 points. However, the defense could not stop New York. QB Drew Lock (17/23, 309 yards, 4 TDs; rush TD) had his best ever game, and rookie WR Malik Nabers is a star. They combined to put up a season-high 45 points and claim their only home win of the season, eliminating Indianapolis in the process.
Miami, despite playing a 3-12 Browns team, seemed to have the tougher task. QB Tua Tagovailoa and WR Jaylen Waddle both missed the game with injuries, leaving Tyler Huntley to start. Huntley (22/26, 225 yards, TD; 7/52/1 rushing) didn’t lead to consistent scoring, but he was very efficient and led the team in rushing, so he gets no blame. The Dolphin defense demolished Cleveland’s offense. QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (24/47, 170 yards, INT) committed 3 intentional grounding penalties and is clearly not an NFL-caliber player. WR Jerry Jeudy had 94 yards but also several bad drops. Miami escaped 20-3 in an easy win.
So here’s where we stand with that last wild card spot. Denver is in with a win against Kansas City or losses by both the Dolphins and Bengals. The Chiefs appear to be resting their starters, which is a big boost for the Broncos. Should Denver fall, Miami is next in line and would take the #7 seed with a win over the Jets (Tagovailoa’s status for that game is uncertain). Only if both the Broncos and Dolphins fall can the Bengals swoop in with a victory over Pittsburgh (by far the hardest opponent among those faced by these teams). Based on how Miami and Cincinnati started though, having any chance in week 18 is a pleasant surprise.
Commanders Clinch for Themselves and Rams in OT Win over Falcons
Very few people thought we’d see this particular rookie QB duel between the Commanders and Falcons. Washington’s Jayden Daniels was always expected to be his team’s starter, but Michael Penix Jr shockingly got the job just last week for Atlanta. Penix looked overmatched on his first drive, sailing a pass right to S Quan Martin for an INT that set up a Washington touchdown. However, he settled down on the next drive with some help from the Commanders. He led a nice FG drive, but an offside penalty extended the possession and eventually led to a TD by RB Bijan Robinson on a direct snap (17/90/2).
The coaches did a great job supporting Penix in the first half. They relied on Robinson, who is fantastic, and the defense didn’t allow any more points to Washington, giving the Falcons a 17-7 halftime lead. After the break though, it was the Commanders’ coaching staff that made all the proper adjustments. Washington focused on Robinson, and he only received 6 carries in the second half. On offense, they put the ball in the hands of the standout Daniels as both a passer and a runner. The Commanders scored on three straight drives that lasted 5+ minutes each, while Atlanta did nothing but punt.
Daniels (24/36, 227 yards, 3 TDs, INT; 16/127 rushing) was sensational in the second half. Atlanta could simply not stop him or RB Brian Robinson (13/60) on the ground. With Falcons CB AJ Terrell shutting down WR Terry McLaurin (1/5), it was former Falcon Olamide Zaccheaus (8/85/1) who stepped up with a big day. Atlanta wasn’t done though. Penix (19/35, 223 yards, TD, INT) saved his best for last, feeding WR Drake London (7/106) on his way down the field. He first converted a 4th-and-11 to London. Then, after a wildcat snap fired over Robinson’s head for a loss of 22 near the goal line, he completed a 4th-down TD pass to TE Kyle Pitts.
As great as Penix looked on that drive (which ended with his first NFL TD pass), his coach didn’t help him at all. The Falcons had 2 timeouts yet let let 16 seconds run off the clock for no reason. They let 20 seconds burn at the end of the first half in the same situation. I don’t know why, but at least unlike Matt Eberflus on Thanksgiving, Falcons HC Raheem Morris admitted his error. After Washington had a very rapid 3 and out thanks to a Zaccheaus drop, Atlanta drove down again for a game-winning 56-yard FG attempt. K Riley Patterson couldn’t reach though, with the ball landing way short of the goalposts.
In OT, Washington won the toss, and the smile on Daniels’ face told you how this would end. With a mix of running (he broke RGIII’s rookie QB rushing record) and passing, Daniels led his team all the way to the 2, at which point he threw a TD pass to TE Zach Ertz (6/72/2), who looked reborn in this game. The Commanders’ win clinched a playoff berth for themselves but also won the NFC West for the Rams, who beat Seattle in a complex strength of victory tiebreaker. The reason Washington is here is simple: their new culture led by HC Dan Quinn and Daniels. With those two around, the future looks bright in DC (maybe literally).
Vikings Expose Packers Again, Set Up Battle with Detroit for #1 Seed
Anyone doubting whether Minnesota belongs in the elite tier of NFL teams should stop kidding themselves. I know the issue: people don’t trust QB Sam Darnold. We discussed this at length in week 14. The guy had a terrible batch of luck in ending up with the Jets and Panthers, but once he got good coaching, he started looking great. This game was no exception, with Darnold finishing 33/43 for a career-high 377 yards, 3 TDs, and an INT. He’s smart enough to make WRs Justin Jefferson (8/92) and Jordan Addison (6/69/1) the focal points of his attack, and he shredded a good Green Bay defense.
I disagree with most analysts about Green Bay as well. Whenever they play a great team, they come up short. In 4 games against the Vikings and Lions, they’re 0-4. Like last time, they made a furious garbage-time comeback against the Vikings, so the final score of 27-25 didn’t look bad. To me, that’s more about Minnesota taking their foot off the gas. You always want good teaching tape in a win, the Vikings have theirs here. Packers QB Jordan Love (19/30, 185 yards, TD) needs more teaching. His accuracy was suspect, and he didn’t do anything prior to the 4th quarter. As good as RB Josh Jacobs (17/69/1) is, he can’t be the whole offense.
The bottom line here is that Green Bay no longer controls the 6 seed. Washington does, and that’s important because the 7 seed goes to Philadelphia. I’d rather go to one of the Rams or Buccaneers, which is what the 6 seed will do. For Minnesota, the stakes are much bigger. They and Detroit face the same outcomes: either be the NFC North Champions and the 1 seed with a bye and home-field advantage or a 5th-seeded wild card going on the road. Which one will be determined by their SNF showdown next week. Either way, a 14-win team will be a wild card, which is insane. High stakes await the Lions and Vikings, and I can’t wait.