By: Lucas Camacho
Photo Credit: AP, USA Today, and Sports Illustrated
NFL RECAP WEEK 17
Twas the day before New Year’s, and all through the league teams began to think: “can we still make the playoffs…or are we heading for the drink…?” The list of playoff contenders has been greatly whittled down to a handful of teams. Some teams punched their tickets while others finally saw their playoff hopes come to an end. There is only one week left, Week 18, before postseason Football begins. Here’s a brief recap and analysis of each game during the last weekend of 2023.
JETS 20 – BROWNS 37
Against all odds, against all expectations, and despite all the beliefs going into the season that said otherwise: the Cleveland Browns are playoff bound. Browns quarterback Joe Flacco flipped the bird at Father Time once again with a brilliant performance throwing 309 yards for three touchdowns and an interception. The Browns have a lot to be proud of as they have assembled a team that thrives on playing the underdog. It’s hard to imagine a team with an 11-5 record having to settle for a wild card spot…until you remember they’re in the same division as the Baltimore Ravens. Still, they look ready for a playoff run, and…who knows…maybe this is the team that has the best chance at bringing the Ravens’ title aspirations to a grinding halt. As for the Jets, they had nothing to play for except pride. Turns out, they can’t play for that either. It’ll be an interesting offseason for the Jets as they try to cash in on whatever years Aaron Rodgers has left in the tank.
LIONS 19 – COWBOYS 20
The celebration of Detroit turned into cries of anguish. Three times, the Lions tried a 2-point conversation to win the game, but the first try is the one that hurt the most. A controversial penalty is not how you want a game to come down to (imagine if they called hitter interference on Kirk Gibson in the 1988 World Series). But a confusing set of circumstances involving who was eligible to be a receiver and who wasn’t determined who won this game. It wasn’t pretty for the Cowboys, but they’re in first place in their division and they now hold the prominent 2nd seed. Dak Prescott threw 345 yards for the Cowboys resulting in two touchdowns and an interception. We’ll see both of these teams in the playoffs, and there’s a chance that they’ll play each other again. Next time, it may take more than a controversial penalty for the Cowboys to overtake the Lions.
DOLPHINS 19 – RAVENS 56
The Dolphins had a chance to lock up their division and ride into the playoffs with a lot of momentum…and then they went to Baltimore. There appears to be little anyone can do to stop the juggernaut that has emerged from the AFC in the form of the Ravens. Years of early and heartbreaking endings to their postseason seems to fueling this Baltimore team with dramatic results. This looks to be the beginning of a great year for the Harbaugh family as Ravens coach John Harbaugh leads his team to a possible Super Bowl (while his little brother leads the Michigan Wolverines to the College Football National Championship). The Dolphins will have the chance to clinch their division next week. Meanwhile, the Ravens continue to roll with no team to pose a threat to them. They have the number one seed locked up, and quarterback Lamar Jackson seems to have a stranglehold on the MVP race after another stellar performance throwing 321 yards for five touchdowns (although he might not like it if someone brings up the fact he tripped over a referee at the NFL Honors next month).
PATRIOTS 21 – BILLS 27
It has been a grind for the Bills this season, and this game was no different. Buffalo avoided an upset against a pretty dismal Patriots team. Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe failed to throw a touchdown, but did throw three interceptions. It has been a hard couple of years trying to replace Tom Brady, and speculation continues to swirl on whether or not Bill Belichick returns next year. Meanwhile, the Bills will still have to sweat it out another week. They still have a small shot at the division, but they also still HAVE NOT punched their ticket to the playoffs yet. With time running out for the Bills to win a Super Bowl with Josh Allen, it’s all or nothing time starting next week.
FALCONS 17 – BEARS 37
This game felt like money for the Bears. They won the game and kept their playoff hopes alive. Unfortunately, a later result eliminated them from playoff contention. Still, it was a good game for the Bears as quarterback Justin Fields tries to make his case to remain the franchise’s quarterback (the Bears hold the number one pick in the next Draft thanks to their trade with the Carolina Panthers). Fields ended up throwing for 268 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions. Meanwhile, despite losing, the Falcons still have a small outside prayer of making the playoffs thanks to the Saints beating up the Buccaneers. It seems the race for the NFC South Division Title will also be a race for the last playoff spot in the NFC…and it will all come down to next week.
TITANS 3 – TEXANS 26
How much did the Texans miss CJ Stroud? Let me count the ways…okay, there are about 26 of them. Rookie of the Year frontrunner CJ Stroud returned to lead the Texans to a much needed victory over the Titans. 213 yards passing and only a touchdown doesn’t sound like much, but it rejuvenated the Texans’ offense which has slumped as of late. This sets the Texans up with a huge matchup of playoff implications between them and the Colts next week. The loser of that game will be eliminated from playoff contention. Meanwhile, it was another forgettable week for the Titans, who have only won one game on the road this season. There will be a lot of questions for the Titans as their offseason begins after next week.
RAIDERS 20 – COLTS 23
This was a game that the Colts had complete command of until the Raiders came storming back in the second half. However, the Raiders’ rally came up short as their playoff hopes came to an end while the Colts lived to fight another day. This wasn’t a pretty game for the Colts, who needed this game just as much as the Raiders. They’ll have to play better next week when the Texans come to town with the last playoff spot on the line. As for the Raiders, they have nothing to be ashamed of. Raiders quarterback Aidan O’Connell had an impressive performance throwing 299 yards and two touchdowns. There is still the case to keep interim coach Antonio Pierce as this was the Raiders’ first loss in three weeks. Because if the Raiders don’t hire him, what if coach Pierce takes his talents elsewhere…like to Los Angeles?
PANTHERS 0 – JAGUARS 26
The Jaguars needed a win with both the Colts and Texans breathing down their necks. They needed to beat a team they could easily beat down. Thankfully, they played the Panthers. Even without Trevor Lawrence, the Jaguars easily dismantled the Panthers. Running back Travis Etienne Jr. had his best game in a while, burning Carolina for 102 yards and two touchdowns. The Jaguars are still in control of their own destinies: all they have to do is win and the division crown is theirs. As for the Panthers, this is going to be a long offseason after next week. It’s hard not to imagine what would have happened if the Panthers had taken Stroud instead of Bryce Young. The worse part is that the Panthers don’t have a pick in the first round of the Draft. They’ll have to make big changes…but where to start is the real puzzle.
RAMS 26 – GIANTS 25
The late great Vin Scully, the poet laureate of Los Angeles, once said that nothing ever seemed to come easy for the Dodgers. It appears to also be true of the Rams. The already eliminated Giants gave the Rams a scare, but they managed to squeak out a win thanks to a missed field goal at the end of the game. Veteran kicker Mason Crosby failed to hit a field goal that would have won the game for the Giants in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. But fortune favored the Rams (even if Vin was right about nothing coming easy). Rams running back Kyren Williams ran for 87 yards, but rushed for three touchdowns in an eye-popping performance. Lots of questions will swirl around the Giants this offseason as they appear to be stuck in a rut. Meanwhile, the Rams have managed to punch a ticket to the postseason, against all odds and expectations. Now they don’t need to win against San Francisco, even though they suddenly have a chance to win with Christian McCaffrey already ruled out for next week.
CARDINALS 35 – EAGLES 31
The Eagles have to be shaking their heads about this. With a chance to put the division away and stay with the 49ers for the number one seed…the Eagles played flat football and lost to the lowly Cardinals in their home stadium. Eagles fans were stunned as the Cardinals played spoiler since the latter has been eliminated from playoff contention for weeks now. But the Eagles have been on a painful slide as of late dropping four of their last five games. Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray continues to build his case on staying the starting quarterback with the Cardinals projected to have a high Draft pick. Murray threw for 232 yards for three touchdowns and an interception. The Eagles are now chasing the Cowboys as their division race comes down to the final week of the season.
SAINTS 23 – BUCCANEERS 13
The Buccaneers finally pulled away last week in their extremely tight division race. They only had to win against the Saints. But…they instead got manhandled for a bone-crushing loss. The Saints managed to find a win when they desperately needed it most to keep their hopes of winning the division alive. The loss also keeps the Falcons in the race. It is safe to assume that only one of these three teams will make the playoffs, and that will be whoever wins the NFC South. The human Swiss Army Knife Taysom Hill caught a 22 yard pass for a touchdown for the Saints, and it’s a wonder they don’t use this versatile player more often.
49ERS 27 – COMMANDERS 10
The 49ers left little doubt this week as they claimed the number one seed in the NFC with a rout of the Commanders. There is some concern for the health of Christian McCaffrey for the playoffs, but the 49ers will have the bye to rest him and the rest of their players. Elijah Mitchell stepped in to pick up the slack at running back for the 49ers, carrying the ball 17 times for 80 yards and a touchdown. There was no need to try for the Commanders, already eliminated from playoff contention weeks ago. The question for the scandal-plagued team is where they go from here with so many parts of the roster having question marks.
STEELERS 30 – SEAHAWKS 23
With desperation setting in, the Steelers’ players responded to the challenge by winning a critical game on the road against the Seahawks. Steelers wide receiver George Pickens didn’t get a touchdown, but he did lead the drives down the field with 7 catches for 131 yards. The Steelers still need a lot of help, and their chances aren’t very good, but they have at least given themselves a chance. On the other side, the Seahawks are on the bubble. Their loss sent the Rams to the playoffs, and there’s only one wild card spot left. They’ll have to win next week if they want a chance to knock the Packers out of that last spot.
CHARGERS 9 – BRONCOS 16
This was a pitiful game on both sides, but we knew that going in. Both teams had to rely on backup quarterbacks with Justin Herbert done for the year and Russell Wilson being benched for some in-house drama. The Chargers probably did get some satisfaction knowing that the team that ended their playoff hopes by knocking out Justin Herbert also got eliminated from playoff contention. The Broncos winning couldn’t erase the miserable start to the season. Backup Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham did throw for 224 yards and a touchdown for a respectable showing. There will be a lot of questions for both teams when their offseason starts after next week, but there is one thing we can be sure of: there won’t be nearly as much drama for the Chargers as there will be for the Broncos…
BENGALS 17 – CHIEFS 25
It wasn’t pretty. It was ugly. But it was a win. That’s how the Chiefs can look at it after they finally locked up the division and a ticket to the playoffs. This was a relief to the defending champs, who have been playing uncharacteristically flat for good parts of the year. With the way things stand, they’re looking at a matchup against either the Bills or the Browns. As for the Bengals, it’s been real…it’s been fun…but your time is done. It was not a bad run for a Bengals team that everyone thought was eliminated weeks ago when star Quarterback Joe Burrow went down. Backup Jake Browning had the league talking as it looked like the Bengals might make it after all. However, the loss to the Steelers last week exposed flaws in Browning’s play that the Chiefs were able to exploit. Browning only managed to throw for 197 yards for a touchdown in this matchup. The Bengals can look to next year when their offseason begins next week. They may want to start with their offensive line so that this situation doesn’t happen again, because they will need a healthy Burrow if they want to return to the Super Bowl.
PACKERS 33 – VIKINGS 10
Who doesn’t love a divisional rivalry matchup to end what has been a great week of football? The Packers and Vikings faced off with a playoff spot on the line. In the end, however, the Packers were the better team as they routed the Vikings. Jordan Love led the Packers throwing 256 yards for three touchdowns. The Packers currently hold the last wild card spot after the Rams punched their ticket to the playoffs. They control their own destiny going into next week. As for the Vikings, they are down but not out. They face a similar situation to the Steelers: both teams need a win and both teams need a LOT of help. If the Vikings do want to move forward, they will need to find something from the quarterback position as every attempt to replace the injured Kirk Cousins has been futile.