Week 17 of the NFL season has been a gauntlet. With FIVE days of football spanning Wednesday to Monday, some teams have clinched while many have seen their playoff picture become clearer. Where do things currently stand after Week 17?
NFC Playoff Race | Week 17
1. Detroit Lions (14-2)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
3. Los Angeles Rams (10-6)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)
5. Minnesota Vikings (14-2)
6. Washington Commanders (11-5)
7. Green Bay Packers (11-5)
In The Hunt
9. Atlanta Falcons (8-7)
Eliminated From Playoffs
8. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
10. Dallas Cowboys (7-9)
11. Arizona Cardinals (7-9)
12. San Francisco 49ers (6-10)
13. New Orleans Saints (5-11)
14. Chicago Bears (4-12)
15. Carolina Panthers (4-12)
16. New York Giants (3-13)
AFC Playoff Race | Week 17
1. Kansas City Chiefs (15-1)
2. Buffalo Bills (13-3)
3. Baltimore Ravens (11-5)
4. Houston Texans (9-7)
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6)
6. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6)
7. Denver Broncos (9-7)
In the Hunt
8. Miami Dolphins (8-8)
9. Cincinnati Bengals (8-8)
Eliminated From Playoffs
10. Indianapolis Colts (7-9)
11. New York Jets (4-12)
12. Las Vegas Raiders (4-12)
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12)
14. Cleveland Browns (3-13)
15. Tennessee Titans (3-13)
16. New England Patriots (3-13)
Updated Week 17 Results and Recap
Chiefs Roll on Christmas
Another week, another one-possession win for the Chiefs. Kansas City has now won 16 straight one-score games. For reference, the Jaguars have 16 one-score wins since Mahomes debuted in 2017, and there are five teams that don’t even have 16 one-score wins this decade.
While much of the talk over the last week was about Patrick Mahomes’ injured ankle, he looked fine in Kansas City’s Week 16 win over the Texans. In fact, he even recorded his longest rushing touchdown of the season — a 15-yard scamper in the first quarter.
So, why are the 15-1 back-to-back defending champions sitting at No. 7 in these rankings? Well, despite having the NFL’s best record, PFN’s model isn’t particularly high on the Chiefs due to their weak schedule to this point and mediocre Offense+, Defense+, and Special Teams+ rankings.
Buccaneers Blowout Panthers
The Buccaneers’ offense was clicking on all cylinders in Week 17, defeating the Panthers 48-14. Baker Mayfield completed 27 of 32 passes for 359 yards, five touchdowns, and zero interceptions, while Mike Evans recorded eight receptions for 97 yards and two touchdowns and Bucky Irving had 20 carries for 113 yards.
Since the Bucs beat the Panthers and the Falcons lost to the Commanders on Sunday Night Football, Week 17 played out perfectly for Tampa Bay. Now, the Buccaneers once again control their destiny. With a win over the Saints in Week 18, Tampa Bay clinches the NFC South. It could also remain in contention for the No. 3 seed.
While this may seem high for the Buccaneers, PFN’s model loves their third-ranked offense and the fact that they have quality wins over the Lions, Eagles, Commanders, and Chargers.
Chargers Clinch the Playoffs
Los Angeles blew out the Patriots 40-7 in Week 17, clinching a playoff spot.
However, it is hard to know what to make of this Chargers team. Los Angeles is a well-coached team with a terrific defense, but they have played one of the easiest schedules in the NFL.
Fun fact: the Chargers are just 2-4 against teams above .500 (with both wins coming against the Broncos in Weeks 6 and 16). It will be interesting to see how L.A. fares in the postseason.
Eagles Dominate Cowboys
While the Eagles’ 10-game winning streak came to an end last week against the division-rival Commanders after Jalen Hurts exited the game with a concussion, Philly got back on track in Week 17. Even with Hurts sidelined, the Eagles destroyed the Cowboys, 41-7.
DeVonta Smith caught six passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns, A.J. Brown caught a TD as well, and Saquon Barkley rushed for 167 yards. Now, in Week 18 against the Giants, Barkley needs just 101 yards against his former team to break Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record.
Vikings Crush Packers
Entering the season, sportsbooks had the Vikings’ over/under set at 6.5 wins. Now, after defeating the Packers in Week 17, they have won 14 games and have a real shot at winning the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
The Vikings are the biggest surprise of the 2024 season, and Sam Darnold looks poised for a lucrative payday this offseason. The big question is whether it’ll be with Minnesota (who just drafted J.J. McCarthy with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft) or another team.
The Packers have had the NFL’s hardest schedule to this point, yet they are still 11-5. It’s worth noting that Green Bay’s only losses have come against other teams ranked inside the top five: against the Eagles in Week 1, the Vikings in Weeks 4 and 17, and the Lions in Weeks 9 and 14. Also, two of those losses came with Jordan Love hobbled by injuries.
That’s the downside of playing in the NFL’s toughest division. While they are in third place in the NFC North, the Packers are a legitimate contender.