Most days this week have had a Sunday feel with NFL games Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.
After four dull games to kick off the Week 17 slate, the Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos provided one of the best games of the 2024 season. Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins connected for three touchdowns, including the walk-off score in overtime to keep the Bengals’ playoff hopes alive. The Broncos now need a win against the Kansas City Chiefs in the regular-season finale to clinch a playoff spot.
The Chiefs might not play their starters, however, after securing the No. 1 seed with a dominant victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Christmas Day. Patrick Mahomes picked apart Pittsburgh’s defense to let the football public know Kansas City is set to contend for a third consecutive Super Bowl. But at least the Steelers put up a better effort than the Houston Texans, who were shut out offensively against the Baltimore Ravens during the second game on Christmas.
In the early game Saturday, Jim Harbaugh’s Los Angeles Chargers clinched a playoff berth after cruising on the road against the New England Patriots. After a slow start, the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals gave us a dramatic finish to conclude Saturday’s tripleheader. The Rams are now in a strong position to clinch the NFC West if Sunday’s scoreboard breaks their way.
The Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears did engage in a one-score game Thursday, but football fans might have turned off the TV midway through Seattle’s ugly 6–3 victory in Chicago. Seattle has slim hopes for the NFC West crown after the Rams’ victory over the Cardinals.
Here’s everything you need to know about the second to last week of the regular season.
SATURDAY
Bengals 30, Broncos 24, OT
My take: Cincinnati (8–8) took a giant step to becoming the team that no one will want to face in the postseason after defeating Denver (9–7) in thrilling fashion. Joe Burrow had a 400-yard passing performance and outdueled rookie quarterback Bo Nix to keep the Bengals’ slim playoff hopes alive, which appeared bleak after Tee Higgins’s lost fumble in the fourth quarter and after Cade York’s missed field goal in overtime. This chaotic matchup had many highs and lows, including Nix throwing a costly interception only to make up for it with a score-tying, 25-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Mims Jr. to send the game into the extra session. The Bengals eventually put the game away with Burrow connecting with Higgins for the walk-off score. They are now only one game behind the Broncos in the standings for the seventh and final playoff spot. Plenty still needs to happen for the Bengals to advance, but football fans are closer to possibly seeing a wild-card showdown between Burrow and Josh Allen or Burrow and Lamar Jackson.
Stock up: The trio of Burrow (412 passing yards, four total touchdowns), Ja’Marr Chase (nine catches, 102 yards) and Higgins (11 catches, 131 yards, three touchdowns) stepped up to save the Bengals’ season. Higgins had a costly lost fumble, but made up for it with a clutch 31-yard reception in overtime before the game-winning, three-yard touchdown catch. The Bengals’ playoff hopes are alive and well, and no one will want to see this trio in the postseason.
Stock down: Hindsight is 20/20, but Broncos coach Sean Payton should have gone for two at the end of regulation. Nix (24-of-31, 219 yards, three touchdowns and one interception) flashed two fingers thinking Payton was going to go for the gutsy two-point conversion. The Broncos did have opportunities to win the game in overtime, but Payton is going to be thinking about the safe approach after the Nix-to-Mims connection. Now the Broncos need to beat the Chiefs in Week 18 to secure a playoff spot, which could be likely if Kansas City chooses to rest its starters after clinching the AFC’s top seed on Christmas Day.
Up Next: Bengals at Steelers, TBD time and date; Chiefs at Broncos, TBD time and date
Rams 13, Cardinals 9
My take: Los Angeles (10–6) could be starting Week 18 with the NFC West title because it handled business Saturday night against Arizona (7–9). The Rams caught a break after a Kyler Murray pass bounced off the helmet of Trey McBride and turned into an interception for Ahkello Witherspoon in the end zone during the final 37 seconds of regulation. If the strength of victory tiebreaker goes L.A.’s way after Sunday’s games, coach Sean McVay would have the option of sitting his starters for the regular-season finale against the Seahawks to prepare for a home wild-card game. Stud wideout Puka Nacua (10 catches, 129 yards) could use the day off after carrying the Rams’ offense during a sluggish outing at SoFi Stadium. Murray and the Cardinals were in position to play spoiler, but struggled to break through against the Rams’ ascending defense.
Stock up: The Rams’ defense will be a problem for opposing teams in the postseason. Los Angeles’s impressive pass rushers combined for four sacks, but no play was bigger than Witherspoon’s game-saving interception in the end zone. The Rams gave up yards to McBride (12 catches, 123 yards, one touchdown), but played stout in the red zone for most of the game.
Stock down: Murray (33-of-48, 321 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions) had another uneven performance in a season filled with disappointment. McBride took the blame for the dropped pass, but Murray deserves some blame for putting too much heat on the pass. A softer pass probably would have given the Cardinals the victory and would have made Seattle fans happy.
Up Next: Seahawks at Rams, TBD time and date; 49ers at Cardinals, TBD time and date
Chargers 40, Patriots 7
My take: Los Angeles (10–6) finally left its conservative ways thanks to the lack of pressure from New England (3–13). Justin Herbert showed off his arm throughout the game, throwing a 40-yard bomb to rookie sensation Ladd McConkey to extend the lead by 20 points in the third quarter. It was the first time this season that Herbert threw for at least three touchdowns in a game, surprising for a quarterback of Herbert's caliber. We shouldn’t get carried away about the Chargers beating up on the Patriots, but it’s clear this offense is different with J.K. Dobbins in the backfield—Dobbins returned after missing the prior four games due to a knee injury. It remains to be seen whether this Chargers offense will be enough in the postseason, but they’re always going to have a chance with Herbert on the field.
Stock up: Jim Harbaugh quickly got the Chargers into the postseason. They were a five-win team with a poor defense last season and entered 2024 with a depleted offense because tough decisions were made to repair the salary cap. Even with all of those obstacles, Harbaugh again showed why he’s the master at getting fast results as a coach. Harbaugh’s team will be dangerous in the postseason because of Herbert’s connection with McConkey and a top-10 defense thriving under defensive coordinator Jesse Minter.
Stock down: Jerod Mayo needs to prioritize both sides of the trenches once the Patriots’ season ends next week. It also remains to be seen if Mayo gets a second season as the head coach because of how poorly it went in 2024. But if he’s back, the results won’t change without better pass rushers and offensive linemen. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye is the real deal, showing that with a 36-yard touchdown to DeMario Douglas, but Maye was constantly under pressure during Saturday’s rout.
Up Next: Chargers at Raiders, TBD time and date; Bills at Patriots, TBD time and date
THURSDAY
Seahawks 6, Bears 3
My take: Both teams should burn the game tape from this ugly game that didn’t have a touchdown. The Seahawks (9–7) kept their playoff hopes alive with the victory, but if they’re in contention after the Week 17 results, this version of Geno Smith (17-of-23, 160 yards, no touchdowns) won’t get it down next week against the Rams, a matchup that could decide the NFC West. Smith struggled with accuracy and DK Metcalf (three catches, 42 yards) failed to keep his cool against the Bears (4–12). But the bigger story from this game is the latest stinker from rookie Caleb Williams, the No. 1 pick in April’s draft. Williams (16-of-28, 122 yards, no touchdowns) missed several throws and had a brutal interception to end Chicago’s comeback hopes on the final drive.
Stock up: Mike Macdonald’s defense was the lone bright spot for the Seahawks, allowing only 179 total yards and forcing the Bears to punt seven times. Leonard Williams had two of Seattle’s seven sacks against Chicago’s abysmal offensive line. The Seahawks’ defense had a bounce-back performance after back-to-back weeks of struggling against the Packers and Vikings.
Stock down: The Bears’ offensive line has hindered the team’s developmental plan for Williams, who has been sacked a league-high 67 times. Chicago could be on the wrong side of history next week if Williams ties or breaks David Carr’s record of taking 76 sacks in a season, which occurred in 2002.
Up Next: Seahawks at Rams, TBD time and date; Bears at Packers, TBD time and date
WEDNESDAY
Ravens 31, Texans 2
My take: Baltimore (11–5) took over sole possession of first place in the AFC North, shutting out the Houston (9–7) offense. Lamar Jackson (168 passing yards, 87 rushing yards, three total touchdowns) jokingly apologized to his defense for allowing the two points that occurred on a safety. C.J. Stroud (17-of-31, 185 yards, no touchdown, one interception) admitted that the Christmas performance was one of the worst games of his career. It doesn’t appear that the Texans will fix their offensive issues any time soon, possibly leading to an early playoff exit for the AFC South champions. The Ravens could have a lengthy playoff run now that the defense is playing as well as the offense.
Stock up: This is no longer the same Ravens’ secondary that was constantly getting beat downfield during the first 10 weeks of the season. Marlon Humphrey, who had an interception against Stroud, could find himself on an All-Pro team in a few weeks with how well he’s played during the second half of the season.
Stock down: Joe Mixon was the lone consistent playmaker for the Texans during the first half of the season. But he has struggled in the past three games, failing to rush for more than 57 yards against the Ravens, Chiefs and Dolphins. Mixon has 993 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns this season.
Up Next: Browns at Ravens, TBD time and date; Texans at Titans, TBD time and date
Chiefs 29, Steelers 10
My take: The Chiefs (15–1) are the best team in the NFL, a statement that hasn’t been said often this season. Once again, Kansas City is saving its best performances for when it matters most. Patrick Mahomes and his passing game have broken out of their funk, with Mahomes throwing for 320 yards and three touchdowns in Pittsburgh. As for the Steelers (10–6), they appear headed for another one-and-done postseason. Russell Wilson couldn’t get anything going against a stout Chiefs’ defense without Chris Jones, who was ruled out with a calf injury.
Stock up: Xavier Worthy could be a dangerous weapon come the postseason. The rookie first-round receiver has taken advantage of the better matchups he has seen since Hollywood Brown returned from injury in Week 16 against the Texans. Worthy recorded eight catches for 79 yards and one touchdown against the Steelers.
Stock down: Wilson’s moon shots are no longer hitting. The veteran quarterback averaged only 5.5 yards per attempt against Kansas City. Wilson rushed throws against pressure and had a killer interception in the end zone during the first half.
Up Next: Chiefs at Broncos, TBD time and date; Bengals at Steelers, TBD time and date
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as NFL Week 17 Recap: Who’s Up, Who’s Down, What’s Next for Every Team.