Falcons- 34
Buccaneers- 32
These two NFC South teams have been a hotbed of production for fantasy players but a disappointment on the field and in the standings. Both the Falcons and Buccaneers had clinched a losing record well before this meaningless game and the lack of defense that was on display Sunday was one reason why. Tampa Bay finished the season with the top passing offense in the league and QB Jameis Winston drew a vote of confidence prior to the game as a report suggested he would be the team’s starter in 2019. That could be in question now because following the Tampa Bay loss, HC Dirk Koetter was quickly fired, ending his three-year run as the team’s head coach.
This was a game of runs as the Bucs scored the first 17 points of the game before the Falcons built a 31-20 fourth-quarter lead. Winston brought his team back and took the lead before the Falcons answered and got a field goal as time expired to steal the win.
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Winston finished with 345 yards and four touchdowns, while RB Peyton Barber rushed for 66 scoreless yards. With veteran WR DeSean Jackson missing the game, that led to a huge day for second-year WR Chris Godwin, who caught six passes for 114 yards and two touchdowns. Buccaneers top WR Mike Evans nearly matched Godwin’s stat line with his 6/106/2.
Atlanta QB Matt Ryan had a monster day. Not only did he throw for 378 yards and two touchdowns, but he also caught his first career pass, which went for a touchdown. WR Julio Jones caught nine passes for 138 yards and a score while WR Calvin Ridley posted a 5/32/1 line, catching his 10th touchdown of the year. RB Tevin Coleman totaled 54 yards and a touchdown in what is likely his final game with the Falcons.
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Bills- 42
Dolphins- 17
This was another game matching divisional foes with nothing of substance to play for. While the Dolphins were trending down in the second half of the season and HC Adam Gase is reportedly on the hot seat, the Bills have shown signs of life as rookie QB Josh Allen has surprised the league with his leadership and rushing ability. The Bills built a 14-0 first-quarter lead and although the Dolphins matched their two touchdowns to tie the game at the half, Buffalo outscored the Dolphins 28-3 after the break to run away with the game, winning their fourth in the past seven games.
Allen has had some amazing performances, mostly thanks to his rushing skills, since returning from an elbow injury. This was his best though. Not only did Allen lead the team with 95 rushing yards and two touchdowns, but he also passed for 224 yards and a career-high three scores. Veteran RB LeSean McCoy was once again ineffective, rushing for only 26 yards on 10 carries. The Bills young WR duo of Zay Jones (6/93/2) and Robert Foster (4/21/1) continued to play well, showing they’ll be an important part of the team’s 2019 plans.
Gase is not the only Dolphins rumored to be on the way out as Miami is reportedly unwilling to pay the lofty 2019 salary of QB Ryan Tannehill. Regardless, the longtime starter played the entire game, passing for 147 scoreless yards and throwing two interceptions. RB Kenyan Drake drew 16 touches and totaled 95 yards, while rookie RB Kalen Ballage rushed for 47 yards. No wide receiver had more than 27 receiving yards.
Panthers- 33
Saints- 14
The Saints were one of the few teams that entered Week 17 with a playoff spot locked up and their seed already decided. Having clinched the NFC’s top spot, the Saints rested many key players, including QB Drew Brees and RB Alvin Kamara. The Saints essentially didn’t care about the outcome of this game and it showed. Carolina, losers of seven straight entering this game and starting their third-string undrafted rookie QB Kyle Allen, built a 30-0 lead before the Saints put points on the board in the fourth quarter.
Albeit against a mix of starters and reserves, Allen was quite impressive, passing for 228 yards and two touchdowns and running for another score. Superstar RB Christian McCaffrey amassed a quick 40 yards on five touches and hardly saw the field again after the first drive. Veteran backup RB Cameron Artis-Payne led the team with 56 rushing yards and a touchdown while rookie WR D.J. Moore caught four passes for 81 yards. WR Curtis Samuel chipped in a 2/72/1 line while rookie TE Ian Thomas added 61 yards and a touchdown on five receptions. WR Devin Funchess, in likely his last game as a Panther, was a healthy scratch.
With Brees sitting, backup QB Teddy Bridgewater got a chance to start a game for the first time since 2015 before he suffered the leg injury that threatened his career. Set to enter free agency following the season, this was viewed as a chance for Bridgewater to showcase his game but that didn’t go as planned. The former Vikings QB finished with 118 passing yards and a touchdown. His market this offseason might not be what he had hoped. Backup RB Dwayne Washington rushed for 106 yards on 11 carries while rookie WR Tre’Quan Smith’s 30 yards and a touchdown was enough to lead the New Orleans pass catchers. WR Michael Thomas (5/29) played into the fourth quarter as he looked to set the team record for single-season receiving yards, which he finally did near the end of the game. Thomas finishes the regular season with 1,405 yards, breaking the record formerly held by WR Joe Horn.
Cowboys- 36
Giants- 35
This was truly one of the more confusing games of the day. Maybe of the season. Along with the Saints, the Cowboys entered the week as the only other team to be locked into a playoff position. Dallas was the fourth seed, having clinched the NFC East and had no opportunity to move up, win or lose. When RB Ezekiel Elliott was named among the Cowboys’ inactives prior to the game, it appeared as if the Cowboys would be resting their key players. They didn’t. QB Dak Prescott, WR Amari Cooper and the rest of the Dallas key contributors played the entire game and still barely beat a Giants team that won five games all year. From the New York perspective, despite multiple reports suggesting veteran QB Eli Manning would return as the team’s starter next season, you have to start planning for the future. In this game, that should’ve meant giving rookie QB Kyle Lauletta the start. Or the second-half. Or a series. Nope, nada. Lauletta didn’t see the field as Manning passed for 301 yards and two scores. Also, as the announcers pointed out several times, Manning used some pre-game time to take pictures with his family on the field, which they suggested could mean he is considering retirement.
Apart from all of that confusion, the game was enjoyable, high-scoring and back and forth. The two teams combined for 32 fourth-quarter points and three lead changes, culminating with a diving touchdown catch by WR Cole Beasley that was originally ruled incomplete before it was reversed via replay. Prescott passed for 387 yards and four touchdowns. Three of those scores went to TE Blake Jarwin, who entered the game with no career touchdowns. He finished with seven catches for 119 yards. Beasley posted a 6/94/1 line, while Cooper had another quiet game, catching only five of his team-high 11 targets for 31 yards. RB Rod Smith started in place of Elliott and totaled 49 yards and a touchdown.
This game capped off a tremendous rookie season for RB Saquon Barkley, who became the third rookie running back in league history to eclipse 2,000 yards from scrimmage. He also broke RB Reggie Bush’s record for receptions by a rookie with 91. Barkley totaled 142 yards and a touchdown, which he scored on a dramatic leap from the three-yard line. TE Evan Engram had a nice game, as he does when WR Odell Beckham is out of the lineup, finishing with 81 yards and a touchdown on five receptions.
Patriots- 38
Jets- 3
The Patriots needed to win this rivalry game to lock themselves into the second seed in the AFC and ensure themselves a first-round bye. They left no doubt from the start of the game. This game was never close as the Patriots built a 21-3 halftime lead and piled on after the break. The Jets and rookie QB Sam Darnold were missing multiple pass catchers on offense and it showed. After a string of solid games from the rookie, he took a step back in the finale.
Patriots QB Tom Brady passed for 250 yards and four scores, spreading the ball around as usual. WR Julian Edelman led the team with 69 yards and a touchdown on five grabs while WR Chris Hogan (6/64) and WR Phillip Dorsett (5/34/1) were solid contributors. TE Rob Gronkowski flopped once again, managing 24 yards on two receptions. RB James White totaled 69 yards and a touchdown and rookie RB Sony Michel rushed for 50 scoreless yards to lead the Pats.
The Jets had very little offense from this game to be encouraged about as they enter the offseason. Darnold passed for 167 scoreless yards while RB Robby Anderson caught three passes for 24 yards. RB Elijah McGuire had been playing well but got stuck with just 65 yards on 20 touches.
While the Patriots move on to the playoffs, the Jets are also ready to move on. Soon after the conclusion of the game, the team announced they had parted ways with their head coach of the past four years Todd Bowles.
Texans- 20
Jaguars- 3
This is yet another game that was over before it started. The Texans had a slight chance to earn a first-round bye but needed the Patriots to lose. With that out of the question rather quickly, Houston cruised to an easy win after building a 17-3 halftime lead. The story of this game came afterward, but more on that in a moment.
Texans QB Deshaun Watson passed for 234 yards and led the team in rushing with 66 yards and a touchdown. Houston also had veteran RB Lamar Miller back in the lineup after missing last week. He rushed for 56 yards and a score. WR DeAndre Hopkins set new career-highs for the season thanks in part to his 147 yards and 12 receptions in this game.
The Jaguars went back to QB Blake Bortles, who reminded everyone why he was benched in the first place, passing for just 107 scoreless yards. Bortles also sadly led the team in rushing with 15 yards. Some news following the Jaguars loss as director of football operations Tom Coughlin announced that both HC Doug Marrone and GM Dave Caldwell would return despite the team’s struggles this season. Also noteworthy, the old school Coughlin had heated words for RBs Leonard Fournette and T.J. Yeldon, who were spotted sitting on the bench while the Jags had the ball on offense. Fournette was inactive for the game and Yeldon did not touch the ball. The pair seemed uninterested in the play on the field and Coughlin called their behavior “unbecoming of a professional football player.” Yeldon is set to enter free agency and has long been presumed to leave the team for a better situation but Fournette’s situation is tricky. The team has recently informed the former top-five pick that they have voided the future guarantees in his contract following his suspension last month. Where this leads is unclear but the team is obviously not happy with their starting back and he can’t be pleased with the situation himself. Anything that resulted in Fournette playing for a new team would likely be an upgrade for his fantasy value.
Lions- 31
Packers- 0
The back half of the season had been so bad for the Lions that rumors of HC Matt Patricia losing his job were starting to pop up. If Week 17 matters, he’ll get another year to turn the franchise around. This matchup of disappointing teams was dominated by the Lions and the Packers were shut out and lost QB Aaron Rodgers to a concussion early in the second quarter. The Packers were also without WR Davante Adams, who missed the game with a knee injury, causing him to fall short of breaking the franchise record for receptions.
When Rodgers left, he was replaced by backup QB DeShone Kizer, who passed for 132 yards and led the team with 40 rushing yards. RB Jamaal Williams, who was a fantasy star a week ago, rushing for four yards on eight carries. Rookie WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling led the team with 43 yards on three catches while veteran WR Randall Cobb, likely playing his final game with the team, caught one pass for 27 yards.
Lions QB Matthew Stafford played one of his better games of the season, passing for 266 yards and two scores. RB Zach Zenner continued his takeover of the backfield, totaling 123 yards and a touchdown. The Lions played without WR Kenny Golladay, leaving rookie WR Brandon Powell to lead the way with 103 yards on six catches.
The Packers will now continue their search for a new head coach and it seems unlikely that it will include interim HC Joe Philbin. The Packers are reportedly pursuing Patriots OC Josh McDaniels.
Chargers- 23
Broncos- 9
The Chargers had a very slim chance to earn the top seed in the AFC and home-field advantage through the playoffs and they played like a team that had already accepted that it wouldn’t happen. The Chargers got off to a slow start, taking a 7-3 lead over the Broncos at halftime, before opening things up and winning by a comfortable margin.
Chargers QB Philip Rivers finished with a modest 176 passing yards one touchdown and two interceptions. Both picks came in the opening quarter and kept the Broncos in the game longer than they could’ve on their own. RB Melvin Gordon managed just 66 yards while RB Austin Ekeler led the way with 58 rushing yards and a touchdown. WR Mike Williams caught five passes for 65 yards and a touchdown, while WR Keenan Allen added 64 yards on four grabs. The Chargers will face the team that no one wants to match up with, the Ravens, in the first round.
Another frustrating season ends for the Broncos and as they have for so many recent years, they enter the offseason with uncertainty surrounding both their quarterback and head coach roles. Second-year HC Vance Joseph is reportedly on the hot seat though he seems to have the support of his players. Overall, the free agent addition of QB Case Keenum has to be viewed as a bust as he wasn’t able to replicate his Minnesota magic with the Broncos. Keenum passed for 292 yards and a touchdown in this game while rookie RB Royce Freeman led the team with 60 rushing yards and added another 43 as a receiver. Denver played without rookie RB Phillip Lindsay, who suffered a wrist injury last week. Rookie WR DaeSean Hamilton continued to impress, leading the team with 49 yards on five catches. As usual, WR Courtland Sutton was a disappointment, catching one pass for 25 yards.
Rams- 48
49ers- 32
The Rams have had an unbelievable season, especially on the offensive side of the ball, which makes their recent struggles even more surprising. They needed this win against the lowly 49ers to secure a first-round bye for the playoffs. The Rams jumped out to an early lead thanks to multiple San Francisco turnovers, leafing 14-0 early and 31-10 at the half. The 49ers put up a fight in the second half as the Rams took their foot off the gas and relied on backups to finish up the job. 15 fourth-quarter points cut the Rams lead and gave us the final score of 48-32.
The 49ers silver ling was the same as it has been all season, breakout TE George Kittle, who set a new single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end breaking the mark of Chiefs TE Travis Kelce, who overtook TE Rob Gronkowski earlier in the day. Kittle caught nine passes for 149 yards and a touchdown. Veteran RB Alfred Morris surprised with 11 yards on the ground and WR Kendrick Bourne caught five passes for 59 yards and a touchdown.
The Rams Offense put on a clinic, especially in the first half. QB Jared Goff passed for 199 yards and four scores, hitting WRs Brandin Cooks (5/62/2) and Josh Reynolds (4/55/2) for two scores each. Veteran RB C.J. Anderson once again filled in for injured starter Todd Gurley and totaled 132 rushing yards and a touchdown on 23 rushes. Anderson and Gurley now have the same number of games this year with 130 or more rushing yards, two. WR Robert Woods was held in check with only two grabs for 24 yards.
Seahawks- 27
Cardinals 24
The Seahawks wanted to end the regular season on a high note as they prepared to enter the playoffs. The Cardinals could clinch the top-overall spot in the 2019 NFL Draft with a road loss to the division winners. So, how did this end up as a game decided by a last-second field goal? Perhaps the answer is the Cardinals playing for maligned HC Steve Wilks, who is reportedly in danger of being a “one and done” head coach, potentially a victim of the NFL’s Black Monday. Whatever the reason, Arizona had an answer for every Seattle score and nearly pulled off the upset that would’ve left the 49ers picking first.
Seattle leaned on their running game, as they have done for much of the second half of the season. RB Chris Carson rushed for a new career-high 122 yards along with a touchdown, while QB Russell Wilson passed for 152 yards and a score. WR Tyler Lockett’s 66 yards and a touchdown led the receiving group as veteran WR Doug Baldwin caught just two of five targets for 27 yards.
The Cardinals fought hard but the result was the same it has been a dozen other times this season, a loss. Arizona rookie QB Josh Rosen nearly matched Wilson’s passing output, throwing for 149 yards and a touchdown. Fittingly, the score went to veteran WR Larry Fitzgerald, who might have been playing in his final game after considering retirement in each of the past two seasons. RB David Johnson’s frustrating season came to a merciful end with 68 total yards.
Eagles- 24
Redskins- 0
One of the key games of the day was between NFC East rivals Philadelphia and Washington. Although the Redskins hosted the game, it had the feel of an Eagles home game as the defending Super Bowl champs had a playoff spot on the line. Philly needed to win, paired with a Vikings loss to the Bears in order to steal a playoff spot. The Eagles did their part, dominating the Redskins from the start and leaving no question as to who would win the game.
There was a bit of bad news as QB Nick Foles suffered a chest injury and was forced from the game. The Eagles were already leading 17-0 so there was no need for him to return. The Eagles reportedly think the injury is not serious and Foles will be okay. He finished with 221 passing yards and two touchdowns. RBs Wendell Smallwood and Josh Adams combined for 103 rushing yards on 23 carries and WR Alshon Jeffery caught all five targets for 59 yards and a touchdown. WR Nelson Agholor enjoyed a big game, scoring twice among his five grabs and 40 yards. After his huge game a week ago, TE Zach Ertz totaled three catches for 15 yards.
The Redskins had nothing in the way of offensive production. Nothing. RB Chris Thompson totaled 24 yards and WR Josh Doctson’s 33 yards on two catches led the team. Veteran RB Adrian Peterson rushed four times and gained no yards. The Redskins couldn’t wait to end this nightmarish season.
Ravens- 26
Browns- 24
A year ago, the Ravens lost a Week 17 home game that cost them a playoff spot. History nearly repeated itself thanks to QB Baker Mayfield and the upstart Browns. To ensure their playoff spot, all the Ravens had to do was defeat the Browns. In the first half, it looked like that would be a relatively easy task before Mayfield got going.
The Ravens won this as they’ve won most games since rookie QB Lamar Jackson took over, by running the ball and playing strong defense. RB Kenneth Dixon led the way with 117 yards on just 12 carries and Jackson himself ran for 90 yards and two touchdowns. Rookie RB Gus Edwards chipped in with 76 yards on 12 carries. As usual, there was little production from Baltimore’s pass catchers as Jackson totaled 179 passing yards. The rookie TE duo of Mark Andrews (4/54) and Hayden Hurst (2/43) led the team.
Mayfield was spectacular again, passing for 376 yards and three scores. RB Nick Chubb rushed for only 24 yards, falling four yards short of 1,000 for the season. The Browns sported four pass catchers with 60+ yards, including WR Jarvis Landry (5/102/1), WR Rashard Higgins (4/86), WR Antonio Callaway (4/79/1) and TE David Njoku (3/62).
The Browns are now left to make a coaching decision. Despite the team’s solid play under interim HC Gregg Williams, he is reportedly not expected to get the job. Post-game reports suggest the Browns are targeting former Packers HC Mike McCarthy.
Chiefs- 35
Raiders- 3
This game between one of the league’s best teams and one of the worst brought little intrigue. The Chiefs needed a win to secure home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs and it was quickly evident they would get it. This game was all about Kansas City QB Patrick Mahomes, just like most games have been this year. Mahomes threw for two touchdowns and 185 yards. That gave him 50 passing touchdowns for the year, just the third quarterback to do that. He’s also just the second quarterback to pass for 50 scores and over 5,000 yards in a season.
Mahomes hit WR Tyreek Hill (5/101/1) and WR Demarcus Robinson (1/89/1) for deep scores, while TE Travis Kelce added 62 yards on five receptions. RB Damien Williams, fresh off his new contract, totaled 59 yards and a touchdown.
Raiders QB Derek Carr passed for 185 scoreless yards along with a pair of interceptions and RB Doug Martin rushed for 100 yards on 21 carries. WR Jordy Nelson led the Raiders with 78 yards on nine receptions. TE Jared Cook wrapped up his career year with three grabs for 28 yards and he’s likely to find a new home via free agency this offseason.
Bears- 24
Vikings- 10
The other crucial NFL game paired the Bears, who had essentially locked in their status as the NFC’s third seed, and the Vikings. Minnesota would clinch a playoff berth with a win. Considering they were playing at home and the Bears had little motivation, this was a good spot for the Vikings ... until it wasn’t. Even after the Rams got off to a hot start, which ended Chicago’s hopes of a first-round playoff bye, the Bears stuck with their starters. It could be argued hosting the Vikings instead of the Eagles would be the better option, but the Bears weren’t buying it, playing to win throughout the game.
The Bears running game led the way as RB Jordan Howard rushed for two scores and 109 yards and RB Tarik Cohen added a late touchdown along with 32 total yards. QB Mitch Trubisky passed for 163 scoreless yards, doing enough to keep his team on top the entire game. The Bears played without WR Allen Robinson and lost rookie WR Anthony Miller to an early shoulder injury, so WR Taylor Gabriel’s 61 yards on four catches led the team.
The Vikings and their fans must be doubting the decision to give QB Kirk Cousins $84 million guaranteed last offseason as they now sit on the outside looking into the playoffs. Cousins passed for just 132 yards and a touchdown and RB Dalvin Cook never got much going, rushing for 39 yards on 11 carries. WR Stefon Diggs caught eight passes for 47 yards and a touchdown but WR Adam Thielen managed just a 3/38 line.
Steelers- 16
Bengals- 13
The Steelers needed help to make the playoffs after last week’s difficult loss, their fourth in the previous five games. Pittsburgh needed to defeat the Bengals at home, which seemed easy enough, and they cheer for the Browns to take out the Ravens. We already know the latter didn’t happen and the Steelers almost botched the former, too. The Bengals held a 10-3 halftime lead and Pittsburgh didn’t take the lead for good until the two-minute warning.
The Steelers played without WR Antonio Brown, who missed the game with a knee injury. This led QB Ben Roethlisberger to spread the ball around with six players posting at least 30 receiving yards. Rookie WR James Washington led the team with 64 yards on five receptions. WR JuJu Smith-Schuster caught a touchdown among his five catches for 37 yards. RB James Conner returned from his multiple-game absence due to an ankle injury and rushed for 64 yards and 14 carries, adding three catches for 30 yards.
Bengals RB Jos Mixon rushed for 105 yards on just 13 carries but was the only real offense the Bengals could muster. WR Alex Erickson caught all six targets sent his way for 63 yards to lead the team. The Bengals are reportedly considering finally moving on from HC Marvin Lewis, who has yet to win a playoff game in his 16 yards as the team’s head coach. It really is amazing he’s kept his job this long. The Bengals haven’t made the playoffs since 2015. On the other hand, the Steelers say their longtime HC Mike Tomlin will be back with the team in 2019.
Colts- 33
Titans- 17
The presumed game of the day was the Sunday night affair matching the Colts and Titans in a “winner take all” battle for the final playoff spot in the AFC. The two teams entered with matching 9-6 records and barring a tie, one of these teams would claim the sixth seed and face the Texans next week.
Unfortunately, we learned early Sunday that the Titans would be without starting QB Marcus Mariota and forced to start veteran QB Blaine Gabbert. While the Tennessee offense has struggled even with Mariota on the field, they have been even worse without him. This news essentially sealed the game.
Colts QB Andrew Luck passed for 285 yards and three scores while RB Marlon Mack totaled 119 yards and a touchdown. WRs Dontrelle Inman (5/77/1), T.Y. Hilton (2/61) and TE Eric Ebron (4/60/1) all had productive games catching passes from Luck.
The Titans kept things close for much of the game but never really threatened to take control. Gabbert threw for 165 yards and a score, along with a pair of picks. RB Derrick Henry continued late-season hot streak, totaling 106 yards and disappointing WR Corey Davis led the team with five catches and 48 yards.
