In this episode, Santiago Leon and Joe Toscano recap #NFL Week 17 and preview the NFL Playoff scenarios.
Contributors
Santiago Leon – @sleon
Joe Toscano – @joeybagovdonuts
Patriots 23 Dolphins 21
Mac Jones added another touchdown pass to Tyquan Thornton and Kyle Dugger intercepted Teddy Bridgewater and returned it 39 yards for a go-ahead TD late in the third quarter as the New England kept its playoff hopes alive by rallying to beat Miami 23-21 on Sunday.
The Patriots (8-8) snapped a four-game losing streak to their AFC East rivals and can earn a playoff berth with a win at Buffalo next week. Jones finished 20 of 33 for 203 yards.
Saints 20 Eagles 10
Marshon Lattimore returned an interception 11 yards for a late touchdown, and the New Orleans Saints beat Philadelphia 20-10 on Sunday.
The Eagles need to beat the New York Giants next week to secure the top seed. A loss by Philly and a win by Dallas would give the Cowboys the NFC East title. Hurts is recuperating from a sprained right shoulder.
Bucs 30 Panthers 24
Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost for the third time in four games Sunday to fall to 3-4. It came in stunning fashion, a 21-3 defeat to the Carolina Panthers, a team that had lost 12 of 13 games and was playing with a third-string quarterback and under an interim head coach.
Brady was 32-of-49 passing for 290 yards. One of those incompletions came when a wide-open Mike Evans dropped what would have been a 64-yard touchdown on the third play of the game.
Colts 10 Giants 38
Giants have clinched the NFL plyaoffs afte thier win against the Colts 38-10.
Daniel Jones threw two touchdown passes and ran for two more.
The 25-year-old threw touchdown passes of 6 yards to Richie James and Isaiah Hodgins in the first half and scored on a run of 18 and 10 yards in the second half. He finished 19 of 24 for 177 yards and had 11 rushes for 91 yards.
Sam Ehlinger played the second half and threw his first NFL TD pass, a 6-yarder to Michael Pittman.
Browns 24 Commanders 10
Wentz threw three interceptions after getting the starting job back, defensive miscues added up and the Commanders lost in embarrassing fashion Sunday, 24-10 to the Cleveland Browns, who had nothing to play for. Green Bay beating Minnesota eliminated Washington from playoff contention, something Rivera did not know was possible.
Cooper had three catches for 105 yards, Nick Chubb ran 14 times for 104 yards and Watson finished 9 of 18 for 169 yards and the TD passes to Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones.
Broncos 24 Chiefs 27
Patrick Mahomes moved into the rarest of company Sunday, joining Tom Brady and Drew Brees as the only quarterbacks with multiple 5,000-yard passing seasons, and the Chiefs overcame another sloppy start to beat the Broncos for the 15th consecutive time and stay alive for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, as Chiefs beat Broncos 27-24
Wilson threw for 222 yards and a touchdown while also running for a pair of scores, the second of them – after two costly penalties on the Kansas City defense – pulling Denver within 27-24 with 6:14 left in the game.
Mahomes improved to 11-0 against Denver,
Jagaurs 31 Texans 3
Travis Etienne ran for 108 yards and a touchdown before halftime, Tyson Campbell returned a fumble for a score and the Jaguars snapped a nine-game skid against Houston by routing the Texans 31-3 for their fourth straight victory overall.
Jacksonville (8-8) is in first place in the AFC South and would win the division for the first time since 2017 with a victory at home over slumping Tennessee next Sunday in the regular-season finale.
Trevor Lawrence threw for 152 yards, but played just one possession in the second half, and Etienne didn’t carry the ball after halftime with the Jaguars up 28-3 in what would be the team’s first win over Houston since 2017.
Davis Mills threw for 202 yards, but couldn’t get the Texans in the end zone and fumbled the ball Campbell returned for the touchdown.
Bears 10 Lion 41
Goff threw three touchdown passes, including two in the first half to Brock Wright, and Detroit routed the Chicago Bears 41-10 on Sunday to remain in the chase for an NFC wild card.
Lions need a win over the Packers and a loss or tie by Seattle against the Los Angeles Rams.
Cardinals 19 Falcons 20
Desmon Ridder helped set up Younghoe Koo’s 21-yard field goal on the final play, lifting the Falcons over the Arizona Cardinals 20-19 on Sunday to end a four-game skid.
The Cardinals (4-12), playing with their fourth starting quarterback in four weeks, have lost six straight and eight of nine. David Blough completed 22 of 40 passes for 222 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions filling in for Colt McCoy, who is sidelined with a concussion.
Seahawks 23 Jets 6
Geno Smith finished off a very personal sweep. And by him doing so, a season that started with low expectations for the Seattle Seahawks will reach Week 18 with the playoffs as a real possibility.
Smith threw two first-half touchdowns, Kenneth Walker III rushed for 133 yards and the Seahawks kept alive their postseason hopes with a 23-6 win Sunday that eliminated the New York Jets from playoff contention.
Seattle (8-8) snapped a three-game losing streak and ensured its Week 18 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams will be meaningful. The Seahawks must win and hope for a loss or tie by Green Bay against Detroit to reach the postseason.
Packers 41 Vikings 17
Aaron Rodgers threw a touchdown pass and ran for a score, and the Packers shut down Kirk Cousins and star receiver Justin Jefferson in a 41-17 blowout of the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Green Bay’s latest bit of good fortune came earlier Sunday when Washington fell 24-10 at home to the Cleveland, putting the Packers in control of their postseason fate.
Rams 10 Chargers 31
Austin Ekeler rushed for 122 yards, scored two touchdowns and became the fifth running back with 100 receptions in a season as the Chargers cruised to a 31-10 victory Sunday over the Los Angeles Rams in a matchup of SoFi Stadium co-tenants.
The playoff-bound Chargers improved to 10-6 and have won four straight games.
Steelers 16 Ravens 13
Kenny Pickett threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Najee Harris with 56 seconds remaining, giving the Steelers a 16-13 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night and improbably keeping their postseason hopes alive entering the final week of the regular season.
The playoff-bound Ravens (10-6) now need Buffalo to beat Cincinnati on Monday to keep their hopes of winning the AFC North alive. Baltimore allowed a touchdown at home for the first time in four games, and it was a costly one.
The Steelers need help to make the playoffs, but they have full control of another streak. T
Playoff Scenarios
2022-23 NFC Seed 1 Clinching Scenarios
Eagles clinch with:
1) Win vs NYG or
2) DAL loss at WAS + SF loss vs ARI
49ers clinch with:
1) Win vs ARI + PHI loss vs NYG
Cowboys clinch with:
1) Win at WAS + PHI loss vs NYG + SF loss vs ARI
Final 2022-23 NFC Wild Card spot will come down to Packers, Seahawks and Lions
Packers: In with win over Detroit
Lions: In with a win over Green Bay + SEA loss to LAR
Seahawks : In with a win over the Rams + GB loss
AFC
y – 1. Kansas City Chiefs (13-3), AFC West champions: A Buffalo loss to Cincinnati opens gate for K.C. to snatch No. 1 seed, an objective currently impeded by Chiefs’ Week 6 loss to Bills. Remaining schedule: at Raiders
y – 2. Buffalo Bills (12-3), AFC East champions: Must win at Cincinnati on Monday to retain inside track for AFC’s first-round bye and home-field advantage. Fall to the Bengals, and Buffalo could slip to third place in conference. Remaining schedule: at Bengals, vs. Patriots
x – 3. Cincinnati Bengals (11-4), AFC North leaders: If they can beat Buffalo and wind up in a three-way tie with Bills and Chiefs, reigning conference champs would earn home field and first-round bye. A win Monday would convey AFC North championship to Cincinnati. Remaining schedule: vs. Bills, vs. Ravens
- Jacksonville Jaguars (8-8), AFC South leaders: They ended five-year drought against the Houston Texans with Sunday’s decisive victory … but it had little bearing on Jags’ playoff chances. The division title will be determined against Tennessee this Saturday night. Remaining schedule: vs. Titans
x – 5. Los Angeles Chargers (10-6), wild card No. 1: Playoff participants for the first time in four years, all that’s left to be determined is which divisional champion Bolts will visit in opening round. Now fifth in the conference because their record in AFC games is better than Baltimore’s, LA won’t be seeded worse than sixth. Remaining schedule: at Broncos
x – 6. Baltimore Ravens (10-6), wild card No. 2: A Cincinnati loss Monday ensures Ravens and Bengals will play AFC North championship game in Week 18, otherwise Baltimore hits the postseason road. Remaining schedule: at Bengals - New England Patriots (8-8), wild card No. 3: Not only staved off elimination by beating Miami on Sunday, Pats will advance to the playoffs by winning in Western New York next Sunday. Remaining schedule: at Bills
- Miami Dolphins (8-8), out of playoff field: Five-game slide, QB Tua Tagovailoa’s latest concussion and backup Teddy Bridgewater’s hand injury leave their postseason hopes in jeopardy, Sunday’s loss at Foxborough dropping Fins out of projected postseason bracket. However a win this Sunday coupled with a New England loss will advance Miami. Remaining schedule: vs. Jets
- Pittsburgh Steelers (8-8), out of playoff field: Big win Sunday night at Baltimore. If Steelers beat Cleveland in Week 18 – and Bills and Jets both win – then Pittsburgh will qualify for AFC’s final wild card. Remaining schedule: vs. Browns
Note: The New York Jets (7-9) are currently in 10th place overall in the AFC but have been eliminated from playoff contention. - Tennessee Titans (7-9), out of playoff field: They essentially treated Thursday night’s loss to Dallas like a preseason game given it’s the Week 18 matchup at Jacksonville that will determine AFC South crown. Remaining schedule: at Jaguars
NFC
x – 1. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3), NFC East leaders: They’re 0-for-2 without injured QB Jalen Hurts, failing twice to wrap up NFC’s No. 1 seed. But Philly can still do it in Week 18 against a Giants team ticketed for sixth seed and with little to play for before wild-card round. Remaining schedule: vs. Giants
y – 2. San Francisco 49ers (12-4), NFC West champions: Escaping from Las Vegas with an overtime win and eliminating Raiders leaves them with chance at NFC’s top spot thanks to their 9-2 record in intraconference games. Niners still need a win Sunday coupled with a Philadelphia loss. Remaining schedule: vs. Cardinals
y – 3. Minnesota Vikings (12-4), NFC North champions: Sunday’s crushing loss at Green Bay means they can’t earn No. 1 seed. Remaining schedule: at Bears
y – 4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8), NFC South champions: Hasn’t been a pretty year, but Sunday’s come-from-behind victory against Carolina eliminated the Panthers and gave Bucs consecutive divisional crowns for the first time in franchise history. Remaining schedule: at Falcons
x – 5. Dallas Cowboys (12-4), wild card No. 1: If they win in Week 18 and Eagles don’t, America’s Team swoops to NFC East throne. Cowboys also have a road to No. 1 seed if they beat Washington – Philly must obviously lose its last two games – and San Francisco also loses at Arizona. Remaining schedule: at Commanders
x – 6. New York Giants (9-6-1), wild card No. 2: Big Blue is back in postseason for first time since 2016 thanks to Sunday’s beatdown of the Indianapolis Colts. Remaining schedule: at Eagles - Seattle Seahawks (8-8), wild card No. 3: They remained alive by eliminating the Jets on Sunday but don’t control their postseason fate despite currently residing in the seventh spot. Seahawks must win in Week 18 and hope Packers lose to Detroit. Remaining schedule: vs. Rams
8. Detroit Lions (8-8), out of playoff field: They need a win at Green Bay and a Seahawks defeat in Week 18 to reach postseason. Week 4 loss to Seattle may ultimately come back to haunt them. Remaining schedule: at Packers - Green Bay Packers (8-8), out of playoff field: They’ve gotten plenty of outside assistance past few weeks, but biggest aid has come internally courtesy of Pack’s four-game winning streak, including Sunday over Minnesota. If they beat Detroit in Week 18, Pack will be in the playoffs for the fourth time in four years under coach Matt LaFleur because their record in NFC games would be 7-5 – one better than Seattle even if the Seahawks topple the Rams in the regular-season finale. Remaining schedule: vs. Lions
x – clinched berth
y – clinched division
Santiago Leon is the Founder and CEO of the Sports Cast. He covers NFL, NBA, and world soccer. He’s also founder of sleon productions, which he specializes in technology and serves clients with solutions to make their business grow.
