All but one game from week 17 is in the books and it started back on Christmas Day with a game between the Chiefs and Steelers. The Chiefs won with a score of 29-10 and improved to 15-1 and clinched the number one seed. Within this game Travis Kelce also broke the Chiefs receiving touchdown record as he eclipsed hall of famer Tony Gonzalez. As we know it’s been anything but a smooth ride for the Chiefs throughout 2024, but they are heating up at the right time as they have won two of their last 3 games by double digits and the offense – and defense too for that matter looked really good in this game. The Chiefs are the first team since the 2015 Panthers to have 15 wins and I don’t think it would be wise to bet against the Chiefs. The possibility of a 3 peat is very real. Now for Pittsburgh I have a lot of concerns and as in the last 3 games – all against playoff teams – they’ve been outscored 90 – 40 and haven’t looked like they belong on the same field as the other 3 teams. I think there’s a very real possibility this team enters the postseason on a 4 game losing streak as they play Cincinnati in week 18 – but as crazy as this is going to sound – I think they can win a playoff game – if – and this is a big if – they play the Texans in the wild card round. I know all Steelers fans were dejected after this loss – especially given that it was on Christmas – but I don’t know what their next steps are as a franchise and I don’t like the outlook of where they currently are. There will be a video on the Steelers relatively soon – presumably when their season ends – and this is not a great situation to be in for this franchise.
The Ravens beat the Texans 31-2 and for all of the rightful concerns people had with the Ravens defense earlier in the year – I think those concerns have been put to bed. Lamar Jackson now has a touchdown to interception ratio of 39-4 and has an additional 850+ rushing yards and with Derrick Henry having a near 1,800 rushing yard season along with 14 rushing touchdowns – the Ravens like the Chiefs – are a team I absolutely would not want to play in January. The Ravens can beat you with anybody – whether it’s Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers – who had 4 100 yard games in a 5 game span earlier in the year or of course – the multiple time MVP himself in Lamar Jackson. The Ravens have outscored their 3 opponents 100 to 33 since coming off of their week 14 bye and my biggest takeaway from the Christmas Day games – is – I think we are on a collision course for a repeat AFC championship game. The Texans 2024 season is coming to a screeching halt due to several reasons and I know they are division champions, but to put up 2 points in a home game against another premier team is nothing short of embarrassing. Texans fans have been fed up with Bobby Slowik for a couple of months now and I also don’t think CJ Stroud played the best in this game as there were several missed throws – but I would be extremely surprised if this team isn’t a wild card round exit. There’s several reasons for that and it’s not just on one person’s shoulders – but I think we all know how the Texans season is going to end
The Seahawks defeated the Bears in a thrilling Thursday night game with a score of 6-3 and there were a lot of jokes being made that the Mariners beat the Cubs. Out of all of the NFL games played in the 2024 regular season – this was certainly one of them and I didn’t walk away from this game with any major takeaways from what we knew about either team. Seattle stumbled to 9 wins in year 1 with Mike Macdonald and good for them because that’s a great stepping stone for next year – but I some concerns with where this roster is headed that we will certainly break down this offseason. If they somehow get into the postseason – I think they would be a first round exit as they would probably play the Packers given they would be the 3 seed, and Green Bay would be the 6 seed in that scenario. The Bears have had a tremendously awful season and this team quickly went from 4-2 to 4-12 and this is a nightmare. Caleb Williams was sacked 7 times in this game, the offense was atrocious and there were a lot of sell the team chants at the end which I love for Chicago fans. This was a good representation of the Bears 2024 season after the Commanders game. Frustration, failure, and missed opportunities. I have a lot of rightful concern with the Bears moving forward and like they did with Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields – Caleb Williams have a new head coach entering his second season and at the moment – this is a bad situation.
The Chargers more than took care of business in New England as they beat the Patriots 40-7 in a game where Justin Herbert threw for over 275 yards and 3 passing touchdowns. Ladd McConkey had 8 receptions for 94 yards and 2 touchdowns and this was a frustrating game for New England because whether you guys know this or not – and Patriots fans of course do – but the Patriots could have drafted Ladd and ultimately didn’t. The Chargers traded up in front of them and Ladd would go on to have a 1,000 yard rookie season while Ja’Lynn Polk – the receiver New England drafted – did not. The Chargers clinched a postseason birth and while I don’t expect them to make a run to the AFC championship game – times are changing in LA and for the better. And this has been an extremely successful year under Jim Harbaugh no matter how you slice it.
My biggest takeaway for the Patriots is something I’ve thought for a couple weeks now and I don’t know how you bring Jerod Mayo back as the coach of the Patriots. A 33 point home loss is a downright embarrassment and we did a video breaking down the Patriots a couple of weeks ago and when you ask the simple question – of what have the Patriots gotten better at under the leadership of Jerod Mayo – I legitimately think the answer is nothing. They are a bad team, they’re an embarrassing product, and you don’t accidentally stumble into a 3-13 record – and for that matter – a 2-13 record in your last 15 games. If Robert Kraft wants to get this franchise back to any sort of winning – major changes need to be made this offseason
The Bengals defeated the Broncos in a game that went to overtime and this was a very fun game as there was a lot of big plays all throughout. Joe Burrow threw for over 400 yards and 3 touchdowns and now has a 42 to 8 touchdown to interception ratio on the season and Tee Higgins had 131 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns. This was a very stressful win for the Bengals as Cade York missed a 33 yarder in overtime – only for Tee to come down and catch the game winner a few minutes later. No major takeaway aside from what we knew and it’s that the Bengals offense is one of the best in the NFL and they will be a very dangerous team if they get into the dance. And if this wasn’t obvious already – it’s not a hot take to say the Bengals should pay both Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase. I thought Denver should have went for two in regulation – or as we saw overtime play out the way it did – go for the tie – but neither happened and now Denver has a must win game against the Chiefs in week 18. I honestly think the Chiefs should effectively let Denver because I think Denver is a much less serious threat in the AFC than a red hot Bengals offense – but it doesn’t exactly work like that and the Broncos had several chances to win this game. The tie should have been the worst case scenario – but I really thought the Broncos botched a big opportunity – and I know Broncos fans feel the same way. I really thought Sean Payton was out coached and that Denver should be able to breathe a little bit knowing they clinched a postseason birth – but unfortunately they didn’t and here we are. And I wish them the best in week 18 against Kansas City.
The Rams started out 1-4 and had countless injuries and are now 10-6 and look like they are going to be division champions. I am happy for the Rams and their fan base and I certainly think this team can play with anybody – but I’m going to be honest – after a third straight game in which they’ve failed to reach 20 points – I’m a little concerned at the moment. I don’t think they’re destined to be one and done – but this is definitely worth noting. And my takeaway is if the Rams go far in the playoffs – which they absolutely can – the offense has to get going – and I realize that’s obvious – but that was the big takeaway from this game. And I also wanted to shoutout punter Ethan Evans who pinned the Cardinals 4 times inside the 20 including multiple times inside their own 5 yard line. It’s a true team game and punting – and special teams – even with kicker Josh Karty – very much matter. I know they only put up 9 points, but I liked what I saw from the trio of Kyler Murray, Marvin Harrison Jr, and Trey McBride. I know it’s been a long year at times for MHJ – and the collapse of the Cardinals from going 6-4 to now 7-9 obviously hasn’t been fun – but I still believe in the long term vision of this team. Having said that – I think it is worth noting Kyler Murray’s play is borderline a question mark every week because at times – you don’t know which player you’re going to get. Despite the loss – I don’t think the Cardinals are that far off, and I can’t wait to see what they do this offseason
The Jags beat the Titans 20-13 and improved to 4-12 on the year while the Titans fell to 3-13. This has been a truly generational year in terms of bad teams so just because teams are out of the playoff race – doesn’t mean their games could have serious implications. Brian Thomas Jr is up to 80 receptions and nearly 1,200 yards on the year as well as hitting double digit touchdowns. There wasn’t a lot to look forward to entering this game nor is there any major takeaway from either side – but I do think Brian Thomas Jr is a legitimate superstar and that it’s a matter of time until he is more nationally known. I thought the Parker Washington touchdown was a questionable call, and ultimately I do think Jacksonville would have scored regardless, but I was surprised that call wasn’t overturned. Tyjae Spears and Calvin Ridley each looked good for Tennessee and with this loss they have an even higher draft pick and this was truly a perfect week 17 for the Titans from a long term perspective. They lost, the division rival Jags got a worse draft pick, and the division rival Colts were eliminated from the postseason. At this point in the year – this was the best case scenario for the Titans considering the circumstances.
The Raiders beat the Saints 25-10 to extend their winning streak to 2 and improve to 4-12. Aidan O’Connell threw for over 240 yards and 2 touchdowns and Brock Bowers broke the tight end rookie receiving yards record which had stood for over 60 years. When the Raiders beat the Jaguars in week 16 – and especially after seeing the Saints play the way they did on Monday night against the Packers – I was going to be pretty surprised if they lost in New Orleans – and they of course didn’t. This was easily the most enjoyable game for Raiders fans since the Ravens upset back in week 2 and if you are a Raiders fan watching – I would say to enjoy the win because your team played well and be upset about the draft order in about a week. Because there simply hasn’t been a lot of good play from the Raiders in 2024. The Saints entered this game with an interim coach, a 5th round rookie QB, a running back trio of Clyde Edwards- Helaire, Jamaal Williams, and Kendre Miller and he leading receivers were Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau. There’s no real takeaways for this team you would field in the first week of the preseason. It’s clearly a lost season – which was kind of the thought from the start by brining back Dennis Allen – and if you didn’t watch this game – this team played exactly like you would expect.
The Buccaneers throttled the Panthers 48-14 and his was in a game where Baker Mayfield threw for over 350 yards and 5 touchdowns. The Bucs put up 40+ points for the second time in 3 weeks and games like this are why I fear them if they get into the postseason. Bucky Irving had 190 total yards of offense and continues to prove to be one of the biggest draft steals from the 2024 draft and ole reliable Mike Evans had 97 yards and 2 touchdowns too. Jalen McMillan also had 2 touchdowns and he has had a very good end to his rookie season and he definitely looks like a player the Bucs can use for the next couple of years. I really liked him coming out of Washington and he now has a touchdown in 4 straight games and this was about as perfect of a day as Tampa could have asked for. This was a really tough game to watch for Panthers fans outside of Bryce Young and Adam Thielen. Adam had 110 yards and 2 touchdowns and Bryce Young only had 203 yards passing to give you an idea of how the day went for the Panthers. Carolina has a very long way to go and I think there was a couple of week span where people were saying the Panthers were playing good – and I would argue they were playing alright – but not good as they only had one win to show since their week 11 bye. I am rooting for the Panthers in the future, but this team is a long ways away. And I can’t wait to see what they do this offseason.
The Philadelphia Eagles man handled the Cowboys 41-7 and it started with a Chauncey Gardner Johnson pick 6. Dallas was obviously going to be limited offensively without star receiver CeeDee Lamb, but I thought Rico Dowdle looked good when given the opportunity. Obviously this was a very ugly game from Dallas and aside from Dowdle and the Jalen Tolbert touchdown on Quinyon Mitchell – this was a belt to rear end beating and if the Tampa game in week 16 saved Mike McCarthy’s job – this definitely unsaved it. The Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee led Eagles put up 41 points and Devonta Smith torched Andrew Booth all game. There’’s no takeaway for Dallas aside from this being a thorough rear end kicking and an embarrassing loss. The opposite was the case for the Eagles as they pantsed a division rival with a backup quarterback and Saquon Barkley hit 2,000 rushing yards on the year. The birds also clinched the NFC East and this was pretty close to a perfect day for the Eagles. And a bonus – the Giants may have hurt their future by beating the Colts.
And speaking of the Giants beating the Colts we go to Metlife where the Giants won their first home game of the 2024 season. Drew Lock had 5 total touchdowns as the Giants won 45-33. Obviously you can’t say to another grown man with his job on the line – and ultimately his families lives on the line and look them dead in the eye and say – “hey man go out there and stink so the franchise can move on from you and we can get a better pick”. So good for Drew Lock for looking out for his future, but this is a brutal win for the Giants especially this late in the year. Positively – Malik Nabers had 7 receptions for 171 yards and 2 touchdowns and is an obvious franchise cornerstone – but if there is any fan base to be upset about winning a game late in the year – it’s the Giants. On the other side of the coin, this was a truly embarrassing loss for the Colts as they allowed countless big plays and this is easily up there with the Carson Wentz Jags loss. Easily. What matters from this game for Indy is the Giants had not won a game since October 6th and this was a must win game for Indy. If this type of loss doesn’t warrant firings throughout the organization – then I don’t know what does. Considering the circumstances – this is as embarrassing as a loss as it gets for Indy
The Bills beat the Jets 40-16 and speaking of embarrassing losses – this is certainly up there for the Jets. We’ll get to New York in a minute, but this was a big bounce back win for the Bills considering they nearly lost to the Patriots in week 16. A win against New England was a win of course, but this was a big get right game for Buffalo. There were no real dominating offensive performances from Buffalo as they won the turnover battle 3 to 0 and took advantage of a lot of Jets mistakes. Josh Allen had 199 total yards and 3 total touchdowns, and Amari Cooper had a very nice touchdown reception. Buffalo secured the 2 seed and I personally think they should rest their starters in week 18 against New England. The Jets were down 40 to 0 at a point in this game and at that point – I truly think this was one of the most embarrassing performances over the last few years. The Jets had two of the most garbage time touchdowns in the history of garbage time and this game in a lot of ways summarized their 2024 season. There’s also rumors that Garrett Wilson wants out and you can’t blame him with where this franchise currently is. I truly think the touchdowns from Garrett Wilson and Tyler Conklin saved this loss from being arguably the most embarrassing loss – from a score standpoint – over the last 5 years.
The Dolphins beat the Browns 20-3 and improved to 8-8 with a win over the Dorian Thompson Robinson Browns. I will be honest – there wasn’t a whole lot of action in this game as neither team had 300 yards of offense and the teams in this game were a combined 9/28 on third down and 0/5 on 4th down. I’ve been very disappointed with the Dolphins run game for most of the season and it continued in this game and just because the Dolphins won – and hell even won by 3 scores – I didn’t walk away from this game feeling moved by this team and thinking their future is legitimately bright. I know they were without Tua Tagavailoa and Jaylen Waddle – but the issues they have up front have persisted all year and ultimately I think it’s going to continue. DTR is a very bad quarterback and I have no problems with career backups – and they certainly have a role in the NFL – but he is bad. Not hey he can start a game here or there – no. He is bad. And there’s a reason he’s thrown over 110 passes this year and does not have a passing touchdown. This team was pretty much doomed from the start with DTR starting and it showed all game. The Browns are 3-13 for a reason and it’s due in large part to how bad the quarterback play is. And there’s really no other takeaway for the Browns than that. They also have a lot of problems ahead of them this offseason.
The Vikings improved to 14-2 with a 27-25 win over the Packers and this is the Vikings first season with 14 wins since 1998. As you guys probably know I am a Vikings fan and I couldn’t have been more ecstatic for this win. Obviously it was a lot more stressful than it needed to be at the end and there are certainly things to clean up – but Sam Darnold threw for over 375 yards and 3 touchdowns and they had 4 players with 60 or more yards in week 17. Jalen Nailor stepped up when asked and this team is great. Very great. They’ve won 9 straight games and they have a chance to be the number one seed in the conference. And when this team is on – it would not surprise me if they go to the Super Bowl. Green Bay bounced back after being down 27-10 and after being outgained at a point by over 240 yards in a game that legitimately looked like a beat down. I know Green Bay’s losses are to the Lions, Vikings, and Eagles – and the Lions and Vikings twice – but I don’t think they are destined for a first round exit or that they are frauds or anything along those lines. They are a very good team and if they can put together a full game – which I certainly think they can – as they generally get better as the season goes on – this is a team nobody wants to play. I would not want to play the Packers in January – and that’s coming from a Vikings fan. I hope you enjoyed and if you did please like and subscribe as we are closing in on 175k subs and only about 44% of people watching are subscribed and helps the channel tremendously. Until next time please be safe and have a great day. Love you guys
