Welcome to the Week 17 grades!
There's always a lot of drama in the NFL over the final two weeks of the season, and that was definitely the case in Week 17. The biggest surprise came in New York, where the Giants pulled off a stunner with a 45-33 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
It was the shocker of the day for multiple reasons: For one, the Colts needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive, but they're now eliminated after losing. On the Giants' end, the victory was a shocker because it likely cost them any shot at the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Going into Week 17, the Giants were in control of the top pick and all they had to do was lose out, but they couldn't even do that.
With that in mind, here are our Week 17 grades for every game, starting with Detroit's wild Monday night win over the 49ers. And then we'll get to that Colts-Giants game.
Detroit 40-28 San Francisco
| B+ |  |
| Dan Campbell said he was going to play his starters, and he stuck to his word. This was a meaningless game for the Lions, but they played like their season was on the line. The offense exploded for 40 points behind Jared Goff, who threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns. Ben Johnson pulled another play out of his bag of tricks with a hook-and-ladder TD that went for 41 yards (you can see the play here). The 49ers had no answers for Jahmyr Gibbs, who totaled 163 yards on just 22 touches. The defense did struggle at times, but it came on strong in the second half with two interceptions from Kerby Joseph and two sacks on Brock Purdy. This team looks ready for the their showdown with the Vikings on Sunday. | |
| B- |  |
| For the first two quarters of this game, the 49ers offense looked like the offense that we all thought we were going to see this season, but this team fell apart in the second half. Brock Purdy, who threw for a career-high 377 yards and three touchdowns, was impressive for most of the game, but he also threw two interceptions in the second half. The 49ers did get a breakout game from Ricky Pearsall, who caught eight passes for 141 yards and a touchdown. In the end, the 49ers lost this game because their defense could not stop the Lions and because their kicker couldn't make any kicks (Jake Moody missed two field goals and an extra point). The 49ers got beaten by a team that was playing for nothing, and that pretty much sums up their 2024 season. | |
N.Y. Giants 45-33 over Indianapolis
| F |  |
| This was an embarrassing loss for a team that had everything to play for. This stunning loss happened because Indy simply made too many mistakes: From two Joe Flacco interceptions to a missed field goal to a kickoff return TD by the Giants to start the second half, the mistakes just piled up. The Colts defense also gave up 304 yards passing to a QB (Drew Lock) who hadn't throw for more than 300 yards since the 2020 season. With their season on the line, the Colts choked this one away. | |
| A |  |
| This was a game that had both good news and bad news for the Giants. The good news is that Malik Nabers looks like he's going to be a star for years to come. The Giants rookie caught seven passes for 171 yards and two touchdowns to continue his electrifying season. The Giants also got a career day from Drew Lock, who totaled five touchdowns with four TD passes and a TD run. Ihmir Smith-Marsette also sparked the team with a 100-yard kickoff return for a TD to start the second half. As great as this win was, the bad news is that the Giants likely just cost themselves the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft | |
Philadelphia 41-7 over Dallas
| F |  |
| This team has been playing hard for the past five weeks, but the wheels finally fell off the wagon. Cooper Rush threw a pick six on his fourth pass of the game and things only got uglier from there. Although the Cowboys did get a first-quarter TD, they did nothing after that. The Cowboys defense got steamrolled by Saquon Barkley, who rushed for 167 yards. With such a poor performance against a division rival, it will be interesting to see if this was the final nail in the coffin when it comes to Mike McCarthy possibly returning to Dallas in 2025. | |
| A+ |  |
| With Jalen Hurts out, the Eagles used Saquon Barkley and a strong defensive performance to get the blowout win. C.J. Gardner-Johnson set the tone early with a 69-yard pick six in the first quarter, which was one of two turnovers the Eagles forced on the day. Even though Hurts didn't play, the Eagles still got some solid quarterback play from both Kenny Pickett and Tanner McKee, who combined for three TD passes. Both quarterbacks made some big throws and they both got some serious help from Barkley, who had a huge day. Barkley went over 2,000 yards for the season with a 167-yard performance against the Cowboys. With the No. 2 seed clinched, the Eagles can sit their starters in Week 18, which means Jalen Hurts (concussion) will have another week to heal if the Eagles want to keep him on the bench. | |
Buffalo 40-14 over N.Y. Jets
| F |  |
| It might be time for Aaron Rodgers to retire. The Jets QB had a nightmare: Not only did he throw two interceptions, but he got sacked for a safety and he also got flagged for unnecessary roughness. The defense was just as bad. This was an embarrassing loss for a team that looks like it's given up. | |
| A+ |  |
| The Bills needed this win to clinch the No. 2 overall seed and they made it look easy. The Bills defense made a statement with a dominating performance that saw them record four sacks while also picking off Aaron Rodgers twice (One of those sacks was a safety by A.J. Epenesa). Josh Allen also continued to make a push for the MVP by totaling three touchdowns in the win. The best part of this win for Buffalo is that with the No. 2 seed now clinched, the Bills will now be able to give their starters some rest by keeping them on the bench in Week 18. | |
Las Vegas 25-10 over New Orleans
| A |  |
| The Raiders' QB play hasn't been great this season, but that wasn't the case in this game. Aidan O'Connell had a strong day with 242 passing yards and two touchdowns with a good chunk of that going to Brock Bowers, who caught seven passes for 77 yards and a TD. With his total, Bowers broke Mike Ditka's single-season rookie record for receiving yards by a tight end that had stood since 1961. After the offense gave the Raiders a halftime lead, the defense put the clamps down in the second half. Jack Jones and Thomas Harper both came away with interceptions during a half where the Raiders held New Orleans to just 75 yards. They also limited the Saints to just one third-down conversion in the entire game. The Raiders have now won two in a row for the first time all season. | |
| C- |  |
| This was a close game at halftime, but the Saints ended up losing, because their offense totally disappeared in the second half. Over the final two quarters, the Saints totaled just 75 yards. Of their seven possessions in the half, five of them ended with a punt while the other two both ended with Spencer Rattler throwing an interception. This was probably an especially painful loss for Derek Carr, who had to sit on the bench with an injury and watch his former team beat his current team. | |
Tampa Bay 48-14 over Carolina
| F |  |
| The Panthers defense got absolutely run over in this game: They couldn't stop the pass, they couldn't stop the run and they couldn't stop the Bucs on third down (Tampa Bay converted 10 of 14 in the game). Overall, the Panthers surrendered 551 yards of total offense, which is the fourth-highest number they've ever given up in franchise history. The Panthers had been playing well for Dave Canales, but they looked lost in this game. | |
| A+ |  |
| The Buccaneers needed a win in the worst kind of way and Baker Mayfield made sure they got it. The Bucs QB went off against the Panthers, throwing for 359 yards and five touchdowns. The Bucs have a well-rounded receiving attack and they showed off against Carolina: They had four receivers who finished with at least 50 receiving yards. One of those pass-catchers was Bucky Irving, who finished with 190 total yards on just 24 touches (113 rushing yards and 77 receiving yards). The Buccaneers are a dangerous team and they now just took one small step closer to making the postseason. | |
Jacksonville 20-13 over Tennessee
| C |  |
| The Titans got off to a slow start with just three points and 135 yards in the first half, and by the time the offense was able to move the ball, it was too little, too late, which basically describes Tennessee's entire season. The scoreboard says the Titans lost this game, but you can argue that they were the biggest winner, because now, they'll likely be getting a higher pick in the draft than the Jaguars. | |
| B- |  |
| In their final home game of the season, the Jaguars put a show for their fans. Brian Thomas Jr. continued a phenomenal rookie season with seven catches for 91 yards along with a fourth-quarter touchdown that providing the game-winning points for Jacksonville. Doug Pederson might not have a job in Jacksonville much longer, but this team is still playing hard for him. | |
Miami 20-3 over Cleveland
| B+ |  |
| With Tua Tagovailoa on the sideline for this game, the Dolphins needed a huge performance from their defense and that's exactly what they got. The defensive domination started early and it lasted all game: The Dolphins forced five three-and-outs, they forced two turnovers and they came up with two huge fourth-down stops, including one that came with the Browns sitting at Miami's 3-yard line in the fourth quarter. Offensively, Tyler Huntley wasn't flashy, but he got the job done. Not only did he complete 84.6% of his passes for 225 yards and a TD, but he also led the team in rushing with 53 yards. Huntley played well enough to keep the Dolphins in the playoff hunt for another week and that's all that matters for Miami. | |
| D |  |
| With Jameis Winston at quarterback, the Browns were fun to watch, but with Dorian Thompson-Robinson under center, the Browns offense has been painful to watch and that includes this game. There were several drives where the Browns did move the ball, but those rare drives either ended with a failed fourth down (Cleveland 0-for-4) or a turnover (The Browns turned it over twice). At this point, it seems like the Browns are more than happy to do whatever it takes to get the highest draft pick possible. | |
Minnesota 27-25 over Green Bay
| B- |  |
| For the second time this season against the Vikings, the Packers dug themselves into an early hole that they just couldn't get out of. The Packers fell behind 27-10 and one reason that happened is because they came up empty on two early drives into Minnesota territory (They lost a fumble on one drive and then failed on a fourth-and-2). Jordan Love struggled for the better part of three quarters, before turning it on in the fourth quarter. The biggest problem for the Packers was that their defense just couldn't slow down a Minnesota offense that put up 441 yards. The Packers are now 0-5 against the three top teams in the NFC (Vikings, Lions, Eagles), which doesn't bode well for a deep run in the playoffs. | |
| B+ |  |
| Sam Darnold might have just earned himself a new contract. The Vikings won this showdown because Darnold caught fire. The Vikings QB played nearly perfect football, throwing for 377 yards and three touchdowns. The Vikings had four receivers finish with at least 60 yards, including Justin Jefferson, who led the team with eight catches for 92 yards. Minnesota's defense held the Packers to just 112 yards in the first half, which was a big reason why the Vikings were able to jump out to what proved to be an insurmountable 27-10 lead. Thanks to this masterful performance from both Darnold and the Vikings defense, Minnesota will now have a chance to steal the NFC North and the No. 1 seed with a win over the Lions in Week 18. | |
Washington 30-24 in OT over Atlanta
| B- |  |
| If the Falcons don't make the playoffs this year, they'll be able to point to the second half of this game as the reason why. The Falcons were in a total control at halftime with a 17-7 lead, but then they came out and got dominated on both sides of the ball for nearly the entire second half. Things were especially bad during a third quarter where the Falcons were outgained 145 to negative-1 (Yes, they put up negative yardage). In his first prime-time game, Michael Penix Jr. showed some flashes of brilliance, especially late in the fourth quarter when he led the Falcons on a 68-yard scoring drive that culminated with a TD pass to Kyle Pitts with just 1:19 left. The Falcons defense fell apart in the second half and things didn't get much better in overtime. Penix never got to touch the ball because the Commanders scored a touchdown on their opening possession. The Falcons will now need a miracle to make the playoffs. | |
| B+ |  |
| it doesn't seem possible, but Jayden Daniels somehow seems to be getting more clutch every week. After a first half where he struggled, Daniels absolutely took over during the second half and overtime. Daniels rushed for 127 yards with 103 of that coming after halftime. He also threw two of his three touchdown passes after halftime, including the game-winner to Zach Ertz in OT. The veteran tight end had his most impressive game of the season with 72 receiving yards and two touchdowns with all but 9 yards coming after halftime. Defensively, the Commanders struggled some in the first half, but they came up big on almost every third down, limiting the Falcons to just two conversions in the game. With the win, not only did Dan Quinn beat his old team, but the Commanders clinched a playoff spot for just the second time in nine seasons. | |
L.A. Rams 13-9 over Arizona (Saturday)
| C |  |
| The Cardinals gave the Rams a scare and they might have been able to win this game if not for a fourth-quarter meltdown. Kyler Murray threw two interceptions in the final three minutes, including one that bounced off Trey McBride's helmet with under 40 seconds left to play. It was a rare mistake by McBride, who carried the offense with 12 catches for 123 yards while also scoring his first TD of the season. McBride was about the only bright spot for a Cardinals offense that struggled to move the ball. Defensively, the Cardinals couldn't have played much better: They stopped the Rams' rushing attack and limited Matthew Stafford to just 189 yards, but they got no help from an offense that couldn't put any points on the board. This was a disappointing loss for a team that totally fell apart over the second half of the season with five losses in its past six games. | |
| C+ |  |
| If you want to make a Super Bowl run, it helps to have a hot defense and the Rams certainly have that right now. For the third straight game, the Rams held their opponent under 10 points, and this week, they did that by bottling up Kyler Murray. Not only did the Rams sack Murray four times, but they came up with two interceptions in the fourth quarter, including a wild pick in the end zone by Ahkello Witherspoon with just 37 seconds left. The Rams offense was quiet for most of the game, except for Puka Nacua, who finished with more than half of the team's offensive yardage (Nacua had 129 receiving yards on a night where the Rams totaled 257). It was an ugly win, but ugly wins still count in the standings, and now this team has just taken one giant step closer toward clinching a playoff berth. The Rams have already beaten the Vikings and Bills this season, so if they get into the playoffs, they could be a dark-horse team to watch. | |
Cincinnati 30-24 in OT over Denver (Saturday)
| B- |  |
| The Broncos offense got off to a slow start with just three points through the first two-and-a-half quarters, but Bo Nix made up for that by hitting Marvin Mims Jr. for two wild touchdowns in the fourth quarter, including one that tied the game with just eight seconds left. Defensively, the Broncos had an up-and-down day. On one hand, they kept constant pressure on Joe Burrow with Zach Allen recording 3.5 of Denver's seven sacks, but that wasn't enough to stop Burrow, who torched the Broncos defense for more than 400 passing yards. This felt like a playoff game, at a minimum, and it was good for young players like Nix to get big-game experience. However, if the Broncos want to play in an actual playoff game, they'll need to beat the Chiefs in Week 18. | |
| B |  |
| With the Bengals facing playoff elimination, Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins saved the season. Despite getting beat up by a Broncos defense that sacked him seven times, Burrow still managed to throw for 412 yards and three touchdowns. All three scores went to Higgins, who caught 11 passes for 131 yards. Although Burrow came through in the clutch, the unsung hero for the Bengals was a defense that came up with a huge fourth-quarter interception and two big stops in overtime. The Bengals didn't play a perfect game, but they played well enough to win, and when you're facing elimination, that's all that matters. | |
L.A. Chargers 40-7 over New England (Saturday)
| A+ |  |
| The Chargers clinched a playoff berth with this win, which is fitting, because Justin Herbert looks playoff ready. The offense was firing on all cylinders and that's mostly thanks to Herbert, who threw for 281 yards and three touchdowns before being benched with roughly 11 minutes left to play. One thing that makes the Chargers offense so difficult to stop is because the opposing defense never knows who's going to get the ball and that was the case in this game. Herbert completed at least one pass to nine different receivers, including Ladd McConkey, who had a huge day with eight catches for 94 yards and two touchdowns. Defensively, Derwin James had a big day with two sacks on a day where the Chargers beat up on an overmatched Patriots offensive line. This team has a strong defense and a great quarterback, which is a combination that could lead certainly lead to one or two wins in the postseason. | |
| F |  |
| The Patriots had the chance to play spoiler in this game, but instead, they ended up spoiling the day for every Patriots fan that showed up for this game. The offense couldn't move the ball, the defense couldn't stop Justin Herbert and the Patriots looked like a team that's just playing out its schedule. With six straight losses, it will be interesting to see what happens with rookie coach Jerod Mayo after the season ends. | |
Seattle 6-3 over Chicago (Thursday)
| C |  |
| The Seahawks needed a win in the worst kind of way and they were able to get it, thanks to a defense that came through with its most impressive performance of the season. Leonard Williams led a pass rush that had Caleb Williams on the run all night. The Seahawks linebacker tallied two of Seattle's seven sacks in the game. The defense held the Bears to just 179 yards while only allowing one drive the entire game that got inside of the Seahawks' 40-yard line. The Seahawks offense didn't do much, but Geno Smith and Zach Charbonnet played well enough in the first half to set up two Jason Myers field goals, and in the end, that was all Seattle needed. This team will now sit and wait to see what happens with the Rams on Saturday night against the Cardinals, but the important part is that it's still alive for a possible playoff berth. | |
| C- |  |
| The Bears offense has been getting close to rock bottom for nine straight weeks and they finally hit it on Thursday night. On the Bears' first nine offensive possessions, they only had one drive that went for more than 16 yards. Caleb Williams didn't have much time to throw -- he was sacked seven times -- but even when he did, he struggled to connect with his receivers in a game where he completed just 16 of 28 passes for 122 yards. The Bears defense played a nearly perfect game, but the effort went to waste because the offense couldn't move the ball. The Bears have now lost 10 games in a row, and the only good news for this team is that the season will be over next week. | |
Kansas City 29-10 over Pittsburgh (Wednesday)
| A+ |  |
| The Chiefs always seem to get hot just in time for the playoffs, and that appears to be exactly what's happening this year. Patrick Mahomes, who has a 4-0 career record against Pittsburgh, once again dominated the Steelers. The Chiefs QB diced up Pittsburgh's secondary for 320 yards and three touchdowns, and he did that my spreading the ball around: The Chiefs had seven different players catch at least two passes, including Travis Kelce, who caught eight passes for 84 yards and a TD. As good as the offense was, the defense might have been better. The Chiefs didn't have star pass-rusher Chris Jones, but they were still able to terrorize Russell Wilson. The Kansas City pass-rush racked up five sacks with Mike Danna recording two of those. Santa always delivers on Dec. 25, and the Chiefs always deliver in big games. Both of them delivered in this rare Wednesday game. | |
| D- |  |
| The Steelers are probably going to get coal in their stocking after this Christmas Day performance. With George Pickens back in the lineup, the offense did show some brief signs of life, but overall it was an ugly day. The ugliness started up front with the offensive line getting dominated for five sacks. As if that wasn't bad enough, the Steelers also made two back-breaking mistakes with a red zone interception by Russell Wilson in the first half and a lost fumble by Pat Freiermuth in the second half. It also didn't help that the Steelers defense looked lost while trying to slow down Kansas City's offense. This team feels like it's fading fast, and with three straight losses, it will be a surprise if it gets out of the first round of the playoffs with the way it is currently playing. | |
Baltimore 31-2 over Houston (Wednesday)
| A+ |  |
| Santa wasn't the only one who delivered on Christmas; so did Lamar Jackson. The Ravens QB made an MVP statement with an impressive performance that saw him total 255 yards and three touchdowns. Of that total, Jackson rushed for 87 yards, which moved him past Michael Vick for the most career rushing yards by a QB in NFL history. Jackson did get some help on offense from Derrick Henry, who plowed his way through the Texans defense for 147 yards and a touchdown. The Ravens defense, which had been a weak spot for the first 11 weeks of the season, had another strong game. It beat up on C.J. Stroud, who was sacked five times. The Ravens are getting hot at the right time, and they're now just one win away from winning the AFC North. | |
| F |  |
| The only thing that could have been uglier on Christmas than the Texans' performance was if Santa's sleigh had crashed. This game was a total disaster for a Texans team that has now struggled on offense in three straight games. C.J. Stroud couldn't get the passing game going, and that's mostly because he was under constant pressure (he was sacked five times). Even if the offense had been able to move the ball, it might not have mattered because Houston's defense couldn't stop a Ravens rushing attack that piled up more than 250 yards. The Texans are looking like a team that could go one-and-done in the playoffs unless they can somehow get things turned around before the postseason starts. | |
