NFL Game Recaps: Week 17, 2023

NFL Game Recaps of previous weeks and seasons can be found via links at the bottom of the page.

Browns 37, Jets 20

The Browns have been the most shocking success story of the 2023 season, as Joe Flacco has been the savior for the team in the wake of Deshaun Watson’s injury. The magic continued in this Thursday game, as Flacco had no issues slicing through a highly regarded Jets secondary. The win improved the Browns to 11-5, clinching a playoff berth for them.

Flacco had a stellar performance despite missing Amari Cooper with a heel injury. Even without Cooper, as well as Elijah Moore, who suffered an injury during the second quarter of this game, Flacco completed numerous deep throws as the New York secondary showed no resistance against Cleveland’s passing attack.

Flacco finished 19-of-29 for 309 yards, three touchdowns and an interception. The pick was his only mistake of the night, as Flacco tried to throw a pass in the flat, but couldn’t quite get the ball over Jermaine Johnson, who made a terrific play to bat the ball to himself and return it for six.

With Cooper out and Moore getting hurt after catching five passes for 61 yards and a touchdown, the leader in receiving yards for the Browns was David Njoku, who had a monster night with six catches for 134 yards.

Jerome Ford also had a solid performance. He rushed for 64 yards on 12 carries to go along with two catches for 57 receiving yards. Both of his receptions were touchdowns.

As for the Jets, they didn’t have much of a chance as their fourth-string quarterback, Trevor Siemian, battled one of the top defenses in the NFL. Siemian led a touchdown drive on the opening possession, but couldn’t get into the end zone after that again. Siemian finished 32-of-45 for 262 yards, one touchdown and an interception, a pick-six where he telegraphed his throw. He had some possessions where he moved the chains in between the 20s, but those were mostly hollow yards on drives that concluded with field goals or punts.

The only bright spot for the Jets was Breece Hall, who had a huge night. Hall rushed for 84 yards on 13 carries, but did his best work as a receiver. He caught all nine of his targets for 42 receiving yards and a touchdown.

Hall was third on the Jets in receiving, trailing Garrett Wilson (5-50) and Tyler Conklin (5-46).

Cowboys 20, Lions 19

Dan Campbell is one of the most agreessive coaches in the NFL when it comes to going for it on fourth down and other similar situations. Many of his gambles have paid off, but there have been some chances that have backfired. We saw a major example of the latter at the end of this game.

The Lions were down 20-13 with less than two minutes remaining. They were coming off a drive in which Jared Goff threw an interception, but Goff threw some accurate strikes to Sam LaPorta for 10- and 25-yard gains. He then connected with Amon-Ra St. Brown for a 14-yard reception. He went back to LaPorta for 15 after that, then connected with St. Brown for an 11-yard touchdown, as he dived for the pylon to potentially tie the game.

Campbell, however, had other thoughts. He called a two-point conversion, which was successful on a pass to Taylor Decker. Unfortunately for the Lions, the officials chose to ignore Decker when he told them he was reporting as eligible, which was an example of extreme incompetence or Tim Donaghy-level corruption. Given that there would have to be a two-point conversion from the 7-yard line, it was assumed that Detroit would make the logical decision and kick the extra point. Campbell is not a believer in logic, apparently, as he tried a two-point conversion from the seven. An offsides penalty brought it to the 4-yard line, but Goff’s pass to his backup tight end fell incomplete.

There was barely any time left in regulation, so it’s almost certain that this game would have gone to overtime had Campbell decided to kick the extra point. Going for two from the 7- and then the 4-yard line when it’s not needed is insane. It’s this sort of dumb aggression that could cost the Lions in the playoffs.

Something else that could cost the Lions is their horrid secondary. It’ll help if Chauncey Gardner-Johnson can play, but CeeDee Lamb’s dominance could be a sign of things to come. Lamb had an incredible game, 13 of his 17 targets for 227 yards and a touchdown, which was a 92-yard bomb on a play in which Dak Prescott nearly took a safety. Brandin Cooks (5-60) was also able to score. Jake Ferguson (4-33) was the only other Cowboy with more than 10 receiving yards, but it was telling that the Lions were so leaky to such a consolidated, albeit talented receiving group.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Prescott posted great numbers against such a poor and injury-ravaged secondary. Prescott went 26-of-38 for 345 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.

The Lions were at least able to put the clamps on Tony Pollard. The dynamic back was limited to just 49 yards on 16 carries. The leading rusher in this game was David Montgomery, who rushed for 65 yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts. Jahmyr Gibbs, conversely, was a huge disappointment. He rushed for 43 yards on 15 attempts, and he caught only one pass for some reason.

Goff didn’t have the best game despite what occurred on the final drive. He went 19-of-34 for 271 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

Thanks to the final drive, St. Brown and LaPorta posted some stellar numbers when they had been experiencing a mediocre night otherwise. St. Brown led the way with six grabs for 90 yards and a touchdown, while LaPorta secured seven of his 12 targets for 84 yards.

Bills 27, Patriots 21

No one expected a battle between the Bills and Patriots to be wild, but that’s exactly what this was, as there were countless plays by the defense and special teams throughout the first half. The Patriots kicked off the party by scoring on the opening kickoff. Josh Allen was then strip-sacked on the next play. The Patriots had all the momentum, but that quickly came to an end when Bailey Zappe was picked twice – once on a tipped pass, and the second time when a defender jumped the route. A New England tight end lost a fumble after that, and then Zappe was pick-sixed on a miscommunication.

The pick-six gave the Bills a 20-7 lead. They couldn’t run away with this game, as Allen heaved an interception after that on a deep shot. The Patriots, meanwhile, calmed down with the give-aways and put together a couple of unlikely drives with some surprising Bailey Zappe scrambles. In fact, they may have won or sent the game to overtime had they gotten the ball back in the final five minutes, but the Bills sat on the ball during the latter half of the fourth quarter to seal the victory.

Allen didn’t have his best game as a passer, completing just half of his throws. He went 15-of-30 for 160 yards and the aforementioned interception. However, he did well as a scrambler, which is not surprising given Bill Belichick’s problems against mobile quarterbacks. Allen scrambled 11 times for 44 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Allen once again struggled to connect with Stefon Diggs. The No. 1 receiver has done nothing in recent weeks, and that continued to be the case in this contest. He caught four passes for 26 yards. He was third on the team in receiving behind Dalton Kincaid (4-87) and Khalil Shakir (4-39).

James Cook didn’t do much as a receiver either with only one catch. He struggled to find running room, gaining 48 yards on 16 attempts. Cook outgained Ezekiel Elliott, though Elliott scored a touchdown in the second half. He rumbled for 39 yards and a score on 14 attempts.

Zappe had a rough game as a passer, going 16-of-26 for 209 yards and the three interceptions. However, he had success as a scrambler with 37 yards and a touchdown on five runs.

There’s not much of note in the New England receiving corps. Demario Douglas was a big disappointment with only three catches for 31 yards.

Bears 37, Falcons 17

The Bears have been one of the best teams in the NFL since Justin Fields returned in Week 11. They were ranked fourth in net EPA entering the week, and their two losses easily could have gone the other way. Despite Chicago’s recent dominance, there was sharp action coming in on the Falcons, dragging this spread from -3 to -2.5. Professional bettors are right more often than they are wrong, but they were clearly on the incorrect side of this game, as Chicago dominated from start to finish.

This was a lopsided performance for the Bears on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Justin Fields hit some deep passes to D.J. Moore despite there being some snowy and windy conditions. This includes a 32-yard bomb to Moore, as the dynamic wideout caught nine of his 13 targets for 159 yards and a touchdown.

Fields, meanwhile, was a dynamic threat on both sides of the ball. He went 20-of-32 for 268 yards and a touchdown. He also scrambled 11 times for 45 rushing yards and a score. Fields’ only real blunder was a fumble in an odd situation where the Bears called a pass at the end of the game while up 20. A teammate recovered, so Fields wasn’t charged with the turnover.

Defensively, the Bears were able to limit anything the Falcons were trying to do. Atlanta scored on a fluky play where Tyler Allgeier caught a 75-yard touchdown, but the Falcons accumulated just 232 net yards of offense otherwise. Atlanta had trouble sustaining drives, which allowed Chicago to win the time of possession by about 15 minutes.

Chicago embarrassed Taylor Heinicke, who was benched in the fourth quarter. He had a miserable completion percentage, going 10-of-29 for 163 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Heinicke telegraphed throws and didn’t see defenders. Desmond Ridder replaced Heinicke in the fourth quarter and was promptly intercepted as well.

If there’s a silver lining for the Falcons, it’s that Arthur Smith utilized Bijan Robinson much more than Allgeier, despite Allgeier’s long touchdown. Robinson was given 15 carries compared to Allgeier, who was handed only five attempts. Robinson outgaind Allgeier, 75-13.

Aside from Allgeier, Atlanta’s leading receiver was Drake London, who had to overcome miserable quarterbacking to catch four of his 10 targets for 56 yards. He and Allgeier were the only Falcons to accumulate more than 19 receiving yards.

While Robinson had some nice runs, the leading rusher in this game was easily Khalil Herbert, who once again impressed in the wake of D’Onta Foreman being inactive. Herbert dashed for 124 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Roschon Johnson (7-21) vultured a score and also caught three passes for 38 receiving yards.

Rams 26, Giants 25

The Rams, despite winning by only one point, never trailed in this game. They had the lead for the majority of the afternoon, but their sloppiness allowed the Giants to have a chance to prevail toward the end of the afternoon.

Los Angeles was guilty of three turnovers in this contest. Matthew Stafford was responsible for two of them with a pair of picks. The first was an interception that sailed on him toward a pass to Puka Nacua. The other pick was an overthrow. Meanwhile, Demarcus Robinson lost a fumble near midfield. And if this wasn’t bad enough, the special teams surrendered a punt return with the help of numerous missed tackles.

Had the Rams not been guilty of these blunders, they probably could have secured an easier victory. They had to sweat it out, however, as the Giants moved into field goal range because of a 31-yard Tyrod Taylor scramble. Mason Crosby, however, missed a 54-yard field goal to ensure the win for the Rams and prevent a Pyrrhic victory for the Giants.

Stafford played well if the turnovers are excluded. He went 24-of-34 for 317 yards and a touchdown otherwise. However, he and Sean McVay seemed to be frustrated with one another on the sideline, likely because of the sloppy give-aways.

Nacua paced the Rams in receiving with five catches for 118 yards. Robinson was next with six grabs for 92 yards. Both outgained Cooper Kupp by a wide margin, as Kupp caught four balls for 27 yards, but he was able to score a touchdown.

Speaking of touchdowns, Kyren Williams found the end zone on three occasions. He rushed for 87 yards on 20 carries with three touchdowns. He also caught a pair of passes for 14 receiving yards.

As for the Giants, they were able to get a much better game out of Taylor than they would have with Tommy DeVito. Taylor went 27-of-41 for 319 yards, one touchdown and an interception. He scrambled six times as well for 40 rushing yards.

Taylor’s touchdown was an 80-yard bmb to Darius Slayton. Because of this score, Slayton led the Giants in receiving with four catches for 106 yards and the touchdown. Wan’Dale Robinson chipped in with six catches for 55 yards, while Darren Waller made five receptions for 51 yards.

Saquon Barkley didn’t get much against a fierce run defense. Barkley mustered just 39 yards on 12 carries. He caught three passes as well, but for only 19 receiving yards.

Cardinals 35, Eagles 31

If there was any team that would expose a new weakness for the Eagles, Arizona would be one of the last teams anyone would guess. Philadelphia hasn’t been able to defend the pass at all this year, but they’ve at least been stout against the run. After this, the run defense has to be called into question as well.

James Conner trampled over Philadelphia’s defense with ease. He had one of the best performances of his career, as he rumbled for 128 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries. He also caught a touchdown on a 5-yard reception as well, which was an amazing, one-handed grab. However, it wasn’t just Conner who exploited Philadelphia’s suddenly shaky run defense. Michael Carter did as well, with Carter dashing for 61 yards on just seven carries.

Meanwhile, Kyler Murray was able to move the chains very easily on the Eagles all afternoon. He picked up 32 first downs, compared to 17 by the Eagles, winning the time of possession by about 19 minutes. Murray had just six incompletions, going 25-of-31 for 232 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, which was a pick-six on a miscommunication. Murray was also able to pick up some decent rushing yardage, gaining 24 yards on five attempts.

With Marquise Brown sidelined, Murray threw most to Greg Dortch, who caught all seven of his targets for 82 yards. Trey McBride also did well with six receptions for 48 yards. Michael Wilson (4-35) caught a touchdown.

As for the Eagles, they didn’t get a chance to produce very much with Arizona controlling the ball for two-thirds of the game. Jalen Hurts completed only 18 passes despite having just five misfires. One of those failed connections was a deep drop by DeVonta Smith. Had Smith caught the ball, Hurts’ numbers would have looked much better. Instead, Hurts went 18-of-23 for 167 yards, three touchdowns and an interception on a Hail Mary at the end of the game. Hurts also scrambled eight times for 25 rushing yards.

All of the other offensive numbers were suppressed as well. A.J. Brown led the Eagles in receiving, but with only four catches for 53 yards. Dallas Goedert (5-47) and Julio Jones (2-34) scored touchdowns, with Jones inexplicably finding the end zone twice. Smith, meanwhile, caught three passes for only 30 yards.

D’Andre Swift had been running well, but didn’t get much of an opportunity in this contest. He was given just 13 carries, which he turned into 61 yards.

Saints 23, Buccaneers 13

One has to wonder why the Buccaneers starters even played in this game. It may seem odd to sit players for a Week 17 affair when a playoff berth isn’t locked in, but all that matters is if the Buccaneers beat the Panthers in Week 18.

Tampa Bay didn’t look like it was very interested in playing this game, as the team looked very lethargic on both sides of the ball. Offensively, the team had some sloppy turnovers, including two interceptions by Baker Mayfield and a lost fumble by Rachaad White. Defensively, the Buccaneers didn’t look very interested in either tackling the New Orleans running backs or covering the opposing tight end. The result was an ugly blowout victory that wasn’t as close as this margin indicates because the Saints led 20-0 before two garbage-time touchdowns.

As far as specifics are concerned with Tampa Bay’s suddenly leaky run defense, Alvin Kamara wasn’t even the primary ball carrier because of an injury he suffered. It’s a shame for Kamara, who was having a solid performance with 45 yards on 10 carries. Jamaal Williams stepped in and rumbled for 58 yards on 19 attempts.

Derek Carr played well as a result of being in favorable passing situations. He went 24-of-32 for 197 yards and two touchdowns. Despite the solid passing performance, Chis Olave barely did anything, however, as he reeled in just three of his six targets for 26 yards.

With Olave disappointing, Juwan Johnson picked up the slack. Johnson abused the Buccaneers defense with eight catches for 90 yards and a score. Taysom Hill (2-30) caught Carr’s other touchdown.

Mike Evans also underwhelmed his fantasy owners. Like Olave, he was third on the team in receiving with three receptions for 70 yards. He trailed Trey Palmer (4-84) and Chris Godwin (3-81), both of whom scored touchdowns. Palmer lost a fumble when he fell to the ground untouched and coughed up the ball.

Mayfield, as mentioned, was responsible for two interceptions, one of which was a severely underthrown pass. Mayfield may look like he had a solid game otherwise, as he went 22-of-33 for 309 yards, two touchdowns otherwise. However, much of Mayfield’s production came in garbage time. Mayfield was just 5-of-10 for 43 yards and a pick by halftime.

White was a huge disappointment, which was shocking because he had been so consistent entering this week. He rushed for 42 yards on 11 carries to go along with his lost fumble. He also caught four passes for 24 receiving yards.

49ers 27, Redskins 10

The 49ers clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC in the wake of their victory and Philadelphia’s loss to the Cardinals. However, this was a Pyrrhic result for the 49ers, who saw Christian McCaffrey suffer an injury in this contest. It may not be overly dire, but his ankle issue was serious enough to keep him out of the game for most of the second half. McCaffrey spent lots of time getting his ankle taped up, as Elijah Mitchell handled the workload during the latter stages of this game.

Of course, the 49ers didn’t need McCaffrey to prevail in this contest. They were battling an already-horrible Redskins defense that was worse in the wake of injuries to their top two cornerbacks. They offered no resistance to Brock Purdy, who was nearly perfect as a passer. Purdy went 22-of-28 for 230 yards and two touchdowns. It should be noted that more was expected of Purdy and the 49ers, considering the matchup, but San Francisco didn’t have the best success in the red zone.

As for McCaffrey, he had a very disappointing game for any fantasy owners who may have reached their championship with his help. McCaffrey’s calf betrayed them, as McCaffrey rushed for just 64 yards on 14 carries. He also caught four passes for 27 receiving yards. Mitchell was excellent as a replacement with 80 yards and a touchdown on 17 attempts.

Brandon Aiyuk was the top receiver in this game, and it wasn’t even close. He hauled in seven of his eight targets for 114 yards and a touchdown. Deebo Samuel was a minor disappointment with five receptions for 37 yards, though he also scored a touchdown. George Kittle was an afterthought with three grabs for 29 yards.

As for the Redskins, they wanted to start Jacoby Brissett, but Brissett tweaked his hamstring during practice and was unable to play in this game. Sam Howell had some bright moments in this game, but was mostly dreadful, going 17-of-28 for 169 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, one of which was a hideous throw in the red zone.

Howell had a solid connection with Terry McLaurin for once, as McLaurin caught four balls for 61 yards and a touchdown. Curtis Samuel chipped in with three catches for 33 yards.

Brian Robinson didn’t get much of a chance to run the ball – nine carries, 44 yards – but he caught four passes for 32 receiving yards.

Jaguars 26, Panthers 0

Trevor Lawrence had picked up so many different injuries that he resembled the Black Knight from the Monty Python movie. It was irresponsible for the Jaguars coaching staff to keep trotting out Lawrence despite his many pleas about mere flesh wounds, so the correct decision was made to start C.J. Beathard instead.

Beathard didn’t have the easiest matchup on his own against a Carolina defense that defends the pass well, but he did a good job of not making any mistakes and keeping the chains moving in between the 20s. Beathard’s stats won’t jump off the page, but he was a very economical 17-of-24 for 178 yards.

Of course, it helped Beathard that he had a strong running attack by his side. Travis Etienne had struggled of late, but he had a dream matchup versus Carolina’s woeful ground defense. Etienne exposed the Panthers with a 62-yard touchdown run in the second half. He topped the century mark, dashing for 102 yards and two touchdowns on just 16 attempts. His numbers would have been better if he hadn’t been pulled in the fourth quarter as a result of this lopsided result.

With Beathard serving as a game manager, the Jacksonville receiving stats were limited. Evan Engram led the way with six catches for 60 yards. Calvin Ridley, conversely, had an underwhelming performance with four receptions for 39 yards.

As for the Panthers, they seemed to have a great matchup against a Jacksonville defense that had been torched by everyone recently, including Jake Browning. Bryce Young, however, was too incompetent to take advantage of the soft secondary. He went 19-of-32 for 112 yards and one interception. He appeared to suffer an injury in the first half, but didn’t miss any action despite spending a bit of time in the blue medical tent.

Adam Thielen was the only receiver of note for the Panthers once again. He caught six balls for 38 receiving yards. Excluding Chuba Hubbard, no other Panther logged more than 18 receiving yards. This includes D.J. Chark (1-18), who crashed back down to Earth after last week’s brilliant performance.

Speaking of Hubbard, the constant deficit limited him to just 45 yards on 11 carries. He also caught four passes for 26 receiving yards.

Ravens 56, Dolphins 19

This was supposed to be a battle for first place in the AFC. Instead, it turned into a catastrophic result for the Dolphins. They can overcome the loss, especially if they beat the Bills next week to clinch the division and the No. 2 seed, but the most harmful aspect of this defeat happened to be the injuries that Miami suffered.

Three key players left the game early. The big name is Tua Tagovailoa, who was bothered by a shoulder issue. Two key defenders – Xavien Howard and Bradley Chubb – were also knocked out. Chubb’s injury was especially brutal because it’s feared to be a torn ACL.

As for this game, the Dolphins sabotaged a chance to stay competitive with countless mistakes. They established a quick 7-0 lead, but began making blunders. It began with a Tyreek Hill deep drop. Tagovailoa followed that up with an interception on a horrible throw. Then, when it appeared as though the Dolphins finally caught a break with a Gus Edwards lost fumble, Miami immediately gave the ball away with another turnover on a Tagovailoa overthrow.

Of course, none of this would have mattered had the Ravens not been able to take advantage of the errors. Baltimore did just that, as Lamar Jackson clinched the MVP award with an amazing performance. Jackson had more passing touchdowns than incompletions against the Howard-less secondary. Jackson went 18-of-21 for 321 yards and five touchdowns, hitting numerous bombs in the process. Jackson also scrambled six times for 35 rushing yards.

Jackson’s five touchdowns went to four different players. The Raven who hauled in multiple touchdowns was Isaiah Likely, whose two receptions were both scores. The pair of catches went for a combined 42 yards. Otherwise, Jackson’s touchdowns were thrown to Zay Flowers (3-106), Justice Hill (5-64) and Charlie Kolar (1-19). Odell Beckham Jr. caught only one pass, but he made it count, as it was an acrobatic 33-yard reception along the sideline.

Edwards was also able to score to make amends for the lost fumble. He rushed for 68 yards and a score on 16 carries. Justice Hill sprinted for 48 yards on three attempts in addition to his receiving stats.

The leading rusher in this game was De’Von Achane, who also reached the end zone. He dashed for 107 yards on just 14 carries, and he also four passes for 30 receiving yards and a score.

Tagovailoa had a miserable performance that concluded with him injuring his shoulder. Before that, he went 22-of-38 for 237 yards, two touchdowns and the two aforementioned interceptions.

With Tagovailoa struggling, Tyreek Hill had an underwhelming performance with six catches for 76 yards. Durham Smythe (3-54) was next on the stat sheet, while Cedrick Wilson (2-27) caught Tagovailoa’s other touchdown.

Texans 26, Titans 3

C.J. Stroud was set to return from his concussion, but quarterbacks have a history of struggling in their first game back from such injuries. It was clear, however, that Stroud wouldn’t succumb to such issues. In the first half alone, Stroud completed all but four of his pass attempts, as he constantly marched up and down the field on Tennessee’s beleaguered defense. The Texans led 20-3 at halftime, allowing them to just sit on the ball beyond intermission to win an important game to stay alive in the AFC playoff race.

Stroud didn’t post the prettiest stats because the big lead dictated that he had to throw just 12 times following intermission. Still, Stroud completed 75 percent of his passes, going 24-of-32 for 213 yards and one touchdown.

Stroud looked comfortable throwing to two specific players in this game. This includes Nico Collins, who caught seven of his eight targets for 80 yards. Robert Woods shined as well with four grabs for 58 yards.

Devin Singletary ran well against the Titans for the second time in three weeks. Singletary dashed for 80 yards on 16 carries. He had double the number of carries compared to Dameon Pierce (8-16), who handled most of his attempts when this game was well in hand in the second half.

The Texans had an easy time against the Titans because the Tennessee offense shot itself in the foot so often. This includes a Will Levis lost fumble returned for a touchdown on a strip-sack. Levis, who was just 2-of-6 for 16 yards, was knocked out with an injury. Ryan Tannehill took over and did a good job of completing checkdowns, but constantly faltered once he ventured into Houston territory. Tannehill was 16-of-20 for 168 yards.

DeAndre Hopkins was the only Tennessee skill player who had a decent game. He caught all seven of his targets for 72 yards. Chig Okonkwo was next on the stat sheet with three receptions for 34 yards.

Derrick Henry didn’t have a chance to run much. Henry managed just 42 yards on 12 carries.

Colts 23, Raiders 20
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: I’m glad I didn’t bet this game. I would have been so tilted by the back-door touchdown. And speaking of being tilted, Raiders fans should be angry at the NFL for making their team play an early game in the Eastern time zone on a short week.

Both teams entered this game still alive for the playoffs, but both were in must-win situations while also needing help to get a playoff berth. The Indianapolis defense stepped up, and while Davante Adams had a monster game, the Indianapolis defense did enough to hold Aidan O’Connell in check for most of the game. A few big passes from Gardner Minshew were enough to get the Colts the necessary points for the victory. This win keeps Indianapolis’ playoff hopes alive while eliminating Las Vegas.

The Colts got moving on the opening drive when Minshew scrambled and hit Josh Downs on the run. Downs turned into a 50-yard gain. A few plays later, Jonathan Taylor darted into the end zone. The Raiders moved down the field with O’Connell getting chunk completions to Zamir White, Adams, and Ameer Abdullah to produce a field goal for Las Vegas. After those scores, each team got its punters involved on a number of possessions. With four minutes remaining in the second quarter, Minshew threw a perfect deep ball to Alec Pierce (1-58-1), and Pierce ran away from two defenders for a 58-yard touchdown. The Colts took a 14-3 lead into halftime.

The Raiders finally got moving in the third quarter, when O’Connell tossed a short touchdown pass to Adams. On the ensuing drive, the Colts went for a fourth-and-1 near midfield and Minshew connected with Michael Pittman Jr. for a 20-yard gain. That drive stalled out, however, and Indianapolis settled for a field goal to take a 17-10 lead into the fourth quarter.

Taylor ripped off some good runs behind Quenton Nelson in the final quarter. Nelson then combined with good block from Pittman sprung Trey Sermon for a 27-yard gain that set up a second Colts field goal that made the score 20-10.

Midway through the fourth quarter, O’Connell converted a fourth-and-10 to Tre Tucker. A few completions to Adams then moved the ball inside the 20, where the Raiders got a field goal to narrow things to 20-13. The Colts responded by using the ground game to move the ball in for a critical field goal. Down by 10, the Raiders got a touchdown drive with a pass to Adams, but they took too long to score, leaving only 43 seconds remaining. Indianapolis recovered the onside kick to clinch the win.

Minshew completed 15-of-23 passes for 224 yards and a touchdown.

Taylor ran for 96 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries.

Pittman Jr. caught five passes for 46 yards.

O’Connell completed 30-of-47 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns.

White had 71 yards on 20 carries and five receptions for 35 yards while filling in for the injured Josh Jacobs.

Adams caught 13 passes for 126 yards with two touchdowns.

Steelers 30, Seahawks 23
By Charlie Campbell – @draftcampbell

EDITOR’S NOTE: Things seemed bleak for a long time, but the Steelers got over the win total. That means that Mike Tomlin had yet another season with a winning record. Truly remarkable.

Both of these teams were in need of a victory as they each were trying for a wild-card spot. Pittsburgh ran the ball down the throat of the Seattle defense to get a huge road win and improve to 9-7. Mason Rudolph played well, and this win keeps his team with the possibility of landing a wild-card berth. The Steelers have to win next week, but they still need some help. The Seahawks were not eliminated by this loss, but their hopes of making the postseason have become more precariously narrow.

After trading some punts, the Steelers got a drive moving with some fourth-down conversions and a chunk completion to George Pickens. Jaylen Warren put Pittsburgh in front with an 18-yard touchdown run. Seattle responded with Geno Smith making a superb play to dodge T.J. Watt before lofting a 33-yard strike to D.K. Metcalf. Kenneth Walker did the rest, including a 13-yard touchdown to tie the game. Pittsburgh responded with a superb run from Warren for 23 yards and then a 37-yard completion to Pickens, but a Leonard Williams sack forced a 39-yard field goal that left Pittsburgh up 10-7.

The Seahawks quickly took the lead after Walker and Smith led them down the field before Smith connected with Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the back of the end zone to go up 14-10. Pittsburgh got moving with a 25-yard completion to Pat Freiermuth and then some tough runs from Najee Harris. Harris then took a short plunge into the end zone to put the Steelers up 17-14 at the half.

Early in the third quarter, Seattle produced a field goal drive to tie the game at 17. The tie didn’t last long, as Rudolph found a wide-open Diontae Johnson for a 42-yard gain to the 4-yard line. Harris plunged into the end zone on the next play to put Pittsburgh up 24-17. Late in the third quarter, Smith hit Metcalf on the run for a 32-yard gain, and then Smith scrambled for 25 yards. The drive stalled, and early in the fourth quarter, Jason Myers hit a field goal to make it a four-point game.

Pickens soon made an incredible diving catch for a 34-yard gain to the Seattle 20. That drive yielded another Chris Boswell field goal to put the Steelers back up by seven. Promptly, Nick Herbig strip-sacked Smith, and Herbig recovered the ball at the Seattle 16. The Seahawks’ defense forced a field goal, but the Steelers had a 30-20 lead with only 4:23 remaining. Smith moved down the field, but Metcalf couldn’t hold onto a would-be touchdown, and the Seahawks had to settle for a field goal to make the score 30-23. Pittsburgh recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock to clinch the victory.

Rudolph completed 18-of-24 of his passes for 274 yards.

Najee Harris ran for 122 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries. Warren had 75 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.

Pickens caught seven passes for 131 yards.

Smith completed 23-of-33 of his passes for 290 yards and a touchdown. He also lost a fumble.

Walker III took 10 carries for 53 yards and a touchdown.

Metcalf caught five passes for 106 yards.

Chiefs 25, Bengals 17

The Chiefs entered this game with severe offensive concerns, but there was at least some optimism because they were set to battle a team that surrendered 34 points to the Mason Rudolph-led Steelers the prior week. Despite the easy matchup, Kansas City continued to shoot itself in the foot, which has been the common theme for them this year.

It seemed as though the Chiefs would suffer yet another loss as a large favorite for a while. They trailed 17-13 at halftime and 17-16 at the end of the third quarter. The Chiefs surrendered a touchdown when Patrick Mahomes lost a fumble on a Trey Hendrickson strip-sack. Marquez Valdes-Scantling followed that up with a drop on third down, and then Mahomes missed an open Valdes-Scantling for a deep pass, though it’s unclear if the beleaguered receiver would have even caught the ball.

Fortunately for the Chiefs, they were able to have Isiah Pacheco back from injury in this game. Pacheco didn’t succumb to the errors in the passing game, as he was able to just trample a soft Cincinnati run defense. With Pacheco picking up big gains throughout the afternoon, the Chiefs were able to sit on the ball for about 18 of the 30 minutes in the second half. They converted on numerous Harrison Butker field goals to eventually establish an eight-point margin.

The Bengals had a chance to prevail or tie the game with some late drives, but heavy Kansas City pressure forced some sacks and a controversial intentional grounding penalty. The Chiefs triumphed in the end, clinching the No. 3 seed in the AFC playoff race.

Despite the victory, the problems persisted for Mahomes, whose receivers continued to make horrible mistakes. Mahomes finished 21-of-29 for 245 yards and a touchdowns. The numbers don’t look bad, but a better performance was expected against a poor Cincinnati defense.

Rashee Rice was the only reliable receiver for Mahomes, per usual. Rice caught five of his six targets for 127 yards. His best catch was a 67-yarder, which was the longest reception made by a Kansas City player all year. Justin Watson was next on the receiving list with one catch for 41 yards.

Pacheco carried the team, rushing for 130 yards on just 18 attempts. He also caught seven passes for 35 receiving yards and a touchdown.

The Bengals, meanwhile, didn’t get much out of their offense either, thanks to all the pressure Jake Browning saw. Browning went 19-of-33 for 197 yards and a touchdown. He also scrambled seven times for 32 rushing yards and a second score.

Ja’Marr Chase talked crap about Kansas City’s secondary, but the Chiefs were able to limit him to just three catches for 41 yards. Tee Higgins (1-19) missed some time with an injury. He drew a deep interference flag in the second half.

The Bengals didn’t get much out of their running game. Joe Mixon was limited to 65 yards on 21 carries. The Bengals made a poor play-call when they ran him up the middle on a fourth-and-goal in the red zone, but he was predictably stuffed in the backfield.

Broncos 16, Chargers 9

There was high drama surrounding the Russell Wilson benching, but despite the financial implications, Denver made a logical move because Wilson had been atrocious this season. The numbers may say otherwise, but most of his production occurred when his team was trailing by multiple scores. Wilson failed to take advantage of numerous positive passing matchups, so the Broncos had to bench Wilson to see what they could possibly have with Jarrett Stidham.

Denver didn’t have an explosive output with Stidham, though Wilson’s replacement was at least mistake-free. He did a good job of moving the chains at times, though he and his receivers sometimes had miscommunications, likely because they hadn’t played with each other very much. Stidham finished 20-of-32 for 224 yards and a touchdown.

Stidham, at the very least, was able to unlock Jerry Jeudy a bit. Jeudy didn’t have a great stat line – three catches, 54 yards – but he also drew an interference flag in the end zone. Jeudy was second on the team in receiving behind Lil’Jordan Humphrey, who caught two balls for 69 yards and a score.

Javonte Williams was a disappointment. Granted, he was battling a tough run defense, but Williams should have been able to generate more than 41 yards on 15 carries.

As for the Chargers, they couldn’t produce much offensively because Easton Stick and a pedestrian receiving corps was completely outmatched by Denver’s secondary. Stick went 24-of-38 for 220 yards. He also scrambled five times for 31 rushing yards.

With all the injuries in the Chargers receiving corps, Quentin Johnston had a golden opportunity to end his disappointment rookie year on a high note. Instead, Johnston caught just three passes for 29 yards. Instead, Alex Erickson led the Chargers with seven receptions for 98 yards.

You’d think the Chargers would look to get the ball to Austin Ekeler in the passing game, given the injuries at receiver. Ekler inexplicably saw just two targets. He caught one pass for four yards. Ekeler rushed for 46 yards on 13 carries. He lost a fumble when the score was 13-6.

Packers 33, Vikings 10

The Vikings had seen enough of Joshua Dobbs and Nick Mullens. Kevin O’Connell decided to pull the plug on both quarterbacks in favor of rookie Jaren Hall in a must-win game. This, however, completely blew up in O’Connell’s face. Hall was a train wreck in this important game. He couldn’t get the ball to Justin Jefferson, and it’s not like he refrained from committing turnovers. Hall threw an interception on a throw behind his tight end, and then he lost a fumble on a strip-sack.

O’Connell decided to go back to Mullens coming out of halftime, but by then, the damage had already been done. Besides, it’s not like the Minnesota defense had an answer for the Packers. “No Cookie” Jordan Love did whatever he pleased against a Minnesota defense that had been playing well entering this game. Love even unleashed a barrage of jump passes, most of which were complete despite all the receivers the Packers were missing.

Love went 24-of-33 for 256 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed in a fourth score. There’s no telling how Love will perform on a weekly basis, given how ridiculously inconsistent he is. What’s certain is that Love will stand to benefit from his receivers returning from injury. It sounds as though Christian Watson will be good to go in Week 18.

Speaking of the Green Bay receivers, the team was missing Watson and Dontayvion Wicks in this game. Jayden Reed was having a great performance – six catches, 89 yards, two touchdowns – but was knocked out of the game with a rib injury. Bo Melton picked up the slack with six catches for 105 yards and a touchdown, as did Tucker Kraft (6-48), and to a lesser extent, Romeo Doubs (3-28), who dropped a pass on third down.

Aaron Jones had a big game, as he looks completely recovered from the injury that was ailing him for most of the year. Jones dashed for 120 yards on 20 carries. He didn’t even get the ball for the majority of the fourth quarter because this game was so lopsided.

The Vikings couldn’t run as much because of the constant deficit. Ty Chandler rushed for 40 yards on 10 carries. He also caught three passes for 24 receiving yards.

As for the Minnesota passing numbers, Hall was 5-of-10 for 67 yards and the two aforementioned turnovers. Mullens was better – 13-of-22, 113 yards, one touchdown – but he didn’t have a chance with the huge deficit.

Jefferson was disappointed by Hall’s performance. He caught just five of his 10 targets for 59 yards. Jefferson nearly caught a touchdown from Mullens, but was able to get just one foot inbounds. Jordan Addison (3-28) did even less.

For more thoughts, check out my updated NFL Power Rankings, which will be posted Tuesday morning.

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