What we learned in NFL Week 17: Vikings alive for top seed, Colts ‘embarrassing’

One week to go, nonetheless loads to be determined.

Begin right here, with the primary regular-season sport in NFL historical past that includes two groups with at the least 13 wins. The Lions and Vikings is not going to solely determine the NFC North title subsequent Sunday night time at Ford Discipline but additionally the convention’s high seed and lone first-round bye.

Then there’s Eagles operating again Saquon Barkley, now the ninth rusher to eclipse 2,000 yards in a season. In Philly’s finale, he has the possibility to interrupt one of many league’s most vaunted data — one which’s stood for 40 years.

There’s one playoff spot in every convention nonetheless up for grabs — an AFC wild-card berth and the NFC South champ.

And, following the Giants’ upset of the Colts, there’s a brand new front-runner for the No. 1 decide within the 2025 draft.

GO DEEPER

NFL Week 17 takeaways: Are Vikings on the Lions’, Eagles’ degree? Ought to Cowboys maintain McCarthy?

As for Sunday and Week 17, Sam Darnold and the Vikings continued to script essentially the most unbelievable story of the 2024 season. Due to one other profession day from Darnold — 377 passing yards and three touchdowns — the Vikings staved off a Packers rally for a 27-25 win to maintain Minnesota’s hope for the NFC’s No. 1 seed alive. Think about: The over/below for the Vikings’ win whole at first of the season was a mere 6.5. Kevin O’Connell’s crew is now 14-2 and one win away from the convention’s No. 1 seed.

Darnold’s revival continues to defy the percentages. He’s on his fourth crew in 5 years. He was written off by the Jets, then the Panthers, then spent final season backing up Brock Purdy with the 49ers. Now he’s the primary quarterback in NFL historical past to win 14 video games in his first season with a crew. He’s thrown 35 touchdowns. On Sunday alone he hit eight receivers, proving once more that that is extra than simply having one of many sport’s elite weapons in Justin Jefferson. Darnold’s been flat-out terrific, and one of many foremost causes the Vikings have gained 9 straight.

“One other big-time efficiency when his crew wanted him,” O’Connell gushed of his quarterback. “There’s so many issues that lead into moments like this for Sam since he grew to become a Minnesota Viking. … Our soccer crew loves him for it, and I’ve had an absolute blast teaching him.”

On the opposite finish, of the Packers’ 5 losses this season, 4 have come inside the NFC North.

Jayden Daniels’ landing throw to Zach Ertz in additional time Sunday night time clinched not simply the Commanders’ return to the playoffs but additionally a division title for the Rams. (L.A. edged Seattle through the energy of victory tiebreaker.) Meaning only one division has but to be determined. The Bucs, 48-14 winners over the Panthers on Sunday, at the moment are 9-7 and a sport in entrance of the Falcons, who fell to the Commanders in additional time. Atlanta is 8-8 however would win the division if each groups end with the identical document by advantage of a season sweep over Tampa Bay.

The Dolphins gained with Tyler Huntley at quarterback to remain alive within the AFC playoff race. The Colts clinched one other January at dwelling after an embarrassing loss to the Giants. And the Payments routed the Jets 40-14 to inch New York one sport nearer to a merciful finish for a depressing season. And presumably nudged Aaron Rodgers towards retirement.

Right here’s what we realized in Week 17:

Broncos win, they’re in

Within the AFC, all however one spot has been determined. Three groups — Denver, Miami and Cincinnati — nonetheless have an opportunity. Nevertheless it stays the Broncos’ to lose.

The playoffs will run by means of Kansas Metropolis after the Chiefs clinched the No. 1 seed and first-round bye with their Christmas Day victory over the Steelers. Buffalo is locked into the No. 2 spot, and with a win subsequent week over the lowly Browns the Ravens would declare a second straight AFC North title. The Steelers and Chargers have clinched playoff spots; the one manner Pittsburgh wins the AFC North is that if Baltimore loses and the Steelers beat the Bengals, who nonetheless have one thing to play for because of Saturday’s additional time win over the Broncos.

Listed below are the situations for the ultimate AFC playoff spot:

• If the Broncos beat the Chiefs, Denver is in.
• If the Dolphins beat the Jets and the Broncos lose to the Chiefs, Miami is in.
• If the Bengals beat the Steelers and each the Broncos and Dolphins lose, Cincinnati is in.
• If all three groups lose, the Broncos earn the ultimate playoff spot.

In all probability, Denver will handle enterprise in opposition to Kansas Metropolis’s backups. However at the least for yet one more week, Miami and Cincinnati have life.

Assuming the Ravens declare the AFC North, that might arrange wild-card matchups between the Payments and Broncos, Ravens and Chargers and Texans and Steelers.

NFC South nonetheless to be gained

The NFC is a bit messier.

For starters, the highest seed stays up for grabs heading into Week 18. The Lions-Vikings winner is not going to solely earn the NFC North title but additionally the No. 1 seed and the first-round bye. The loser at Ford Discipline? They’ll slide to the No. 5 spot and open the playoffs on the highway. (That’s no matter what occurs between the Lions and 49ers Monday night time — even with a loss, Detroit will nonetheless face Minnesota subsequent week with the division title and No. 1 seed on the road.)

The Eagles are locked into the No. 2 spot.

Due to the Commanders’ additional time victory over the Falcons Sunday night time, Washington is within the playoffs for the primary time since 2020. Dan Quinn’s crew may additionally climb to the No. 6 seed with a win subsequent week over the Cowboys. In that state of affairs, Inexperienced Bay would fall to No. 7.

Washington’s win additionally means the Rams have clinched the NFC West through the strength-of-victory tiebreaker. The Seahawks, holding out slim hopes of constructing the postseason in coach Mike Macdonald’s first yr, have been eradicated.

The NFC South, although, stays a query mark. If the Bucs beat the Saints subsequent week, they clinch the division. In the event that they lose and the Falcons beat the Panthers, Atlanta would win it primarily based on the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Giants’ win comes at a value

“We all know the place we’re going,” Shedeur Sanders mentioned within the days main as much as his remaining collegiate sport.

When Colorado’s quarterback took the sector for the Alamo Bowl in customized cleats with the New York Giants emblem on them, the message was clear: Sanders totally anticipated to go No. 1 to the Giants within the draft.

Then a humorous factor occurred: The Giants gained a sport, for the primary time at dwelling all season and for the primary time anyplace since early October. And with its 45-33 victory over the Colts, New York forfeited its pole place within the race for the No. 1 decide.

Would possibly that change the place Sanders finally ends up?

It very properly may. As a result of after Sunday’s outcomes, the Giants are slated to select fourth, behind the Patriots, Titans and Browns.

If New England loses subsequent week to Buffalo — the Payments have already locked up the AFC’s No. 2 seed and can probably relaxation some starters forward of the playoffs — the Patriots would clinch the franchise’s first No. 1 choice since 1993.

4 groups are 3-13, however the Patriots personal the highest seed, so to talk, by advantage of energy of schedule. The Titans host the Texans in Week 18, the Giants are on the highway in opposition to the Eagles and the Browns are on the highway in opposition to the Ravens.

If the present order holds, it makes for an fascinating dilemma: The Patriots, following Drake Maye’s promising rookie season, gained’t be out there for a quarterback. Would they commerce out of the highest spot, just like the Bears did two years in the past? The value can be steep for a crew such because the Titans, Browns, Giants, Jets, Raiders or another person trying to commerce up for an opportunity at grabbing their quarterback of the longer term, relying on the place they’re coming from within the draft order. Carolina, keep in mind, needed to ship Chicago two first-round picks, a second-rounder and wideout D.J. Moore to leap from No. 9 to the highest of the 2023 draft to land Bryce Younger.

Or New England may merely keep at No. 1 and take whichever participant it prefers.

Sanders might very properly find yourself with the Giants, however that grew to become far much less sure on Sunday.

Barkley joins 2K membership

Saquon Barkley joined one of the unique teams in NFL historical past Sunday, climbing previous 2,000 speeding yards for the season in Philly’s 41-7 rout of the Cowboys. He’s simply the ninth rusher in league historical past to take action, becoming a member of O.J. Simpson (1973), Eric Dickerson (1984), Barry Sanders (1997), Terrell Davis (1998), Jamal Lewis (2003), Chris Johnson (2009), Adrian Peterson (2012) and Derrick Henry (2020).

Barkley has 2,005 speeding yards, precisely 100 shy of Dickerson’s single-season document, set manner again in 1984 (when Dickerson set the mark in 16 begins). However with the Eagles already locked into the NFC’s No. 2 seed, Barkley’s unlikely to see a number of snaps in subsequent week’s finale in opposition to the Giants.

Saquon Barkley may set an NFL single-season speeding document subsequent week, however will he see sufficient motion? (Mitchell Leff / Getty Photos)

“I’m not overtly making an attempt to get (the document),” he mentioned after Sunday’s sport. “I’m not frightened of it, however we’ve bought greater issues we’re centered on. Whether or not we play subsequent week or relaxation, I’m positive with that. I didn’t signal right here simply to interrupt a document. I wish to do one thing particular with the crew.”

Colts’ hopes finish with thud

Should you can’t beat the crew with the worst document in soccer, you don’t deserve a spot within the dance.

Sunday’s loss to the Giants was an utter embarrassment for the Colts, one of many worst in latest reminiscence for a franchise that has underachieved for the higher a part of 5 seasons. This was an particularly darkish day for Gus Bradley’s protection, which allowed Drew Lock and the Giants to pile up 389 all-purpose yards. The Giants entered Sunday having scored 32 factors all of December — that’s three video games — then lit the Colts up for 45 in a single afternoon. It’s essentially the most the franchise has scored in a sport in 9 years.

“It’s embarrassing. It’s disappointing. We bought simply flat-out beat,” linebacker Zaire Franklin mentioned. “The efficiency that we put out defensively, past unacceptable. And you’ll’t play like that if you happen to plan on being a playoff crew.”

That makes 4 straight seasons the Colts have missed the postseason, six since their final playoff victory and 10 with no division title.

Coach Shane Steichen, who led the Colts to inside one win of an AFC South crown with backup Gardner Minshew below middle for many of final season, couldn’t again up his spectacular debut. His offense seemed stale, and solely late within the yr did he discover one thing of a groove with second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson, who was benched midseason and struggled to search out consistency even after he returned. Richardson has began simply 15 of a potential 33 video games in two seasons and has but to show he’s a long-term reply on the place.

The Colts have some selections to make.

Does Steichen return?

“I management what I can management,” he mentioned after the loss in New York.

Does Bradley?

“I really like Gus,” Steichen mentioned Sunday. “Clearly (immediately) we’d all like to be higher.”

What about common supervisor Chris Ballard, who’s eight seasons into his tenure and has but to supply a division winner? Proprietor Jim Irsay, who’s been uncharacteristically quiet of late, should determine what he desires the way forward for his franchise to appear like.

(Photograph of Joe Flacco and Shane Steichen: Luke Hales / Getty Photos)