After the Christmas slate of games, this week we had a slate of games on New Year’s Eve. For the first time, every game had at least one competitor who was still involved in the race for the playoffs. But, after this week, some of these races will be over.
Let’s review week 17 in the 2023 NFL season.
The Playoffs Go Through Baltimore
This was described as the “game of the week”, and for good reason. The Baltimore Ravens faced the Miami Dolphins, where a win for Baltimore would give them the number one seed in the AFC. But, the win for the Dolphins would put them into the race for this. Additionally, the Dolphins in still in their division race, but a victory here will give them the AFC East title. So, who would leave as a champion?
The Dolphins would have the opening possession of the game and would be able to find the endzone from this. The Dolphins offense, led by quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, moved offense down from their 25-yard line to the Ravens’ 8-yard line. From here, Tagovailoa would find Cedrick Wilson for an 8-yard touchdown pass to give the Dolphins the early lead in the game.
In reply to this, the Ravens would also find the endzone on their opening drive. Starting from their 25-yard line, the Ravens offense, led by quarterback Lamar Jackson, would be able to advance down the field quickly and reach the edge of the Dolphins’ red zone at the 20-yard line. From here, Jackson would find Justice Hill for a 20-yard touchdown pass to tie the score.
The scoring would continue straight after this on the next drive from the Dolphins. Similarly to their previous drive, Miami would be able to reach the Ravens’ 8-yard line. However, unlike their previous drive, the endzone would not be found. The Dolphins drive would stall here, setting up a 27-yard field goal attempt from Dolphins kicker Jason Sanders. Sanders would be successful with this kick.
Baltimore would not be able to get anything from their next drive, giving us the first punt of the game. But they would be able to get something from their next drive. Starting from their 11-yard line, the Ravens would reach the Dolphins’ one-yard line. The Dolphins did challenge the play that moved the Ravens to their goal line, but the ruling would be upheld. Then, on the one-yard line, Gus Edwards would find the endzone for a one-yard rushing touchdown to give the Ravens the lead.
Miami would cut the Ravens’ lead soon after. On their next drive, Tagovalioa and company would advance the ball down to the Ravens’ 20-yard line, where the drive would stall. This set up a 38-yard field goal attempt for Sanders, who would be successful with this kick, cutting the Ravens lead to one point.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut, the one-point lead lasted one play. On the opening play of the next Ravens’ drive, Jackson would throw a deep pass to Zay Flowers, who would then find the endzone for a 75-yard touchdown pass.
Things would get even better for Baltimore when Tagovailoa’s pass was intercepted by the Ravens’ defense. This mistake from the Dolphins would be costly, as Jackson and company would soon find the endzone again. On this occasion, Jackson found Isaiah Likely for a 35-yard touchdown pass.
This meant that at halftime, the Ravens had a 28-13 lead over the Dolphins.
The Ravens would have the opening possession of the second half and would waste no time in continuing with their high-scoring performance. This drive started on the Dolphins’ 18-yard line, due to a 78-yard punt return from the Ravens. Baltimore would then be able to find the 7-yard line before Jackson would find Likely for his second touchdown of the game.
But, all good things must come to an end, and the Ravens would make a mistake on their next drive. The Jackson-led offense would be able to reach their 48-yard line without any problems. But then, Edwards would fumble the ball on the Dolphins’ 46-yard line. The ball would then be scooped up by the Dolphins. Could they put themselves back into the game?
The answer would be no. On the first play of this drive, Tagovailoa would throw a pass intended for Tyreek Hill. But, this pass would be intercepted by the Ravens’ defense. A few drives later, the Dolphins would have some success. Starting from their 22-yard line, Miami would very slowly move the ball down the field to the Ravens’ one-yard line. From here, Tagovailoa would find De’Von Archane for a one-yard touchdown pass to cut the Ravens lead.
However, this smaller lead did not last long. On the following Ravens drive, their offense would be able to move the ball down to the Dolphins’ 4-yard line. From here, Jackson would find Patrick Ricard for a 4-yard touchdown pass.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Dolphins were now getting desperate. On their next drive, Miami risked it all on a 4th down conversion attempt from their 23-yard line. This would be unsuccessful, with Tua only getting 9 out of the 13 required yards to hold onto possession. They would turn the ball over to the Ravens, which would again be a mistake.
The Ravens would find the Dolphins’ 7-yard line, which was partly aided by a penalty against the Dolphins defense. But, from here, Melvin Gordon would find the endzone for a 7-yard rushing touchdown, to increase the Ravens lead to 40 points.
But, this lead would get even bigger soon after. The Dolphins benched quarterback Tua Tagovalioa in this now-meaningless game and replaced him with Mike White, who had some historic performances with the New York Jets in the last two years. Unfortunately, we won’t be seeing this today. On his first play of the game, White would fumble the ball on the Dolphins’ 20-yard line. This would be scooped up by the Ravens defense.
You can probably guess what happened next. The Ravens had also benched their quarterback, with Lamarr Jackson having led his side to a massive victory. In his place, Tyler Huntley. Huntley would also be able to find the endzone. He would find Charlie Kolar for a 19-yard touchdown pass to end what was a fantastic game for the Ravens.
As the time ran out on the game, the Baltimore Ravens had defeated the Miami Dolphins 56-19.
This victory gives the Ravens the number one seed in the AFC. This means that not only do they get a bye into the divisional round of the playoffs, but they will have home field throughout. The AFC will run through Baltimore. In terms of record, this gives the Ravens a 13-3 record for the season. For the Dolphins, this defeat will shake their confidence.
However, it is somewhat not surprising. All season long, the Dolphins have been able to easily defeat the poor-performing teams. However, they crumble when they face strong teams. This defeat means that the AFC East title will go down to the final game, as the Dolphins fall to an 11-5 record. Next week, the Ravens face the Pittsburgh Steelers, while the Dolphins face the Buffalo Bills, where the winner gets the AFC East Title.
The Lions Lose on a Questionable Penalty
Last week, the Detroit Lions won the NFC North title for the first time in its current form, giving them a spot in the playoffs. Also, their opponents this week, the Dallas Cowboys have won a spot in the playoffs, but their division is still open. A victory would help either team with their hunt for a first-round bye in the playoffs. Who would win this game?
The Lions had the opening possession of the game, and Detroit would be able to make something from this. This drive started from the Lions’ 25-yard line, and their offense, led by quarterback Jared Goff, would be able to advance down the field and reach the Cowboys’ 23-yard line. However, the Lions drive would stall here, setting up Lions kicker Michael Badgley with a 41-yard field goal attempt. Badgley would be successful with this, giving the Lions an early lead.
The Cowboys would then have possession, and this drive would start well. Led by quarterback Dak Prescott, the Cowboys would reach the Lions’ 32-yard line with ease. But then, things would go south for Prescott. On the 32-yard line, Prescott would throw a pass intended for CeeDee Lamb. However, this would be intercepted by the Lions defense. Luckily for the Cowboys, Detroit would be unable to do anything from this drive, and possession would be returned to Dallas.
The Lions’ punt would mean that the Cowboys start their drive at their 11-yard line. But, they would quickly fall back to the 8-yard line. This would not stop the Cowboys, however. On the next play, Prescott would throw a deep pass that would this time be caught by Lamb. Lamb would then find the endzone for a 92-yard touchdown pass, to hand the Cowboys the lead.
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Things would get better for the Cowboys soon after. Goff and company would be on their 38-yard line when they would make a mistake. Goff threw a pass intended for David Montgomery. However, this would be intercepted by the Cowboys defense. This mistake would prove costly for the Lions.
The Cowboys’ offense would be able to quickly find the Lions’ 5-yard line. From here, Prescot would find CeeDee Lamb for a 4-yard pass, to take the Cowboys down to the one-yard line. However, Lamb would fumble the ball here, and the ball would roll out of the endzone, resulting in a touchback, and the Lions would have possession. The Lions were lucky on this occasion.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn reply to this, Detroit would be able to advance down the field to the Cowboys’ 4-yard line, where they were faced with an important 4th down conversion attempt. Goff needed to find the endzone on this play, or possession would be handed over to the Cowboys. He would throw an incomplete pass, ending that drive with nothing.
This would mean that at halftime, the Cowboys had a 7-3 lead over the Lions.
The Cowboys would have the opening possession of the second half, but would be unable to do anything with the ball, and would quickly hand possession over to the Lions.
In reply to this, the Lions would be able to do something with the ball. Starting from their 26-yard line, the Goff-led offense was able to move down into the Cowboys’ red zone, and then down to the 3-yard line. From here, Montgomery would find the endzone for a 3-yard rushing touchdown to give the Lions the lead.
But, this lead did not last long. On the next drive, the Prescott lead offense was able to advance down to the Lions’ 33-yard line, before their drive would stall. This set up Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey with a 51-yard field goal attempt. Aubrey would be successful with this kick, meaning that the scores would be level at 10-10.
But, the tie did not last long. In response to the Cowboys’ field goal, the Lions would attempt one. This occurred due to the quick-moving Lions drive stalling at the Cowboys’ 7-yard line. Badgley was given a 30-yard field goal attempt, which he would be successful with, handing the lead back to the Lions early in the fourth quarter.
But, like a pendulum in notion, the lead would again suddenly change direction. On the next drive, the Cowboys would be able to reach down to the Lions’ 8-yard line. From here, Prescott would find Brandin Cooks for an 8-yard touchdown pass. This gave the Cowboys a 4-point lead.
A few drives later, the Lions would make a huge mistake. On their 26-yard line, Goff would throw a pass that was intended for Sam LaPorta. However, the Cowboys would intercept this pass, giving them a strong field position to score a touchdown to put the game to bed. Luckily for the Lions, the Cowboys drive would stall on the 25-yard line, setting up Aubrey for a 43-yard field goal attempt, which he would make This gave the Cowboys a one-touchdown lead, but had just handed the ball to the Lions. Could they make a game-winning drive with less than two minutes on the clock?
Embed from Getty ImagesThe final drive of the game would start from the Lions’ 25-yard line. From here, the Goff-led Detroit Lions offense would be able to drive down the field and reach the Cowboys’ 11-yard line. From here, Goff would find Amon-Ra St Brown for an 11-yard touchdown pass to make it a one-point game. The Lions could have easily gone for a PAT attempt and sent this game to overtime. But, they wanted to win this game, so they went for a two-point conversion attempt. On the attempt, Goff found Decker on the play for the two points to win the game. Or did he?
There would be a penalty against the Lions on this play, this removed the conversion from the board, and it was taken again. This time, the attempt failed. But, there would be another penalty on the play, meaning it would have to be taken a third time. Could it be third time lucky for the Lions? Goff would pass to James Mitchell, for an incomplete pass. There was no penalty on this attempt, so this one stood.
After all of the drama, the Dallas Cowboys had defeated the Detroit Lions 20-19.
This victory keeps the impressive home record that the Dallas Cowboys have had this season intact. However, they were lucky to keep it. The victory gives them an 11-5 record for the season and puts them back into the race for the NFC East title. They would have to wait on the Philadelphia Eagles result (and more on them later) to see how this race would continue. The narrow defeat means that the Lions fall to an 11-5 record for the season. Both teams are still in the race for a potential number 2 seed in the NFC, but Dallas is in pole position for this, due to their better head-to-head record. Next week, the Lions face the Minnesota Vikings, while the Cowboys face the Washington Commanders.
Arizona Defeat Philly
Now for a team that I haven’t written a lot about this season. The Arizona Cardinals have had a below-par season, but have been able to upset bigger teams when needed. They faced the Philadelphia Eagles, who have been on a downward spiral for the last few weeks. The Eagles needed to win to stay in the NFC East race. Who would win this game?
The Eagles had the opening possession of the game, but were unable to do anything with this, and would punt to the Cardinals. In reply to this, the Cardinals would be able to get something from their opening drive. Starting from their 25-yard line, the Cardinals’ offense, led by Kyler Murray, was able to get down to the Eagles’ 3-yard line. From here, a mistake would occur. Murray would fumble the ball, but Arizona would recover the ball and end up at the Eagles’ 10-yard line. This led to a 28-yard field goal attempt from Cardinals kicker Matthew Prater. This would be successful and the Cardinals would take an early lead.
In response to the Cardinals’ early point score, the Eagles would respond. On a drive that started on their 25-yard line, the Eagles’ offense, led by quarterback Jalen Hurts, would be able to move his offense down into the Cardinals’ red zone and then down to the 12-yard line. From here, Hurts would find J Jones for a 12-yard touchdown pass to hand the Eagles the lead.
The lead would be extended on the next drive of the game. The Cardinals would be able to get down to the Eagles’ 24-yard line. But here, a mistake would be made. Murray threw a deep pass into the endzone that was intended for Brown. However, the pass would be intercepted by the Eagles defense, who would then return the ball into the endzone for a 99-yard pick 6 touchdown.
The Cardinals would immediately bounce back from their previous mistake. The Murray-led offense would drive their way down the field to reach the Eagles’ 16-yard line, where this drive would stall. This set up Prater with a 34-yard field goal attempt, which he would be successful with.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut the Eagles would immediately strike back. Hurts would be able to bring his offense down to the Cardinals’ 22-yard line. From here, he would find Jones again for a 22-yard touchdown pass. This meant that at halftime, the Eagles would have a 21-6 lead over the Cardinals.
Arizona would have the opening possession of the second half, and they would be able to find the endzone from this. Starting from their 25-yard line, Murray and company would be able to advance down the field and reach the Eagles’ 6-yard line. From here, Murray would find Michael Carter for a 6-yard touchdown pass.
The luck would continue on the Cardinals’ next drive. This time, they would make it down to the Eagles’ 5-yard line. From here, Murray would find James Conner for a 5-yard touchdown pass. The Cardinals would then attempt a two-point conversion. This would be successful, and the scores would be tied.
But the tied scores would not last long. On the Eagles’ next drive, Hurts and his offense would be able to advance down to the Cardinals’ 9-yard line, after a slow-moving 12-play drive. From here, Hurts would find Dallas Goedart for a 9-yard touchdown pass to hand back the lead to Philadelphia.
But the tie would return on the next drive from the Cardinals. On this occasion, the Murray-led offense would again find themselves at the Eagles’ 5-yard line. From here, Murray would find Michael Wilson for a 5-yard touchdown pass to level the scores again.
The Eagles would again strike back, but not in the way in which they may have wanted to. The Eagles offense would find themselves on the Cardinals’ 25-yard line. But, this is where their drive would stall, setting up a 43-yard field goal attempt for Elliott. He would make this, and the Eagles would have a narrow lead.
But, with under two minutes left on the clock, the lead would again change hands. The Cardinals would break into the Eagles red zone from a deep pass from Murray to Greg Dortch. This took them down to the 6-yard line. From here, they would advance to the 2-yard line, before Conner would find the endzone for a 2-yard rushing touchdown to give the Cardinals a late lead. Now, with 30 seconds remaining, could the Eagles score to win this game?
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Eagles would start their final drive from their 25-yard line and Jalen Hurts and his offense would march themselves down to their 49-yard line. But then, it all went wrong. Hurts threw an interception, and the game was over.
The Arizona Cardinals had defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 35-31
For the Cardinals, this victory is nice, but will not help their season. They improve to 4-12. For the Eagles, it is another loss. This loss had massive consequences for them, as with the Cowboys winning, the Eagles are out of contention for the NFC East title, handing the title to Dallas. Next week, the Eagles face the New York Giants, while the Cardinals face the Seattle Seahawks.
Cincinnati’s Season Is Over
The Cincinnati Bengals against the Kansas City Chiefs. In the last few years, this has been the AFC Conference championship game. But, it may not be this, year. Both teams have struggled to live up to their usual form, and the injury of Joe Burrow set back the Bengals. Now, they need to beat the Chiefs to stay in playoff contention. Will they?
The Bengals had the opening possession of the game and would be able to get some points from this drive. Starting from their 25-yard line, the Bengals’ offense, led by quarterback Jake Browning, would be able to slowly make their way down the field to the Chiefs’ 16-yard line. Their drive would stall here, setting up a 34-yard field goal attempt for Bengals kicker Evan McPherson. McPherson would make this kick, giving Cincinnati the early lead in the game.
In reply to this, the Chiefs would be able to start their game strong with a score of their own. Starting from their 25-yard line, the Chiefs’ offense, led by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, would be able to advance down into the Bengals’ red zone and then down to the 8-yard line. From here, Mahomes found Isaiah Pacheco for an 8-yard touchdown pass to have Kansas City the lead.
The Bengals would immediately strike back. Browning and company would be able to move down to the Chiefs’ 7-yard line. From here, Browning would throw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Joe Mixon. This handed the lead back to the Bengals.
Things would soon get better for the Bengals. On the Chiefs’ next drive, a mistake would be made. Kansas City were on their 27-yard line. On this play, Mahomes would be sacked and then fumbled the ball, which would then be scooped up by the Bengals’ defense. This mistake would prove costly for the Chiefs, as from this the Bengals would be able to get down to the Chiefs’ one-yard line. From here, Browning would find the endzone for a one-yard rushing touchdown to increase the Bengals’ lead.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Chiefs would be able to cut into the lead on their next drive. The Mahomes-led offense would stall at the Bengals’ 36-yard line. This set up a 54-yard field goal attempt for Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker. Butker would be successful with this kick. Butker would also take a field goal attempt on the Chiefs’ next drive, this time from 43 yards out. He would be successful with this as well.
This meant that at halftime, the Bengals would have a 17-13 lead over the Chiefs.
The Chiefs would have the opening drive of the second half but would be unable to do anything with the ball. In reply to this, the Browning-led offense would be able to advance down to the Chiefs 6-yard line. Here, they would attempt a 4th down conversion, which would be unsuccessful.
Kansas City would have the next score of the game straight after the failed 4th down from the Bengals. The Chiefs offense would reach the Bengals’ 9-yard line before their drive would stall. This set up a 27-yard field goal attempt from Butker, who would be successful with the kick.
Butker would also be successful with a field goal kick to end the next three drives for the Chiefs. This put them into the lead and then extended said lead to 8 points as the game neared its conclusion.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Bengals would have the game’s final drive, needed to score not only a touchdown but a converted two-point attempt. Could they do this and send the game to overtime?
This drive would begin at the Bengals 25-yard line. Jake Browning would lead his offense down to the Bengals 38-yard line, setting up an important 4th down attempt. This had to be successful or Cincinnati would lose this game. Browning’s pass on this play would be ruled incomplete.
This meant that the Kansas City Chiefs had defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 25-17.
This victory means that the Chiefs win their 8th consecutive AFC West title and improve to a 10-6 record on the season. This was mostly due to the 6 field goals Butker made. The Bengals fall to 8-8 for the season and are eliminated from playoff contention. Next week, the Chiefs play the Los Angeles Chargers, while the Bengals face state rivals the Cleveland Browns.
What Happened in the Other Games?
The strong performances from Joe Flacco and the Cleveland Browns continued against the New York Jets. Flacco threw 3 touchdowns in the Browns’ 37-20 victory
The Buffalo Bills are one step closer to the AFC East title after their victory against the New England Patriots. Patriots quarterback Bailey Zappe had a day to forget throwing 3 interceptions against a strong Bills defense, who would win this game 27-21. The victory sets up a title decider for the Bills against the Miami Dolphins
The Chicago Bears faced the Atlanta Falcons. Bears quarterback Justin Fields had a strong performance, as the Bears defeated the Falcons 37-17, knocking the Falcons out of playoff contention.
The Las Vegas Raiders winning streak ended this week against the Indianapolis Colts. A late touchdown from Raiders quarterback Aiden O’Connell would not be enough, as the Colts would hold on for a 23-20 victory, keeping Indianapolis in the playoff race
The Los Angeles Rams are near the playoffs. They faced an already eliminated New York Giants side who did not allow the Rams to dominate this game. The Giants set up a game-winning field goal, but this kick was too long for Mason Crosby, as the Rams would win this game 26-25
In an important game in the NFC South race, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced the New Orleans Saints. The Buccaneers came into this game with a one-game lead over the Saints, a victory would have given them the title. This did not happen, as the Saints would win this game 23-13, giving both teams the same 8-8 record, but if both match results next week, the Saints will take the title due to this victory
Embed from Getty ImagesAfter last week’s collapse, the San Francisco 49ers wanted to return to the winning column against the Washington Commanders. 49ers Quarterback Brock Purdy had a good day throwing 2 touchdowns as the 49ers would easily defeat the Commanders 27-10
The poor season of the Carolina Panthers continued this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Travis Etienne would score 2 touchdowns as the Jags won their first game after a 4 game losing streak, 26-0.
The Houston Texans kept their playoff dreams alive with a victory over the Tennessee Titans. Texans kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn would get most of the points as the Texans would win this game 26-3
The Pittsburgh Steelers are still alive this season after their game with the Seattle Seahawks. The Steelers would win this game 30-23 and will have another winning season under head coach Mike Tomlin.
In the last few weeks, the Denver Broncos have gone from a team that conceded 70 points to a team that is near the playoffs. This week they faced the Los Angeles Chargers, who have struggled this season. The Chargers would struggle again, as the Russell Wilson-less Broncos would win this game 16-9
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The Green Bay Packers are still in the race for the playoffs. On Sunday Night Football, the Packers faced the Minnesota Vikings. Packers quarterback Jordan Love would throw 3 touchdowns as the Packers defeated the Vikings 33-10
Embed from Getty ImagesThat was week 17 in the NFL. There is now only one week to go before we know who will make the playoffs. The road to the Super Bowl is starting.
Image Credit | Deposit Photos