Week 17 of the National Football League’s 2024 regular season served as a perfect festive host, providing some tasty fare of its own while whetting the appetite for what is to come in the New Year.

While the Philadelphia Eagles ensured that the NFC East title would change hands for the 20-somethingth time by pounding the hapless Dallas Cowboys, and the Los Angeles Rams added another NFC West crown while sat on the couch, there is much still to be decided in the final week of games, including the destiny of the NFC North, which comes with the added bonus of becoming the conference’s number one seed heading into the postseason.

Likewise, despite losing in Washington, Atlanta can still claim the NFC South crown, although Tampa Bay currently hold all the right cards — provided they win in Week 18. The AFC North crown is still up for grabs, although similar circumstances favour the Baltimore Ravens over big rivals Pittsburgh, while the same division’s Cincinnati Bengals are one of three teams still in contention for the final AFC wild card berth, along with Miami and Denver, with the Broncos nominal favourites until the games play out.

Oh, and then there’s the curious case of no team seemingly wanting to pick first in the 2025 NFL Draft….

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WEEK 17 SCORES (as of Monday 30^th December)

Kansas City Chiefs (15-1) 29 @ Pittsburgh Steelers (10-6) 10

Baltimore Ravens (11-5) 31 @ Houston Texans (9-7) 2

Seattle Seahawks (9-7) 6 @ Chicago Bears (4-12) 3

Los Angeles Chargers (10-6) 40 @ New England Patriots (3-13) 7

Denver Broncos (9-7) 24 @ Cincinnati Bengals (8-8) 30

Arizona Cardinals (7-9) 9 @ Los Angeles Rams (10-6) 13

Indianapolis Colts (7-9) 33 @ New York Giants (3-13) 45

New York Jets (4-12) 14 @ Buffalo Bills (13-3) 40

Tennessee Titans (3-13) 13 @ Jacksonville Jaguars (4-12) 20

Las Vegas Raiders (4-12) 25 @ New Orleans Saints (5-11) 10

Carolina Panthers (4-1) 14 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneer (9-7) 48

Dallas Cowboys (7-9) 7 @ Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) 41

Miami Dolphins (8-8) 20 @ Cleveland Browns (3-13) 3

Green Bay Packers (11-5) 25 @ Minnesota Vikings (14-2) 27

Atlanta Falcons (8-8) 24 @ Washington Commanders (11-5) 30 OT

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Game of the Week:
Green Bay Packers 25 @ Minnesota Vikings 27

Having been separated by just two points at Lambeu Field in their first encounter of the 2024 season, Green Bay and Minnesota played out another nail-biter at U.S. Bank Stadium before the hometown Vikings emerged with a similar margin of victory to keep their hopes of a divisional title and #1 seed alive heading into a Week 18 showdown with Detroit.

For all the closeness of the final result, Minnesota did their damage early on, with Sam Darnold again showing why he is either going to be a coveted free agent or a quarterback conundrum for the Vikings in 2025. The veteran playcaller, enjoying a season for the ages, racked up a career-best 377 passing yards with three touchdowns (and an interception) as the home team raced out to a 20-point advantage. The Packers appeared at a loss when it came to dealing with Darnold’s multiple receiving weapons, shutting down Justin Jefferson only to find Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor and T.J. Hockenson making gains. Similarly, Brian Flores’ blitz-happy defense kept Green Bay QB Jordan Love subdued in the first half, allowing the Vikings to build a cushion they would come to rely on later in the game.

The Packers came back after the interval, posting back-to-back touchdown drives late on to shock the Vikes back to attention, but Kevin O’Connell’s team resisted the pressure and, with RB Aaron Jones sporting a quad contusion, were comfortable enough in Darnold’s hands to pass out the remaining time and set up that ‘winner takes all’ clash at Ford Field on Sunday.

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MVP of the Week
Jayden Daniels

This award could have gone to Drew Lock, who reminded many that he is a more-than-capable QB by guiding the New York Giants past Indianapolis, or Baker Mayfield, who found the endzone five times in the Buccaneers demolition of Carolina, but neither excelled under quite the pressure Daniels did in ensuring that Washington would return to the postseason for the first time in four years.

According to NFL Research, the rookie has now produced more touchdowns in the final quarter and/or overtime than any other newcomer in their first season, his 12^th such score — of 31 in total — being a two-yard toss to Commanders TE Zach Ertz that sealed victory over a feisty Atlanta Falcons team still battling for its own playoff berth. Incredibly, Daniels has thrown five touchdowns in the final 30 seconds of regulation or overtime, which stats confirm is already two more than any quarterback — rookie or not — in any single campaign. Overturning the 10-point deficit on Sunday night also made the LSU grad the first QB to author back-to-back double-digit comebacks since Andrew Luck in 2012.

In what is surely set to be an Offensive Rookie of the Year season, Daniels also added a career-high 127 yards on the ground to his 227 through the air to eclipse former Washington QB Robert Griffin III’s erstwhile rookie record from 12 years ago, and clearly deserves to be seen as the face of a franchise reborn under Dan Quinn and owner Josh Harris.

Winner
Saquon Barkley

Not only was the unstoppable running back able to celebrate an NFC East title with Philadelphia on Sunday, he left the rout of the Dallas Cowboys standing on the brink of potential NFL history.

Enjoying the sort of good health and awesome offensive line he was never afforded in New York, Barkley put up another 100-yard performance on the ground against a hapless Dallas defense to pass 2,000 for the first time in his seven-year career (his previous best was a ‘measly’ 1,312 yards in 2022) and will head to Week 18 just 101 yards shy of erasing Eric Dickerson’s 1984 record of 2,105 from the NFL annals. The big question remains, however, as to whether the Eagles, with the division crown and #2 seed locked up, will want to risk their talisman in the name of individual glory. Barkley insists that he is content to go with the flow…

“I would love to, but we have bigger things that we’re focused on,” the running back told reporters. “It’s up to (head coach) Nick (Sirianni). Whatever his decision is, I’m all for it.”

Of course, it is scripted that Barkley, should he be allowed to chase the record, would set the new mark against… you guessed it, the New York Giants.

Losers
Indianapolis Colts’ fans

Former Colts punter Pat McAfee’s post on X is too long to repeat in full in this space, but probably echoes the thoughts of fellow fans subjected to a humiliating 45-33 defeat to the New York Giants that ended any hope of playoff participation:

“In the biggest moments everybody with a brain knew they’d crack… and they did.

“A blind person could see the red flags on this team… Work ethic questions, NEVER happens on good teams… Preparation commitment questions, NEVER happens on good teams… Late to meetings, NEVER happens on good teams… Late to/skipping treatment, NEVER happens on good teams… The franchise QB tapped out of a game… on 3rd down… in the red zone… because he was tired… NEVER HAPPENED in the history of the NFL.

…

“When I said Joe Flacco gives us a better chance to win than AR immediately after the tap out… I would’ve said whatever backup QB we had on the roster. That can’t be what the face of your team is doing.. just can’t be.. and to a bigger aspect of it all, somehow AR thought it was ok to do that. That’s a locker room issue.. that’s a culture issue.. thats an indicator of a loser attitude radiating thru a building that was built by greats.

…

“I hope they become a good franchise again… this city deserves it… the OGs in the Colts building deserve it (equipment managers, trainers, ticketing, PR, sales)… and, on the flip side, the players/coaches in that building deserve whatever happens to them. Your unwarranted arrogance, laziness, and lack of professionalism has lead you to ANOTHER early vacation… which is probably what most of you entitled bums have been hoping for. … I’ve never seen a group waste opportunities/talent/money more than this group.”

Winners
Los Angeles Rams’ fans

They may have been denied the opportunity to celebrate in the stadium following another turgid victory, this time over the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night, but Rams fans have at least one more game to enjoy beyond the end of the regular season after their team sneaked into the playoffs courtesy of wins by Cincy, Buffalo, Minnesota and Washington that triggered a rare ‘strength of victory’ tiebreaker in their favour.

Although the Seattle Seahawks won their own game on Thursday (an even more turgid 6-3 affair in Chicago), the combination of results through the remainder of the weekend ensured that, even if they beat the Rams in their Week 18 matchup, their records would be identical, resulting in several layers of the tiebreaker procedure being needed.

It is tough to know exactly what the Rams are, and how propsective opponents will regard them in the postseason, but going 9-2 since their early bye week has to say something. A first division crown since winning the Super Bowl at the end of the 2021 campaign suggests that they cannot be underestimated, despite recent 12-6, 19-9 and 13-9 scorelines.

Losers
Aaron Rodgers & Mike McCarthy

Two former Packers tied at the hip by their lone Super Bowl success endured nightmarish weekends that could, ultimately, spell the end of their current employment — or, in Rodgers’ case, his NFL career.

While McCarthy — who saw his Cowboys revert to 2024 type and capitulate on the road to an Eagles team devoid of starting QB Jalen Hurts, playing (and eventually losing) a banged-up Kenny Pickett before going under to debutant Tanner McKee — will probably be hired elsewhere down the line should Jerry Jones decide to hand him his papers, Father Time again knocked loudly at Rodgers’ door as the Jets folded to Buffalo.

Despite a recent uptick in his personal performance, Rodgers’ game was ugly on Sunday, with just 112 yards and two interceptions to his name by the time he was replaced by Tyrod Taylor, who went on to add a little respectability to the final 40-14 scoreline. Pride is a strong emotion but surely it must be close to the point where the multiple MVP considers calling time on a career that has now seen him become the most-sacked QB in NFL history. Far from living up to the hype generated by his move to New York, Rodgers is now in danger of damaging the reputation he earned — on the field — with Green Bay.

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Stats of the Week

• Brock Bowers broke two records in the Raiders victory in New Orleans, gaining 77 yards to reach 1,114 on the season to surpass Mike Ditka (1,076 yards in 1961) for the most by a rookie tight end, while doing so on seven receptions that allowed him to overtake Puka Nacua’s 105 from 2023 as the most receptions by any rookie in NFL history. Bowers currently stands at 108, just eight off the all-time TE record held by Zach Ertz.
• Bowers’ pursuit of a third record could yet be undone by Giants WR Malik Nabers, who currently sits on 104 receptions for his rookie season. Nabers also has 13 games with at least five receptions this season, moving him into sole possession of the NFL record, and becomes part of only the third-ever rookie combination to each rack up 1,000 scrimmage yards alongside RB Tyrone Tracy Jr. Nabers has 1,142 yards to date, Tracy Jr 1.057.
• Giants quarterback Drew Lock became the fifth player in NFL history with game stats of at least 300 passing yards, four touchdown passes, one rushing touchdown and a passer rating of 155-or-higher, joining Josh Allen, Drew Brees, Ryan Fitzpatrick and Aaron Rodgers.
• Myles Garrett added two further sacks to his 2024 tally to become the first player in NFL history with at least 14 takedowns in four consecutive seasons.