NFL.com breaks down what you need to know from all of Sunday's action around the league in Week 17. Catch up on each game's biggest takeaways using the links below:
1) Ian Eagle said it best in the final moments of Sunday's affair: "It's never easy ... if you're a Browns fan." Week 17 was, however, easy to process when it was all said and done, for the Browns (11-5) -- a once-moribund franchise known for losing in spectacularly depressing, seemingly unfathomable fashions -- finally finished the job for one regular season. The 2020 Browns are headed back to the playoffs for the first time since this writer was a glasses-wearing middle schooler. It's been that long in Cleveland, which again struggled at times while also playing with a roster depleted by a wave of COVID-19 positive tests and close contacts. Pittsburgh targeted Denzel Ward replacement Robert Jackson to significant success and nearly overcame a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter with a furious rally, only to fall short via failed two-point conversion. The Football Gods smiled on Cleveland for one week, ending the NFL's longest playoff drought at 17 seasons and sending the limited fans in attendance spilling into the downtown Cleveland streets screaming with joy, the sounds of nearly two decades of frustration released amid a cacophony of car horns.
2) Cleveland's offense welcomed back its receiving corps and saw the immediate benefits of it, but there are still some discouraging trends coming from the Browns. After running out to a modest 10-0 lead, Cleveland entered a lull, going scoreless on three straight possessions and holding the ball a combined 6 minutes 25 seconds, while Pittsburgh (12-4) chipped away at the lead with three consecutive field goals. The Browns surrendered four sacks, Joel Bitonio uncharacteristically committed two false starts, Cleveland's defense allowed over six yards per play, and, well, it looked like things were about to get unpleasant for a franchise on the verge of finally getting over its first significant hump. When it came down to the ultimate winning time, the Browns against turned to their closing backfield, this time handing to Nick Chubb twice before giving Baker Mayfield a chance to gain the first on his own, which he did and celebrated accordingly. Cleveland did enough to return to the postseason, but still needs to work on a few things -- a week of practice instead of multiple facility closings would help -- if it hopes to take down Pittsburgh's full-strength roster next week.
3) Speaking of which, you know, Mason Rudolph wasn't bad Sunday. The quarterback was at his best when heaving it deep, and with a big-bodied athlete like Chase Claypool streaking down the field, such a task was much easier than the last time Rudolph found himself in such a situation last year. He hooked up with Claypool five times for 101 yards and a score, helping boost Rudolph's passing line to a nice finish (22-of-29, 315 yards, two touchdowns, one interception). Rudolph's one mistake -- an interception on a panicked throw under pressure -- cost the Steelers the most, but the mix of Rudolph and occasional Joshua Dobbs appearances was entertaining, if not encouraging for Pittsburgh's long-term planning. To be clear: We don't expect Rudolph to be the guy of the future. But the situation behind Roethlisberger could be worse, and the Steelers managed to continue building incremental offensive momentum as they have lifted themselves from the depth of their struggles in the last six quarters. That is very encouraging heading into Super Wild Card Weekend.
-- Nick Shook
1) Josh Allen swiped nearly every single-season Bills passing record. The dynamite QB opened the game with an INT on the first drive. After the shaky start, Allen settled in and diced up a Dolphins defense with a bevy of quick strikes and pinpoint deep shots for scores. With 224 yards and three TDs, Allen broke Drew Bledsoe's record for most passing yards in a single Bills season. As he was all season, Allen was unstoppable once he got rolling. The Dolphins couldn't cover Stefon Diggs (7/76), and Isaiah McKenzie caught two TDs and scored another on a punt return. While the Dolphins entered as the team needing to win to make the postseason, it was Sean McDermott's squad that played with precision, purpose and fire, even when backups took over. It took Allen and Co. just one half of work to sprint out to a big lead and secure the No. 2 seed in the AFC. McDermott's squad didn't need to win today and could have rested everyone. Instead, the Bills (13-3) utterly obliterated a playoff hopeful in all three phases, even when the backups took over. It's a victory that has a dangerous, balanced Bills squad rolling into the postseason on a huge high.
2) With no Ryan Fitzpatrick backstop Sunday, it was Tua Tagovailoa chance to sink or swim. The Dolphins (10-6) drowned. In the first half, the QB ran a horizontal offense that never threatened up the field. The QB missed several throws, looked reticent to force it into coverage, and lacked confidence we'd seen from him early this season. After averaging just 4.1 yards per play in the first half, the Dolphins were forced to fling it around in the second half while down big. Tua proceeded to miss several throws, tossing three second-half interceptions. He stretched the field more in the final two quarters, but several of those tosses sailed and went for INTs. After having good interception luck this season, the Football Fates flipped the script Sunday, with the rookie QB tossing a pick-six when DeVante Parker fell, and back-to-back INTs to wipe out any comeback chances. The rookie finished with 35-of-58 for 361 yards with one TD much in garbage time. Tua's play will be under the microscope, but the loss wasn't all on the QB, with several drops by receivers and zero run game to help early. Unless the Colts lose to Jacksonville in the late window, the offseason will start for Miami. After an up-and-down rookie season, Tua will have a full offseason to improve heading into Year 2.
3) The loss shouldn't be all on the Dolphins' offense. A defense that had been stingy all season got torched by Allen in the second quarter, giving up three straight TD drives that turned a close game into a 22-point game at the half. The defense then let Matt Barkley divebomb them to keep the Bills onslaught on deep into the contest. Brian Flores' club fought all season, but looked like it gave up the ghost as the playoff prospects dwindled. Now, the Dolphins become the biggest Jacksonville fans in the country.
-- Kevin Patra
1) Box scores usually don't tell the whole story of a game, but it would suffice for this one. Until the final 4:26 of the first half, the Bengals had gained just seven total yards of offense on nine plays. They'd possessed the ball for less than five minutes to that point, while allowing Baltimore to run out to a 17-0 lead. And by run, we mean it, as the Ravens had already barreled through 100 yards on the ground at that point. Cincinnati's greatest play of the half came back on a penalty and added insult with Tee Higgins' injury. Even when the Bengals tipped a Lamar Jackson pass and intercepted it at Baltimore's 44, they gained just three yards before punting it away again. That was the day in a nutshell, with the Ravens (11-5) running away with it before calling off the dogs in the fourth.
2) Baltimore just keeps on winning with its style, maturing from a team that was more concerned about outsmarting the opponent and becoming one that stubbornly -- and effectively -- sticks to what it does best: Run the football. Baltimore racked up a gaudy 525 yards of total offense, with 404 coming on the ground in a total team effort. Rookie J.K. Dobbins led the way, gaining 160 yards and scoring two touchdowns on 13 carries, with 72 of those yards coming on one touchdown run. Jackson added 97 on 11 attempts, Gus Edwards chipped in 60 on 12 attempts and even Mark Ingram got in on the action, gaining 39 yards on nine totes. Baltimore has proven in the last month it can and will exert its will on opposing defenses, and it's up to the opposition to stop the run and contain Jackson. No one has done it since Week 11 (Jackson missed Week 12), and it has propelled the Ravens to a great position as a wild-card team with a chance to make a deep run.
3) As the Ravens head to the playoffs with a win we all saw coming, the Bengals enter an offseason that likely won't see a change at head coach, but should involve some soul-searching. After Cincinnati lost Joe Burrow to a season-ending knee injury, the Bengals reverted to the punchless gang they were in 2019, save for one inspired prime time performance against a Pittsburgh team that was reeling at the time. Instead of building on positive momentum, the Bengals largely dissipated into the ether. So, what do we make of these Bengals entering 2021? A lot hinges on Burrow's status, but if he can return and resume his incredibly promising play, that will help a lot. After remaking their defense in the offseason, the Bengals were competitive, even if it didn't produce many wins. Higgins was a revelation, and Cincinnati even seemed to patch together a competent offensive line. Still, there's a large gap between 4-11-1 and even 8-8, and we'll need proof Zac Taylor's culture is right for this franchise, especially after at least one disgruntled veteran tweeted his way out of town in the middle of the season. Quarterback matters a ton and should be solved come September, but plenty still needs improving between now and then.
-- Nick Shook
1) Bucs WR Mike Evans broke Randy Moss' NFL record for consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons to begin a career with his seventh, but he didn't have long to enjoy the milestone. On the next play, on an in-breaking route, he beat Falcons rookie A.J. Terrell for a would-be touchdown, but took an awkward step just before Tom Brady's pass arrived. Evans dropped the pass and limped off the field with what appeared to be a left knee injury. He did not return, finishing with just three early catches for 46 yards. Following the game, coach Bruce Arians said it didn't look to be serious, but the Buccaneers (11-5) would know more Monday.
2) Without two key defenders in Shaquil Barrett and Devin White available due to COVID-19 protocols, the Buccaneers No. 1-ranked run defense held up relatively well against the Falcons. Brian Hill broke a 62-yard run to the right side to key a second-half touchdown drive that pulled Atlanta within 30-27, but other than that Bucs breakdown, the Falcons generated very little on the ground. It figures: Atlanta entered with the league's 29th-ranked rush offense.
3) As the Falcons (4-12) enter the offseason, their final contest provided a clear look at one of the club's biggest draft needs: Defensive end. Atlanta, which jettisoned a first-round investment at the position in releasing Takkarist McKinley earlier this season, got very little edge pressure on Bucs QB Tom Brady. The result was a field day for Bucs receivers Antonio Brown and Chris Godwin , both of whom had more than 130 yards and two touchdown catches each. Dante Fowler provided a late sack, but Atlanta will need to generate more heat on quarterbacks come 2021.
-- Chase Goodbread
1) It wouldn't be the NFC East without a topsy-turvy ending. Following a wayward Andy Dalton interception, Wayne Gallman sprinted for a first down to ice the game. Inexplicably, the ball popped out of his grasp, leading to a melee on the turf. Fortunately for New York, Gallman recovered the pigskin in the scrum to avoid potential disaster. Now the Giants (6-10) root for the Eagles to beat Washington Sunday night to find out if they're the winners of the division. The Giants pulled out the win with Daniel Jones looking better than he has in weeks. More mobile than he let on during the week, the QB's ability to get out of the pocket this week opened up a stagnant Giants offense. Jones tossed a bevy of pinpoint-passes down the middle, averaging 9.2 yards per attempt, including a perfect ball to Dante Pettis for a huge 33-yard second-quarter TD to give N.Y. a 20-9 halftime lead. When Jones is healthy, the Big Blue offense is a different operation. If it weren't for drops by Evan Engram, one of which ended in a pivotal INT, the game likely wouldn't have been as close.
2) Dalton was awful in the first half, sailing passes high and wide repeatedly. The Cowboys averaged just 3.3 yards per play with 113 total yards in the first two quarters. The QB played better in the second half as the Cowboys (6-10) battled back into the contest. Yet, Dalton took far too many sacks (six), several that killed drives late. On his final drive, the QB heave a virtual Hail Mary on third down that was intercepted in the end zone. The play summed up the day for Dallas. Mike McCarthy's team played undisciplined early. The Cowboys defense missed tackles and got gashed on the ground in the first half. McCarthy will get skewered for an odd decision not to challenge a Pettis catch that set up Giants 50-yard field goal to allow Big Blue to go up four points. Replays showed Pettis clearly bobbled the ball. Without that 10 yard grab, the Giants' lead likely would have been just one with Dallas getting the ball. The score completely changed the Cowboys' play-calling down the stretch, leading to the loss. With Dallas eliminated, McCarthy will have the offseason to consider his mistakes in a six-win season.
3) Leonard Williams picked a great time to have his best season. The future free agent was a game-wrecker all afternoon, living in the backfield, badgering Dalton into mistake after mistake. Williams compiled three sacks, five QB hits and three tackles for loss. The massive defensive tackle pressured Dalton into the game-sealing INT late. Williams has been a difference-maker in Patrick Graham's defense this season. The former first-round pick is in line to get paid this offseason.
-- Kevin Patra
1) Bill Belichick's Patriots have swept the Jets for the fifth-straight season, and there were some silver linings in a victory that capped off a disappointing year. Several young players contributed to the win: Linebacker Chase Winovich had a two-sack performance with multiple QB hurries, running back Sony Michel had a productive day (124 scrimmage yards, receiving TD), cornerback J.C. Jackson got his ninth interception this season (11th takeaway this year), and rookie tight end Devin Asiasi caught his first career touchdown off that turnover for the go-ahead score in the third quarter. Remarkably, Asiasi's TD was the first by a Patriots TE this season. The Patriots (7-9) finish under .500 for only the second time this millennium, and for the first time since Belichick's inaugural season in New England.
2) Whether he's back in New England or not, Cam Newton left his imprint in Patriots lore after setting the franchise's mark for most rushing yards (592) by a quarterback in a season, passing Steve Grogan (539 yards in 1978). Newton set the record with a 49-yard run in the game's opening drive, which was the longest QB run in Patriots history. Newton also had his best game throwing the ball as a Patriot, finishing the day 21-of-30 for 242 yards and three passing TDs (79 yards rushing). Newton also caught a TD pass from wideout Jakobi Meyers. It was the first time this season Newton had multiple TD passes, and the veteran QB was engaged with his teammates all the way through a meaningless game. Newton, 31, is set to become a free agent this offseason.
3) The Jets (2-14) capped off a historically bad season the only way they could, and they have secured the No. 2 overall pick in the 2021 Draft. It's not as if the Jets were never in the game, either. With the game tied at 14 late in the third quarter, an unforced INT by Sam Darnold started the Jets unraveling. Darnold threw another bad pick in the red zone during the fourth quarter, which put them out for good and solidified an ugly outing. Darnold ended the day 23-of-34 for 266 yards and one TD (two INTs). Tight end Chris Herndon led the Jets offense with seven receptions for 63 yards and a TD. Adam Gase's job security is now in question after a two-win season (worst since the Jets' one-win season in 1996) . Gase accumulated a 16-32 record in his three seasons as head coach.
-- Michael Baca
1) Two defenses that struggled this season did their part to set up an offensive shootout Sunday. Quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Kirk Cousins didn't disappoint, with Cousins throwing for 405 yards and three touchdowns. The Lions played relatively soft coverage as Cousins found easy first downs underneath. Stafford threw for three scores, as well, and could have gone far north of his 293 yards were it not for a couple of drops. Lions RB Adrian Peterson , at 35, looked young in slashing for 63 yards on only seven carries.
2) With Dalvin Cook enjoying a career-best season, Vikings fans haven't seen much of backup RB Alexander Mattison this season. But with Cook unavailable for personal reasons, Mattison looked like a back with something to prove in rushing for 95 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. Don't tell Lions DB Tracy Walker about the drop-off from Cook to Mattison; on a fourth-and-2 play in the first quarter, Mattison juked Walker off his feet with a stop move near the right sideline to finish a 28-yard touchdown reception.
3) Justin Jefferson capped a brilliant first season with the Vikings by breaking the Super Bowl-era rookie record for receiving yards. The former LSU star and 2020 first-round pick, who combines deep-threat speed with the length to make contested catches, caught nine passes for 133 yards against the Lions. The season-ending performance gave him an even 1,400 on the year, breaking a record held by Anquan Boldin since 2003 (1,377).
-- Chase Goodbread
https://www.nfl.com/news/2020-nfl-season-week-17-what-we-learned-from-sunday-s-games
2021-01-03 21:50:00Z
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