NFL Reactions: Week 17 Recap

Most of the interesting football took place earlier in the week. The Sunday slate was one of the worst of the season. Regardless, it is fantasy championship week! Hopefully, those who had meaningful fantasy games this weekend are in position to win a league title. Let's talk about the biggest takeaways from Sunday.

Packers at Vikings

Sam Darnold had little trouble shredding the Green Bay secondary that continues to be without top CB Jaire Alexander. Even though Justin Jefferson didn't score a touchdown, the star was pivotal in the second half while Minnesota held off the Packers from making a late rally. Aaron Jones got nicked up and Cam Akers ended up scoring a touchdown and catching a pass that helped the Vikings ice the game. All the passing-game weapons had strong fantasy performances, and even Jalen Nailor got in on the action with 81 yards and a TD. At this point, I wonder if the Vikings will have to figure out a way to bring back Sam Darnold.

The Packers got little going on offense until they trailed 20-3 midway through the third quarter.  Even though the score ended up a respectable 27-25, it was not that close. Jordan Love passed for 185 yards and a touchdown. The two rushing scores (Josh Jacobs and Emanuel Wilson) came with the Vikings not nearly as worried about the rushing attack, as they had a big lead. Aside from Jacobs (69 yards and a TD), Romeo Doubs (seven catches, 58 yards) was the only other player with a decent fantasy performance. Fantasy managers who were counting on a big fantasy day from the Packers were mostly disappointed.

Cowboys at Eagles

Philly had this game in hand at halftime. As a result, the Eagles locked up the NFC East title. For fantasy, each of the Eagles' stars could have had additional production. DeVonta Smith was the one player who went off. However, Smith had a third touchdown ruled short on replay. Also, A.J. Brown had a second touchdown overturned by penalty. In addition, the Eagles chose to use Kenny Pickett, playing with injured ribs, at the goal line instead of Saquon Barkley. Of course, Pickett scored. Even though Barkley didn't get the ball over the goal line in this game, at least the team played him into the fourth quarter, allowing the superstar to become the ninth RB in history to surpass 2,000 rushing yards in a season. Pickett left with an injury and in his absence Tanner McKee tossed a pair of touchdowns. Overall, Barkley and Brown did well for fantasy, but they just missed having great performances. Conversely, Smith was a week winner.

The Cowboys' offense would have struggled if they had CeeDee Lamb. Playing without their best offensive player against an excellent Eagles defense was never going to be a recipe for success. Rico Dowdle investors had to be thrilled that Dallas fed the running back extra carries when the game was no longer competitive. As a result, Dowdle rushed for 104 yards in a game he was unlikely to come close to that total.

Panthers at Buccaneers

Offensively, the Bucs have been a machine this season. Aside from Rachaad White, each of the key players had fantastic fantasy performances against the Panthers. Baker Mayfield fired five touchdown passes while posting 359 passing yards. Mayfield's top targets, Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan, each scored twice. Of course, the rushing attack was dominant, as Bucky Irving accounted for 190 scrimmage yards. Most of the Buccaneers' players were extreme values in drafts and helped many teams to fantasy titles. It was awesome to see these players come up big in championship week.

The Panthers had great success on offense when they faced the Bucs a few weeks ago. In the rematch, Adam Thielen (five catches, 110 yards and two TDs) was the only player with a strong fantasy performance. Since returning from injury, Thielen continues to defy Father Time. The veteran was certainly a player who helped teams to fantasy titles. With Chuba Hubbard on IR, the Panthers lacked a credible rushing attack.

Jets at Bills

Forty points on the scoreboard would typically indicate a huge fantasy day. Not in this case. Josh Allen accounted for three touchdowns but only passed for 182 yards while rushing for 17. Also, James Cook scored but posted just 53 yards. Those who gambled by starting Amari Cooper and Keon Coleman were rewarded with touchdowns. Overall, it was a great game for Buffalo, but not a great day for their fantasy investors.

The Jets didn't score until midway through the fourth quarter when Tyrod Taylor was at QB, due to the team trailing 40-0. Garrett Wilson and Tyler Conklin caught the garbage-time touchdowns to come through for fantasy. Aaron Rodgers was under heavy pressure in a game impacted by wind. The veteran QB was unable to sustain drives. Both Wilson and Breece Hall had premium costs in fantasy drafts, but they couldn't have had more disappointing seasons.

Dolphins at Browns

Playing to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Dolphins actually had a banged-up Tyreek Hill returning punts. The team also wisely loaded up Hill with targets, knowing he's the one player who would be able to lead them to victory. Unfortunately, De'Von Achane continued his inability to play at a high level when Tua Tagovailoa wasn't in the lineup. Also, Jonnu Smith was a strong fantasy option in the last two starts that Tyler Huntley made. That was not the case this week with the passing game centered around Hill. Those counting on Achane and Smith had to be frustrated in championship week.

The Browns simply can't run an NFL-caliber offense with Dorian Thompson-Robinson at QB. I imagine the team is doing all it can to get the best draft pick possible, as it tries to avoid having Deshaun Watson under center in 2025. Otherwise, those who started Jerry Jeudy had a great  performance due to the receiver being given all the targets he could handle. On the other hand, those counting on Jerome Ford saw him leave the game with a first-half injury.

Colts at Giants

The Giants had lost 10 games in a row. They were in line for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 draft. In addition, they faced Colts squad that needed a win to keep its playoff hopes alive. Instead, Drew Lock had the game of his life. The veteran passed for 309 yards and four TDs and ran for a fifth score. For the first time in franchise history, the Giants had three receivers find the end zone in the first half of a game. Despite playing through injury, Malik Nabers erupted for 171 yards and two TDs. Wan'Dale Robinson had one of his best games of the year with 71 yards and a score. Those who started Tyrone Tracy received a high-floor performance with 73 yards and one catch. Obviously, this offensive performance was an anomaly. Aside from the fact that we can't wait to see Nabers play with a better QB, there isn't much to take away from this 45-point performance.

Garbage time can be a wonderful thing. WIth the Colts trailing almost the entire game, they were in chase mode all day. The one stunning development was that with Joe Flacco throwing for 330 yards and two TDs, Josh Downs posted just three catches for 22 yards. In the past, Downs had been a go-to option for Flacco. Instead, Michael Pittman and Alec Pierce each surpassed 100 yards and scored TDs. In addition, Jonathan Taylor remained hot, as he somehow handled 34 touches. The star runner found the end zone twice while posting 136 scrimmage yards. Going into next year, it appears that Taylor may be back in consideration as an elite fantasy option due to his strong December. Ultimately, we still have no idea what this offense will be like in 2025 with Anthony Richardson at QB.

Titans at Jaguars

The Jaguars pulled out a win but could see their draft position take a significant tumble as a result. Despite playing in a rainy game, Brian Thomas continued to prove he is one of the best receivers in the game. The rookie posted 91 yards and a touchdown. The most impressive part of Thomas' season is that he has been quarterback proof.

Even though this was a low-scoring game, the Titans trailed the entire second half. The fact that Tennessee had to play in chase mode worked out perfectly for Calvin Ridley (five catches, 84 yards) and Chig Okonkwo (five catches, 42 yards). Also, many fantasy teams were counting on Tyjae Spears, who took on the lead role with Tony Pollard injured. Although Spears couldn't keep up his torrid TD pace of the last two weeks, the runner posted 103 scrimmage yards and three receptions before suffering a concussion. It'll be interesting to see who is Tennessee's QB next year, as that will shape our outlook for the fantasy options on this team.

Raiders at Saints

With consecutive wins against the lowly Jaguars and Saints, the Raiders likely lost any chance to get their top QB choice in the 2025 draft. Fantasy managers who took a chance by starting Ameer Abdullah were richly rewarded with 148 scrimmage yards. Unfortunately, an apparent TD by the running back was overturned by replay, keeping Abdullah from a massive fantasy day. As is often the case, Jakobi Meyers (61 yards, TD) and Brock Bowers (77 yards) continued to be excellent fantasy performers. Hopefully, the Raiders can improve their QB situation next year, so we can see the primary pass catchers perform even better than they did this year.

How bad are things for the Saints? Clyde Edwards-Helaire led the Saints' RBs with 30 scrimmage yards. Want more? No wide receiver had more than 27 yards. How about a silver lining? Those who took chances on either tight end did well. Juwan Johnson posted 66 yards while Foster Moreau recorded 47 yards and a TD. With injuries to Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave, it has been a terrible end to the season for the Saints.

Injuries 

• Tyjae Spears was diagnosed with a concussion.
• Jerome Ford injured his ankle.
• Kendre Miller suffered a concussion.
• Kenny Pickett injured his ribs. Tanner McKee took over at quarterback.