NFL Week 17 winners and losers: Eagles, Bills lock up No. 2 seeds; who's still alive in playoff race?

NFL Week 17 winners and losers: Eagles, Bills lock up No. 2 seeds; who’s still alive in playoff race?

Posted by Admin December 30, 2024 NFL

4) Miami Dolphins: They beat the Browns without Tua Tagovailoa to keep their playoff hopes alive. Their path is straighter than the Bengals’: The Broncos must lose, and the Dolphins have to beat the Jets to reach the postseason.

5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Their 48-14 demolition of the Carolina Panthers keeps their hopes of winning the NFC South alive going into Week 18. The Bucs hold a one-game lead in the division after Atlanta’s Sunday night loss and can clinch the title with a victory over the New Orleans Saints next Sunday. They must finish a game ahead of the Falcons to win the NFC South, because a tie in record gives the division to the Falcons, who swept the Bucs in the regular season.

6) Buffalo Bills: They locked up the AFC’s No. 2 seed, meaning they will face the AFC’s No. 7 seed and would only have to leave home during the playoffs for an AFC Championship Game if it is in Kansas City. Just as importantly, the Bills defense looked a lot better than it did during its curiously porous performance against the Patriots in Week 16. They made Aaron Rodgers miserable, sacking him four times, intercepting him twice and keeping the Jets off the scoreboard until Tyrod Taylor replaced him.

7) Green Bay Packers: It was too little, too late, but the Packers offense came roaring back from a 17-point deficit with about 7 minutes remaining against the Vikings, showcasing what will make the Packers a dangerous opponent in the playoffs — Jordan Love letting it rip. The Packers were swept by the Lions and Vikings this season, but they are still in.

8) Los Angeles Rams: They clinched the NFC West after beating the Cardinals on Saturday night, then sitting back and watching the strength of victory tiebreaker — the fifth tiebreaker — fall into place for them. Wins by the Bills, Vikings and Commanders on Sunday gave the Rams the edge over the Seattle Seahawks. There might be better ways to spend a day off in the NFL, but we can’t think of any.

9) Washington Commanders: Their Sunday night victory over the Falcons, in an overtime drive fittingly dominated by Jayden Daniels, clinched a wild-card spot for the Commanders, the biggest step in their dramatic turnaround from a 4-13 season in 2023. If they finish as the sixth seed, they’d take on the Rams on Super Wild Card Weekend. However, should they slip to the seventh seed by season’s end, the Commanders would face the Eagles in Round 1 of the playoffs. The division rivals split their regular-season meetings.