Sunday Rundown: Key takeaways from Week 17's biggest games
Sunday Rundown recaps the most important developments from the day's action and examines their significance moving forward.
Sunday night spotlight
Time to believe
San Francisco has been the most difficult team for me to place in our weekly NFL Power Rankings. You couldn't ask for much more in terms of results, as Sunday night's win over the Bears now puts the 49ers one win away from securing the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Another elite Kyle Shanahan offense is, of course, the driving force on that path. To this point, a flailing defense is the lone reason I've been inclined to exercise caution. Another brutal effort in the shootout against Chicago probably justifies that very stance, with San Francisco now dropping to 31st in defensive success rate, according to TruMedia. But I'm also tempted to look at it another way: maybe the 49ers' offense is good enough that it somehow doesn't matter. Brock Purdy and Co. putting up 90 points across the last two games - the second of which without George Kittle - makes a pretty compelling case in that regard. The reality is every contender in this year's playoff picture comes with some sort of flaw. There is no shortage of teams that could expose a decimated defense, but how many can do so while also holding the offense at bay? If the 49ers can complete the sweep of the Seahawks next week and ensure the NFC playoffs go through San Francisco, the task becomes even more daunting.
Bears injuries to watch
The Bears giving themselves a chance to beat the 49ers at the buzzer Sunday night is just the latest sign that this team has arrived. Ben Johnson is living up to the lofty expectations, Caleb Williams' development has taken off under the new head coach's guidance, and young playmakers have really started to shine over the second half of the season. This all helps set the stage for what could be a lengthy championship window. Unfortunately for the Bears, it looks like some key injuries could get in the way of the first deep playoff run happening this year. Rome Odunze is still without any clear timetable after missing his fifth straight game due to a foot issue, and breakout rookie Luther Burden III was carted off with an undisclosed injury after a chaotic final play. The Bears will hold out hope for good news in both cases, and it's possible that Johnson's creativity would allow Chicago to weather any sort of injury storm in the receiving corps. But both Odunze and Burden missing time heading into the postseason could be too much for the offense to overcome. DJ Moore being thrust into a clear-cut No. 1 role after a one-catch, seven-yard performance against the 49ers would substantially lower the ceiling on this passing game.
Late-afternoon games
Defense gives Eagles a chance
Jalen Hurts didn't complete a pass in the second half of Sunday's game against the Bills, but Philly was able to win anyway. That's because Vic Fangio's defense kept Buffalo off the scoreboard until the fourth quarter, holding Josh Allen to -0.28 EPA/dropback, according to TruMedia. That marks the star quarterback's second-worst output of the season, with only the Texans defense faring better. Philly's defense hasn't quite received the same attention, but that's the company this unit keeps when it's at full strength. Jalen Carter's healthy return helped the Eagles' defensive front dominate its matchup against a strong Buffalo offensive line, as Philly got to Josh Allen for five sacks and held the Bills' run game to just 3.7 yards per carry, its lowest mark since Week 1. The offense's continued struggles could very well sink the Eagles in January, but they'll only need to do so much if the defense is playing like this. With a league-low 14.5 points per game allowed since adding Jaelan Phillips in Week 10, this group might be even better than the one that beat up the Chiefs in last year's Super Bowl.
Should Bills rest starters?
The Bills may have been in for a long afternoon against the Eagles' defense either way, but it didn't help that Josh Allen is clearly bothered by the foot injury he suffered last week. He appeared to be hobbled at times during Sunday's contest and, according to Joe Buscaglia of The Athletic, he was seen limping postgame as he exited the X-ray room. It would take a lot to keep Allen off the field, but availability isn't the only factor here. Any limitations as he battles through this injury could be a critical blow for a Bills passing game that has been something of a one-man show. With that in mind, Buffalo should probably consider sitting starters for next week's regular-season finale. The Bills are locked in as a wild-card team after the Patriots clinched the AFC East. Their current spot as the No. 7 seed isn't exactly ideal, and a win over the Jets would give the Bills a chance to move as high as No. 5. But that's only if the Texans and Chargers both lose. No matter the first-round matchup, a path to the Super Bowl only exists if Allen and other key players are healthy. A week of rest could prove far more valuable than any slight improvements in seeding.
Raiders in the driver's seat
Falling to the Giants tentatively puts the Raiders in possession of the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 draft. They can officially secure the honor with a loss to the Chiefs next week. That kind of result is no guarantee without Patrick Mahomes, but it's tough to think of a team more deserving of the top pick (derogatory). Getting steamrolled by the Giants pretty much confirms the Raiders' standing as the clear worst team in football. The decision to shut down a few key starters was probably a factor in the blowout, but this team is also just that bad. Pete Carroll's win-now approach has to be ditched in favor a true rebuild. While some will argue that it might be better to have some semblance of a foundation before drafting a quarterback, the opportunity to make such a selection without having to trade up doesn't come around very often. If the Raiders indeed end up with the No. 1 pick, they should be focused on selecting a first-round quarterback for the first time since JaMarcus Russell in 2007. With Tom Brady calling the shots, and presumably favoring experienced quarterbacks who win from the pocket, Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza would appear to be an ideal fit.
Early kickoffs
Of course the Steelers lost
A win over the last-place Browns was all the Steelers needed to lock up the AFC North this week. Light work, right? Evidently not. I don't know about you, but from the moment the Ravens beat the Packers on Saturday night, this letdown felt inevitable. Part of that is because it's been the story of this Steelers team for multiple years running. Doubters are made to look silly when they dare question a coaching staff that hasn't had a single losing season in 19 years, but it's never long before we're reminded of why those concerns cropped up in the first place. Plus, it's only right that the division nobody wanted to win comes down to a winner-take-all matchup between Baltimore and Pittsburgh in Week 18. An already-dreadful Steelers offense playing without the suspended DK Metcalf should probably make the Ravens the favorite heading in - especially if Lamar Jackson is back in the lineup after missing the win in Green Bay. And Baltimore is certainly the team more likely to spice up the AFC playoff picture. But in a year where each club has served up one disappointment after another, it's probably best to not have any sort of expectations heading in. Sit back and enjoy the chaos.
Never change, NFC South
Speaking of divisions that nobody wants to win, the NFC South is once again up to its old tricks. The Panthers' weekly up-and-down pattern continued with Sunday's loss to the Seahawks, meaning it doesn't even matter that the Bucs came up short against the Dolphins. Assuming the Falcons lose to the Rams on Monday night, the division will now be decided with a winner-take-all game between Carolina and Tampa Bay in Week 18. Similar to the Steelers-Ravens matchup for the AFC North, it's impossible to know what to expect with this one. The Bucs have a clear talent advantage, but we're long past the point where we can reasonably anticipate that impacting results. They've now lost seven of their last eight games, including a Week 16 matchup with the Carolina. The Panthers have had some impressive highs this year, including wins over the Packers and Rams, but they were also swept by the Saints. Rewarding division winners makes sense, so the NFL's current playoff format probably isn't going to change. Still, it just doesn't seem right that year's NFC South champion, which could very well be an 8-9 Bucs team, could end up hosting a 13-win No. 5 seed.
Polar opposites
I understand that this probably isn't the week to be getting carried away with Patriots hype. There wasn't much for New England to prove against a horrifically bad Jets team, but the 42-10 laugher does make for a pretty fascinating look at a pair of teams that couldn't possibly be further apart. Because remember, that wasn't nearly the case this time last year - the Patriots were every bit as bad as their AFC East rival in 2024. Both teams brought in new staffs to kickstart a rebuild, and only one has seen any sort of improvement. Maybe the Jets will find their version of Drake Maye in this year's draft, giving Aaron Glenn an opportunity to replicate the turnaround in New England. Based on what we've seen so far, though, with the head coach's defensive background doing nothing to help the product on the field, there's probably a case to be made that New York should already be entertaining another change. Mike Vrabel, meanwhile, has suddenly returned the Patriots to familiar territory among the NFL's elite. This team is a well-oiled machine in every phase of the game. There's no reason New England can't run all the way through the AFC in Year 1 of this new era. As always, bad organizations tend to stay bad. And while anyone can run into a few tough years, the good ones don't stay down long.
Is that it for Rivers?
Philip Rivers coming out of retirement for emergency duty in Indianapolis might be the coolest story of the entire season. Nobody could have been expecting much from a 44-year-old nearly five years removed from his last NFL action, but everyone was tuning in to see if he could still play. And guess what? He absolutely can. The physical limitations are exactly what you'd expect - the mobility is nonexistent, and the arm strength isn't much better. But Rivers was able to keep the Colts' offense running at a respectable level based almost entirely on his ability to execute mentally. It was incredible to watch. I say that in past tense, because one would have to think he's not going to see the field in next week's regular-season finale. As fun as it might be to get one more game of the grandpa quarterback doing his thing, the Colts would be wise to get a look at sixth-round rookie Riley Leonard heading into another offseason of quarterback uncertainty. It's also the least they can do for Rivers. After coming off the couch to give the Colts a bit of hope, there's simply no need to run him out there against a fierce Texans defense playing for an AFC South title.
Saturday notes
Willis making himself money
Malik Willis did not look like an NFL quarterback during his brief stint in Tennessee. The Titans clearly agreed, sending the former third-rounder to Green Bay for a seventh-round selection ahead of his third season in 2024. Two years later, we're adding yet another name to the long list of talented passers who were written off too soon. The quarterback we saw in Saturday night's game against the Ravens looked a lot like the ceiling case for Willis heading into the 2022 draft. The physical skills have always offered plenty of upside, but his newfound ability to produce from the pocket - likely the product of a patient development process with a team that actually knows what it's doing - suddenly makes him an intriguing starting option moving forward. And the apparent breakout couldn't be coming at a better time, as Willis is scheduled to hit free agency in March. With a number of teams in the market for a new quarterback, and a thin draft class potentially offering no more than two first-round signal-callers, there could several suitors that view the 26-year-old as a starter. The two-year, $40-million deal Justin Fields received in New York could be a logical starting point for a competitive Willis market.
Packers defense gets bullied
The Packers are officially locked into the No. 7 seed after falling to the Ravens on Saturday night. For a team that desperately needs a de facto bye week to get healthy, a meaningless Week 18 game might be more important than a home playoff game anyway. The Packers can score with anyone if Jordan Love and Josh Jacobs are healthy for the playoffs. That being said, Green Bay won't be going far if the defense looks anything like it did in a big spot against Baltimore. The Ravens playing without Lamar Jackson was always going to make this a Derrick Henry game. The Packers had to know this, yet there wasn't a thing they could do to slow him down. Henry took his career-high 36 carries for 216 yards and four touchdowns. They aren't the first defense to get embarrassed by Henry in the cold weather, but it's a concerning sign looking ahead to the playoffs. Surviving the loss of Micah Parsons, and finding other ways to hide a weakness at corner, will have to involve keeping opposing offenses off schedule. That's going to be nearly impossible if the front seven is getting pushed around by any of the capable rushing attacks in the NFC playoff field. A third matchup with the Chicago, which currently lines up to host Green Bay as the No. 2 seed, seems particularly unfavorable with that in mind.
Dan Wilkins is theScore's senior NFL writer.