Week 17 in the NFL clarified a lot about the playoff picture, though not all loose ends have been resolved.
A thread that came up in the NFC South, where the Carolina Panthers’ improbable run came to an end, in large part because of the way Tom Brady’s favorite target Mike Evans was defending. Now, Tampa Bay has won the NFC South.
Elsewhere in the conference, the Green Bay Packers (via the Washington Commanders loss) now control their destiny for the last remaining playoff spot in the NFC. But this team is much more than just quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
In the AFC, the Miami Dolphins continue their freefall and the New England Patriots climb into the final open wild card spot… for now.
Here are the winners and losers from the final weeks of the 2022 NFL season.
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Winners
kenny pickett grows up
Facing a defense that had not allowed a touchdown at home in the previous 15 quarters, Steelers rookie quarterback Kenny Pickett made several big throws with his season on the line, down four points and needing a touchdown to go ahead.
Pickett (15 of 27 passing for 168 yards with one touchdown) didn’t post big numbers, but he played well enough. However, this game-winning series was when he shone. In the series, Puckett completed five of his six throws for 62 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown run to running back Najee Harris in which Puckett survived the pressure and delivered a perfect pass on the move. He also converted two rushing first-down conversions on third down via a quarterback sneak. Now, more importantly for the Steelers (8-8), the win kept their slim playoff hopes alive. Pittsburgh has to beat the Browns next week and both the Patriots and Dolphins have to drop their games.
32 things we learned: QBs are predictable, whether starting or backing up
opinion: Don’t Count Tom Brady Out, But The Bucs Need Everyone To Avoid Being One-Up In The Playoffs
Playoff picture: Eagles fail to clinch NFC’s No. 1 seed, while Packers control fortunes
Lions are on the rise even though they miss the playoffs
Winner of seven of their last nine, the Lions have an outside shot at making the post-season. Detroit (8-8) would need to beat the Packers (8-8) in Week 18, but would also need the Seahawks (8-8) to lose against the Rams (5-11). Frankly, it’s not all that likely to happen, but – either way – this season has been a resounding success for Dan Campbell and the Lions.
While there are still some issues to resolve on defense, Detroit has injected momentum onto its roster, and that with star rookie Jamison Williams still working his way back from his torn anterior cruciate ligament that suffered in the national championship game. are suffering. Jared Goff is working Detroit’s play-action passing game with absolute precision. The offensive line has been stable. And Detroit is the best team in the NFL to protect the ball, having committed just 15 turnovers. These are all things this young team can take into next season and beyond.
Packers are dangerous for many reasons
While the Vikings had a shaky amount of luck, and Green Bay got a big break with the Browns toppling the Commanders, the Packers (8-8) will be in a win-and-win scenario in next week’s finals against the Lions ( 8-8). Yet it is not only Aaron Rodgers that makes Green Bay suddenly difficult.
Rodgers, to be clear, was efficient, completing 15 of 24 passes for 159 yards with two total touchdowns. But Green Bay’s defense and special teams set the tone with the game’s first two touchdowns: a 105-yard kickoff return by Keision Nixon and a 75-yard pick-six by safety Darnell Savage. During Green Bay’s four-game winning streak, it is allowing only 17 points per game. Granted, they haven’t played the toughest opponents and have faced some teams battling injuries, but the Packers have limited opponents to 41.5% conversions on third downs and 44.4% in the red zone. He also committed 12 turnovers in that span.
The Case of Jarrett Stidham
Let’s get the atrocious overtime interception out of the way: Stidham shouldn’t have lofted it in the face of pressure, and it’s the type of play he’ll need to learn if he wants to be a viable NFL quarterback.
Still, making his first career start for the Raiders (6-10), Stidham showed that — depending on the price — he could be worth a flight next season as Las Vegas determines what to do at quarterback. . Stidham (23-of-34 for 365 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions) is 26 and has carved out the NFL’s best defense. When the Patriots drafted Stidham in 2019, Josh McDaniel was New England’s offensive coordinator. Given his familiarity with Stidham, McDaniels makes sense as the coach who can get the most out of him, and Stidham makes sense as a bridge player for a team that will almost certainly be in limbo after 2014. The first would be looking for a new starting quarterback. off season.
lost
Ron Rivera Has A Surprising Lack Of Awareness
The Commanders coach had an otherwise solid season managing a depleted roster into playoff contention. However, Week 17 was a debacle. Rivera started Carson Wentz at quarterback after Wentz had a good quarter last week after he suffered a fumble to Taylor Heinicke.
While Washington’s offense had recently stalled, Heinicke’s play was not the only reason. The Commanders (7-8-1) committed reckless penalties, the rushing game went missing at times and a defense that had forced turnovers suddenly stopped putting the offense in favorable positions. So, in a must-win game, instead of riding the momentum created by Heinicke, Rivera turned to Wentz, who a track record Of getting stuck in crucial games at the end of the season. That Rivera didn’t have a short leash on Wentz (16-of-28 for 143 yards, 0 touchdowns, three interceptions) is cocky. He didn’t know that Washington could be knocked out of playoff contention, it’s completely unsustainable.
Irsay Has His Fingerprints On The Colts’ Downfall
The Colts owner won his first game in Week 10 after interim coach Jeff Saturday. Since then, Indianapolis has been in freefall. According to multiple reports, Irsay was the catalyst behind the team’s first benching of Matt Ryan at quarterback in October, when Frank Reich was still head coach.
Irsay has now overseen a series of moves that have done nothing but create massive volatility. Irsay fired Reich largely because the Indianapolis offense was ineffective. The Colts (4-11-1) have now been outscored 97-16 in their last 10 quarters. The Giants had not defeated anyone by more than eight points this season; He crushed Indy by 28. The offensive line, the position played Saturday and expected to improve, continues its slide as one of the most disappointing units in the NFL. The roster is flawed, the Colts don’t have a quarterback and if anyone is to blame, it’s the owner.
Carolina took a dreadful decision, not once, not twice…
The Panthers jumped out to an 11-point lead early in the fourth quarter. Had they won, they would have entered the season finale with a chance to win and make an improbable run to the NFC South championship. Instead, the Panthers (6-10) lost to the Buccaneers and were eliminated, and it was largely because they (twice) repeated a mistake that burned them earlier in the game.
After Panthers receiver Shi Smith caught a 19-yard touchdown in the fourth, Carolina played Bucs receiver Mike Evans in single-man coverage without any safety assistance, making 57- and 30-yard touchdown grabs on consecutive Tampa possessions. Done, who gave to the books. He will never give up leadership. This came after a 63-yard score by Evans late in the second quarter, when Carolina also played him in a single-man, shocking and extreme defensive mismanagement. As good as Steve Wilkes has been as interim coach, this was not his finest moment.
dolphins in freefall
At the end of Week 12, the Dolphins were 8–3. Their quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, was creeping into the MVP conversation. They were buyers at the trading deadline and a playoff berth seemed certain. Since then, Miami (8-8) has lost five in a row. They need help making the postseason. Tagovailoa has battled health issues with injuries, and the team’s long-term questions at quarterback remain unanswered.
All of Miami’s losses during the skid have been in one-score games signaling how close to an alternate reality the Dolphins are and how costly their omissions have been. Miami has let the crowd down at crucial times. This has often led to reckless penalties in high-leverage situations. Place kicker Jason Saunders has become completely unreliable from beyond 40 yards. The Dolphins turned the ball away 10 times during their losing streak. He is battling with the scars. They have no one but themselves to blame.
