NFL Week 17 Disappointments

With the stakes about as high as they could be, certain teams forgot that their best was needed when it mattered most. Disappointing performances are magnified during this time of year, and letdowns that happens this late in the season are often talked about for many years. We’ll take a look at the worst Week 17 had to offer.

The Dolphins had a chance to sit in the driver’s seat for the AFC’s number one seed on Sunday, but not much went right against the Baltimore Ravens. To make matters worse, head coach Mike McDaniel left his starters in late in the game while Miami was down 30 points, and star pass rusher Bradley Chubb tore his ACL.

Officiating has once again taken centerstage as Saturday night’s contest between the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys was decided by a missed call. The Lions claimed that lineman Taylor Decker reported as eligible, but officials ruled that he was ineligible to catch the two point conversion that would’ve given Detroit a late lead.

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With their playoff hopes hanging by a thread, Atlanta had a winnable game on the road against the Chicago Bears in Week 17. The Falcons weren’t able to establish anything consistent on offense, and were embarrassed by 20 points against a Bears team who gave up on playoff dreams long ago. This might usher in some sweeping changes for Atlanta in the offseason.

It’s perhaps the most perplexing storyline in the NFL right now. The Eagles are 1-4 in their last five games, and dropped a home game to the struggling Arizona Cardinals in Week 17. Philadelphia does have some key injuries in the secondary, but their problems seem to be execution-related at this point.

Tampa Bay and New Orleans met in Florida for a game with massive NFC South playoff implications. The Buccaneers handled the Saints earlier in the year, but had no answers for them in the second meeting. Tampa Bay didn’t get on the scoreboard until late in the game, but New Orleans had salted away the victory by that point.

At this juncture, it’s fair to wonder what Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell expects from his fill-in quarterbacks. He’s bounced back and forth between Josh Dobbs, Jaren Hall and Nick Mullens. Hall started Week 17’s game versus Green Bay, but was pulled for Mullens. It’s anyone’s guess who will take snaps under center in the regular season finale against the Lions.

New York’s defense has been their calling card in 2023, but signs of fatigue started to appear against the Cleveland Browns last Thursday. They weren’t able to slow down Joe Flacco and a Cleveland offense without the services of Amari Cooper. The Jets offense didn’t do them any favors, as quarterback Trevor Siemian tossed a pick six in the first quarter.

The last several days have featured intriguing debate about the Denver Broncos’ decision to bench quarterback Russell Wilson in favor of Jarrett Stidham. It came out that head coach Sean Payton tried to bench Wilson earlier in the year, and the organization reportedly expected Wilson to revoke the injury clause that guarantees his 2025 salary.