It was allegedly very cold in a few of games in the final day of the regular season, but don’t take my word for it, instead rely on the multiple successful attempts to pour a cup of water on the ground.
Bill Belichick was unfazed by a frigid Foxboro, sporting shorts and his signature cutoff sweatshirt in the below freezing temps before the game in anticipation for his 250th career win. The Pats pulled off an unsurprising win over the Jets, 26-6 and with their 13-3 record will head to the playoffs. In wake of spurring a hilarious scandal in the AFC, James Harrison, the Steeler-turned-Patriot kicked off his career with the Pats with five tackles and a forced fumble. Dion Lewis had a monster game with 26 carries and 7 receptions, for 133 total yards. The Jets suffered several penalties that made the New England win a lot easier, and finish their season 5-11, securing the sixth pick in the draft.
It was a very different energy in Philadelphia as the Eagles failed to find a leg to stand on against the Cowboys. After a shaky performance, backup Nick Foles was replaced by Nate Sudfield, who ended up throwing 19 of 23 for 134 yards, 22 rushing yards and no scores. As they enter the playoffs, the 13-3 Eagles must adapt if they want to survive. The Cowboys took the 6-0 win for a 9-7 winning season, and will take the 19th draft pick in the first round.
The Browns had their best performance of the entire season, still coming short against the Steelers 28-24. Ben Roethlisberger got an opportunity to rest with Landry Jones starting at Steelers’ QB, throwing 23 of 27 for 239 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Josh Gordon continues to shine in the Browns offensive roster with 115 receiving yards, but Juju Smith-Schuster smoked the Browns defense with 9 receptions for 143 yards and a touchdown. True to the Browns brand, given the opportunity to pull of their first win of the season on a fourth down with seconds to go, a pass from DeShone Kizer to Corey Coleman made contact with his hands, but fell out of his grasp as he landed past the first-down marker for a final score of 24-28. The 13-3 Steelers will go on to the postseason, while the 0-16 Browns will pick up the first pick in the draft. Live in Cleveland? Mark your calendar for the Perfect Season parade January 6th.
A clutch defense has more than proven their value as the Vikings pull off a 13-3 record and entrance to the playoffs after their 23-10 win over the Chicago Bears. The Bears were unable to put up any rushing yards, and Trubisky was forced to throw the ball. Trubisky was interception free, but the Bears came up short in the red zone throughout the game. Latavius Murray led the Vikings rushing game with 20 carries and 111 yards, with two touchdowns. The 13-3 Vikings will have a first round bye before their playoff game, where they will play the winner of Wild Card weekend. The 5-11 Bears will get the 8th draft pick, and are also now looking for new leadership, announcing that head coach John Fox will not be returning to Chicago next season.
The Falcons clinched the last NFC playoff spot in a 22-10 win against Carolina. Matt Bryant kicked 5 field goals for Atlanta, including a 56-yard drive that gave the Falcons a powerful lead against the Panthers. Carolina struggled offensively, and Cam Newton threw an uncharacteristic three interceptions, all in the second half. Matt Ryan threw 28 of 45 for 317 yards, and one touchdown. Wide receiver Julio Jones hit a milestone, reaching 9,000 career yards, with five catches in the game for 80 yards. Both teams will make the playoffs, with the Panthers finishing 11-5 and the Falcons at 10-6.
The Titans pulled off a big win over the Jaguars in the AFC South matchup, 15-10. Blake Bortles suffered two big sacks from the Titans defense, two interceptions, and four forced turnovers, throwing 15 of 34 for 158 yards. Marcus Mariota had a huge rushing game for 10 runs and 60 yards, throwing 12 of 21 for 134 yards. Mariota had his first fumble of the season late in the game that perked the hopes of Jags fans after a failed handoff. It was seized by Yannick Ngakoue who had a sick 67 yard run right into the end zone to put up the first and only touchdown for the Jags. The 10-6 Jaguars and 9-7 Titans both head to the playoffs, and the Titans will kickoff the Wild Card round against the Chiefs on Saturday.
The Rams took a comfortable loss against the 49ers in order to rest their best players for the playoffs. Jimmy Garoppolo continues to shine for San Fransisco, throwing 20 of 33 for 292 yards and two touchdowns for a final score of 34-13. The 49ers have made quite the turn around since the Garoppolo trade, finishing 6-10 in what seemed to be a hopeless season early on. The 11-5 Rams, with a rested Jared Goff, Todd Gurley and Aaron Donald, will face the Falcons on Saturday night. San Fransisco, tied with the Raiders, will receive either the 9th or 10th draft pick, depending on the coin flip.
The Chiefs came out on top in a close game against the Broncos, 27-24. Patrick Mahomes, the rookie and 10th overall pick of 2017, started at QB for Kansas City, throwing 22 of 35 for 284 yards with one interception, overall a solid performance. Alex Smith will return in the Wild Card game against the Titans. The Broncos, who recently announced that Vance Joseph will return for the 2018 season, started Paxton Lynch and kept him in for the entire game, throwing 21 of 31 for 254 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Jordan Taylor led Denver in receptions with six for 65 yards, while Albert Wilson had 10 receptions for 147 yards for Kansas. The 5-11 Broncos will take the fifth pick in the draft. The 10-6 Chiefs will take on the Titans on Saturday.
Jameis Winston can end the season finally tasting that W in a win against the Saints. Wiston threw 28 of 51 for 363 yards, one touchdown and three interception, while Drew Brees threw 22 of 30 for 245 yards and one touchdown. Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram and Michael Thomas continued to lead the Saints offense. Together, Kamara and Ingram have more than 1,500 scrimmage yards this season. The 11-5 Saints are in the playoffs and will play the Panthers next. The 5-11 Buccaneers will take the 7th pick in the draft.
Lock up all of your tables, Bills Mafia is headed to the playoffs. After a 22-16 win over Miami, the 9-7 Bills clinched an appearance in the postseason for the first time in 17 seasons. With the Cincinnati win over Baltimore, Buffalo secured the AFC wild-card spot and will play the Jaguars on Sunday.
