On this page
A Recap Games from Week 17 of the 2019-2020 NFL Season
Introduction
Week 17 marks the end of the NFL regular season. The playoffs are all set and ready to begin. The Wild Card round of the postseason starts on Saturday, January 4th, 2019. This is overall a great time of the year for sports.
FINAL
Bears (7-8, 3-4 Away) 21
Vikings (10-5, 6-1 Home) 19
TOP PERFORMERS
PASS
Mitchell Trubisky - CHI
26-37, 207 YDS
RUSH
Mike Boone - MIN
17 CAR, 148 YDS, 1 TD
REC
Allen Robinson II - CHI
9 REC, 71 YDS
The Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings both started off slow offensively. This game came down to the very end. With the Bears down one point they had a crucial 4th and 9 with less than 3 minutes left on the game clock. Mitchell Trubisky hit Riley Ridley on a 34 yard pass which set up Eddie Pinero’s 22 yard game winning kick with 10 seconds left in the contest. The Minnesota Vikings were resting some of their most valuable players for the playoffs, but they were out played especially late in the game by the Chicago Bears.
Playoff Games
Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints (Sunday, January 5th at 12:05 pm CST)
FINAL
Jets (6-9, 1-6 Away) 13
Bills (10-5, 4-3 Home) 6
TOP PERFORMERS
PASS
Matt Barkley - BUF
18-35, 232 YDS, 2 INT
RUSH
Le'Veon Bell - NYJ
16 CAR, 41 YDS
REC
Duke Williams - BUF
6 REC, 108 YDS
This low scoring affair ended as Sam Darnold hit Jamison Crowder on a yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter to secure this victory for the New York Jets. Although this was a disappointing 2019 – 2020 NFL regular season for the Jets they are optimistic for the future as they went 6 and 2 during the second half of the season. The Buffalo Bills rested many of their starters after the first quarter of this match up to keep their players healthy for the upcoming playoffs. Buffalo’s 10 and 6 record is their best regular season performance since 1999 when they went 11 and 5.
Playoff Games
Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans (Saturday, January 4th at 3:35 pm CST)
FINAL
Browns (6-9, 2-5 Away) 23
Bengals (1-14, 1-6 Home) 33
TOP PERFORMERS
PASS
Baker Mayfield - CLE
12-27, 279 YDS, 3 TD
RUSH
Joe Mixon - CIN
26 CAR, 162 YDS, 2 TD
REC
Jarvis Landry - CLE
2 REC, 82 YDS, 1 TD
Both of these two teams from the state of Ohio had endured extremely bad years. Cleveland was expected to make the playoffs after their offseason acquisitions of Odell Beckham Jr. and Kareem Hunt. Quarterback Baker Mayfield digressed in his second season as the signal caller of the Browns offense after he had a great rookie year. Cleveland better have a better 2020 – 2021 season after this year’s terrible output. The Cincinnati Bengals had a rough year as well, but at least theirs was foreseeable. The Bengals will have the number one overall selection in the 2020 NFL draft so hopefully they can use that to secure a player that can help turn this franchise around in the future.
Playoff Games
N/A
FINAL
Chargers (5-11, 3-5 Away) 21
Chiefs (12-4, 5-3 Home) 31
TOP PERFORMERS
PASS
Philip Rivers - LAC
31-46, 281 YDS, 2 TD
RUSH
Damien Williams - KC
12 CAR, 124 YDS, 2 TD
REC
Keenan Allen - LAC
9 REC, 82 YDS, 1 TD
The Kansas City Chiefs did not receive the best game out of their superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes, but they relied on great games from other teammates to lock up this very important victory. Mecole Hardman had a 104 yard kickoff return for a touchdown, and Damien Williams rushed for 124 yards and 2 touchdowns on only 12 carries. The Chiefs earned a first week bye in postseason as the Patriots lost and they won during week 17. The Chargers put up a good fight in this game, but it was not enough to disrupt end of the Kansas City Chiefs season.
Playoff Games
Kansas City Chiefs vs. TBD (Sunday, January 12th at 2:05 pm CST)
FINAL
Dolphins (4-11, 1-6 Away) 27
Patriots (12-3, 6-1 Home) 24
TOP PERFORMERS
PASS
Ryan Fitzpatrick - MIA
28-41, 320 YDS, 1 TD
RUSH
Sony Michel - NE
18 CAR, 74 YDS, 1 TD
REC
DeVante Parker - MIA
8 REC, 137 YDS
The New England Patriots needed to win this match up in order to secure a bye in the first week of the playoffs. The Miami Dolphins rallied around quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick who had a great game. Fitzpatrick threw a 5 yard touchdown pass to his tight end Mike Gesicki with less than 30 seconds left on the game clock putting the Dolphins up 27 to 24. The Patriots have not had to play in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs since 2009, and New England has never made it to the Super Bowl while having to play in the Wild Card round of the postseason.
Playoff Games
Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots (Saturday, January 4th at 7:15 pm CST)
FINAL
Saints (12-3, 6-1 Away) 42
Panthers (5-10, 2-5 Home) 10
TOP PERFORMERS
PASS
Kyle Allen - CAR
25-41, 295 YDS, 1 INT
RUSH
Latavius Murray - NO
17 CAR, 61 YDS
REC
Brandon Zylstra - CAR
6 REC, 96 YDS
The New Orleans Saints completely destroyed the Carolina Panthers last Sunday. Drew Brees threw for 253 yards and three touchdowns. Alvin Kamara ran for two touchdowns while A.J. Klein returned an interception for a touchdown as well. The Saints won easily 42 to 10 against the struggling Carolina Panthers.
Playoff Games
Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints (Sunday, January 5th at 12:05 pm CST)
FINAL/OT
Falcons (6-9, 3-4 Away) 28
Buccaneers (7-8, 2-5 Home) 22
TOP PERFORMERS
PASS
Matt Ryan - ATL
30-51, 313 YDS, 1 TD
RUSH
Ronald Jones II - TB
11 CAR, 106 YDS
REC
Breshad Perriman - TB
5 REC, 134 YDS, 1 TD
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers scored all of their 22 points during the second quarter of this game. Once the contest went to overtime Jameis Winston’s first pass was picked off and returned for a touchdown giving the Atlanta Falcons the win. The Falcons had a rough season, but they finished strong by winning 6 of their last 8 matches. They started off so poorly with a record of 1 and 7 in the first half of the season really putting them in a horrible position to try and make the playoffs this year. Hopefully both of these teams can turn things around next year.
Playoff Games
N/A
FINAL
Packers (13-3, 6-2 Away) 23
Lions (3-12-1, 2-6 Home) 20
TOP PERFORMERS
PASS
Aaron Rodgers - GB
27-55, 323 YDS, 2 TD
RUSH
Aaron Jones - GB
25 CAR, 100 YDS
REC
Davante Adams - GB
7 REC, 93 YDS, 1 TD
The Green Bay Packers beat the Detroit Lions two times this year without leading either one of those games for at least one second. Both of the games ended on game winning field goals by Mason Crosby. The Packers have now won five in a row, and most of those games have been close while Green Bay has not been playing their best football, but finding a way to get the job done. The Detroit Lions had detrimental injuries this year and are in major turmoil. We will see how they react next season.
Playoff Games
Green Bay Packers vs. TBD (Sunday, January 12th at 5:40 pm CST)
FINAL
Eagles (8-7, 3-4 Away) 34
Giants (4-11, 2-5 Home) 17
TOP PERFORMERS
PASS
Daniel Jones - NYG
28-47, 301 YDS, 1 TD
RUSH
Saquon Barkley - NYG
17 CAR, 92 YDS, 1 TD
REC
Kaden Smith - NYG
8 REC, 98 YDS
This game was tied at 17 a piece to start the fourth quarter, and the Philadelphia Eagles needed this win to secure their NFC East championship as well as clinch their playoff berth. The Eagles put up 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to accomplish the above mentioned achievements. Philadelphia will host a playoff game this Wild Card weekend even though their record is well below that of their opponents in the Seattle Seahawks. The New York Giants have some things to build on for next season as they were not expected to make much noise this year.
Playoff Games
Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles (Sunday, January 5th at 3:40 pm CST)
FINAL
Colts (7-9, 2-6 Away) 20
Jaguars (6-10, 3-5 Home) 38
TOP PERFORMERS
PASS
Gardner Minshew II - JAX
27-39, 295 YDS, 3 TD
RUSH
Marlon Mack - IND
15 CAR, 77 YDS, 2 TD
REC
Dede Westbrook - JAX
7 REC, 72 YDS, 1 TD
The Jacksonville Jaguars closed out the season with a win over the Indianapolis Colts. Now the Jags have to figure out what to do at the quarterback position moving forward as Nick Foles received a big contract, but he was injured and played poorly while he was in game action this past regular season. Whereas Garner Minshew III had a fairly good year filling in at the quarterback position. He had another 300 yard game with 3 touchdowns against the Colts. Indianapolis will have to use the offseason to rebuild their team and their strategy for the next NFL season. Both these teams have huge decisions to make, and it will be interesting to see what happens with both of these struggling organizations.
Playoff Games
N/A
FINAL
Cardinals (5-10-1, 3-5 Away) 24
Rams (9-7, 5-3 Home) 31
TOP PERFORMERS
PASS
Kyler Murray - ARI
26-42, 327 YDS, 2 TD
RUSH
Todd Gurley II - LAR
20 CAR, 68 YDS
REC
Cooper Kupp - LAR
7 REC, 99 YDS, 1 TD
The Los Angeles Rams are another team that had a disappointing 2019 – 2020 NFL season. After making the Super Bowl last year they failed to make the playoffs this year. Their key players underperformed, and they need the offseason to regroup as well as refocus their goals to get where they are looking to go. The Arizona Cardinals are far from being a contender in the NFL, but they have some bright spots to strategize around for future success. The Cardinals 2020 – 2021 NFL season should be a solid improvement over this year, and Kyler Murray needs to move forward by getting better each and every day.
Playoff Games
N/A
FINAL
Redskins (3-13, 2-6 Away) 16
Cowboys (8-8, 5-3 Home) 47
TOP PERFORMERS
PASS
Dak Prescott - DAL
23-33, 303 YDS, 4 TD
RUSH
Ezekiel Elliott - DAL
18 CAR, 122 YDS, 1 TD
REC
Michael Gallup - DAL
5 REC, 98 YDS, 3 TD
The Dallas Cowboys highly underperformed this year as well. They have all the tools to win a very bad division yet they fell short of making the playoffs. They have recently parted ways with their head coach, Jason Garrett, and it will be interesting to see who they bring in to coach this talented group of football players. The Washington Redskins brought in Ron Rivera to coach their team, and that should help turn the losing culture around in the nation’s capital of Washington D.C. Both these organizations have a lot of room for improvement.
Playoff Games
N/A
FINAL
Steelers (8-8, 3-5 Away) 10
Ravens (14-2, 7-1 Home) 28
TOP PERFORMERS
PASS
Robert Griffin III - BAL
11-21, 96 YDS, 1 INT
RUSH
Gus Edwards - BAL
21 CAR, 130 YDS
REC
Diontae Johnson - PIT
4 REC, 54 YDS
The Baltimore Ravens had an amazing regular season, but the postseason is a whole new landscape as one bad game can knock them out of their Super Bowl run. Although they are the most feared and best team in the league so hopefully they continue to play that way once they have a playoff game in the divisional round of the playoffs. The Pittsburgh Steelers had an exceptionally great year for the condition their team was in. They lost their veteran starting quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger, their running back James Connor, and they parted ways with superstar players such as Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell over the last offseason. Mike Tomlin and the Steelers almost found their way into the NFL postseason despite all the turmoil they had to deal with.
Playoff Games
Baltimore Ravens vs. TBD (Saturday, January 11th at 7:15 pm CST)
FINAL
Titans (9-7, 5-3 Away) 35
Texans (10-6, 5-3 Home) 14
TOP PERFORMERS
PASS
AJ McCarron - HOU
21-36, 225 YDS, 1 INT
RUSH
Derrick Henry - TEN
32 CAR, 211 YDS, 3 TD
REC
A.J. Brown - TEN
4 REC, 124 YDS, 1 TD
The Tennessee Titans defeated the Houston Texans in order to clinch a Wild Card playoff spot. They will have to face the defending champions of the NFL in the New England Patriots this weekend, but anything can happen in the playoffs. The Houston Texans will host the Buffalo Bills this Saturday in the Wild Card round of the postseason. That should be a good game.
Playoff Games
Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans (Saturday, January 4th at 3:35 pm CST)
Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots (Saturday, January 4th at 7:15 pm CST)
FINAL
Raiders (7-9, 2-6 Away) 15
Broncos (7-9, 5-3 Home) 16
TOP PERFORMERS
PASS
Derek Carr - OAK
29-46, 391 YDS, 1 TD
RUSH
DeAndre Washington - OAK
17 CAR, 77 YDS
REC
Darren Waller - OAK
6 REC, 107 YDS
This was a close game between two bad teams. The Oakland Raiders pushed hard to come back and win this contest. Their head coach and football genius Jon Gruden decided to go for the win instead of the tie at the end of the game on a two point conversion that failed. The Oakland Raiders are moving to Las Vegas next season, and have a lot to be happy about this year as they improved heavily even without the services of their biggest offseason acquisition in Antonio Brown who never played for them. The Denver Broncos found one thing to hang their head on and that is Drew Lock coming out of nowhere to finish the season 4 and 1. Look for them to game plan around him as their starting quarterback for the 2020 – 2021 NFL season.
Playoff Games
N/A
FINAL
49ers (12-3, 6-1 Away) 26
Seahawks (11-4, 4-3 Home) 21
TOP PERFORMERS
PASS
Jimmy Garoppolo - SF
18-22, 285 YDS
RUSH
Travis Homer - SEA
10 CAR, 62 YDS
REC
Deebo Samuel - SF
5 REC, 102 YDS
This was another great game between these two teams. The first match up between them went to the Seattle Seahawks, and this time around the San Francisco 49ers beat the Seahawks. Both of these teams should be considered highly dangerous in the NFC playoff landscape. I look forward to watching both of these teams moving forward into the NFL postseason.
Playoff Games
San Francisco 49ers vs. TBD (Saturday, January 11th at 3:35 pm CT)
Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles (Sunday, January 5th at 3:40 pm CST)
Sources:
“NFL Scoreboard”, espn.com, December 29, 2019.