Week 17 Takeaways: Massive shakeups as playoffs near | A to Z Sports All-NFL newsletter

Our All-NFL newsletter from December 30, 2025.

Adam Zientek — NFL News Writer

Dec 30, 2025 3:56 PM EST

Week 17 was the kind of NFL Sunday that reminds you why nothing is guaranteed in this league. Superstars stumbled, contenders flipped the script, and playoff paths shifted in real time as games came down to the final seconds.

From a heartbreaking missi n the rain to an MVP statement game and multiple winner-take-all scenarios lining up for Week 18, the chaos was on full display across the league.

Josh Allen and the Bills fall flat in the final seconds

The Buffalo Bills were taking on the reigning Super Bowl champs, the Philadelphia Eagles, in a game where the rain was coming down in bunches. It was once again a tale of two halves for the Buffalo Bills. Despite having the reigning MVP at quarterback in Josh Allen, the offense struggled mightily throughout 90% of the contest.

The Eagles, led by quarterback Jalen Hurts and running back Saquon Barkley, were essentially shut out in the second half, with Hurts not even completing a single pass. With the stout Buffalo defense answering the bell in a big way, it all came down to the final play, a two-point conversion for Buffalo. Allen had a receiver wide open in the end zone, but just flat-out missed his target.

Buffalo lost heartbreakingly, giving the New England Patriots their first AFC East crown in five years. However, for Buffalo, it might’ve been a benefit to lose the game in a way when it comes to playoff seeding. As it currently sits, the Bills would be taking on the Patriots in the first round of the playoffs.

The Eagles already clinched their division ahead of the victory. If the playoffs were to start today, the Eagles would be hosting the Rams in the first round of the playoffs.

Drake “Drake Maye” Maye is the MVP

Drake Maye firmly planted himself as the MVP of the season with another stellar performance. Mind you, it was against the NFL’s JV team in the New York Jets, but Maye was stellar in the victory. Ahead of the contest, wide receiver Mack Hollins was ruled out for the remainder of the season, a crushing blow to the offense, but that didn’t slow them down a bit against the Jets. On top of Hollins, the Patriots were playing without four offensive starters, with a possibility of three of them returning the following week.

Maye, in the first half alone, was 17-of-19 for 229 yards and four touchdowns, with one of his two completions being a drop. As ESPN reported, Maye became the first Patriots quarterback with four passing touchdowns in a half since Tom Brady. With his stellar performance, Maye was pulled in the third quarter of the victory.

The Patriots have ascended to one of the very best teams in the league, clinching the AFC East and having one of the biggest turnarounds from last season. That’s in large part thanks to Maye and his performance this season.

If the playoffs were to start today, the Patriots would be hosting the Buffalo Bills in the first round. Not an easy opponent, as divisional rivalries are always a toss-up in the postseason, as it’ll be the third time this season the two teams will have met.

Stafford and the Falcons battle late

The Los Angeles Rams found themselves in a big hole early on in their matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. The NFC race is as tight as they come, with three teams now sitting at 11-5 after the loss to the Rams. The Falcons, led by a dominant performance by Bijan Robinson, opened up the floodgates early and made it seem like it was going to be a blowout. Robinson has the third-most scrimmage yards in a season over the past 10 seasons, and has the most scrimmage yards in Falcons history. Robinson had a career day on the ground with 195 rushing yards.

And then, the Rams came back and made it a game. The Rams were left scoreless in the first half but had a dominant second-half performance by quarterback Matthew Stafford and one of the very best players in the league, wide receiver Puka Nacua.

Stafford had three interceptions but bounced back to tie the game up even at 24 with a touchdown to Nacua with 2:46 remaining in the contest. There just wasn’t enough time for the team to mount the comeback, and they fell to the Falcons on national television.

Throughout the entire season, the Rams were battling for the best record in the NFL, but a couple of losses late in December have them in the playoffs, but not hosting a home game. In terms of playoff implications, the loss to the Falcons was huge for Los Angeles.

If the playoffs were to start today, the Rams would be taking on the reigning Super Bowl champs in Philadelphia.

Panthers and Bucs to duel it out for the division

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to the Miami Dolphins. Miami was led by rookie quarterback Quinn Ewers, who put on a show on Sunday. The sky is falling for Tampa Bay as the team has now lost seven of its last eight games. While scoring on their opening drive, the team wasn’t able to get much going for the remainder of the contest, only finding the end zone once more with around a minute left to play. Miscues and turnovers ultimately cost Baker Mayfield and the Bucs the win.

For the Panthers, it was just a blowout against the NFC’s No. 1 seed in the Seattle Seahawks. For the past 10 weeks, the team has alternated wins and losses, which should have fans excited about the next game. Seattle just flat-out took care of business, making life miserable for quarterback Bryce Young, who was 14-of-24 for 54 yards and an interception. It was a battle of defenses, but ultimately, the Seahawks were just too much for the Panthers to try to take on.

Bucs and Panthers fans should be excited, though. Despite both teams losing and not having an overall great season, there is still a chance for one of them to make it into the postseason. The NFL loves to wait to announce the Week 18 slate of games, and it’s exactly because of this scenario.

When the Bucs and Panthers play on Sunday, it’ll be for the final place on the NFC side of things for the NFL playoffs. Win, and you’re in.

It’ll all come down to the final week for the Ravens and the Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a chance to win the division with a victory over the Cleveland Browns. But Jim Schwartz and the Browns defense had other plans. It was a low-scoring effort that came down to the final play for the Steelers, who just weren’t able to convert. Aaron Rodgers struggled without his top option in wide receiver DK Metcalf, who was serving a suspension for punching a fan in the face. The veteran finished his day going 21-of-39 for 168 yards; he was also missing some of his top targets in Calvin Austin, and tight end Darnell Washington needed to exit the game with a broken forearm. It seemed as though the Steelers were more inclined to stop Myles Garrett from breaking the sack record than actually winning the contest.

For Baltimore, it was a vintage performance from Derrick Henry. The 31-year-old running back put the team on his back as he carried the ball 36 times in the contest with another 200-yard performance to his resume. Baltimore needed a win and did it all without their superstar quarterback, Lamar Jackson, who was sidelined for the contest. The ground game wasn’t only dominated by Henry, as quarterback Tyler Huntley did plenty of damage with his legs, adding 55 yards on the ground, which was the most rushing yards by a Baltimore quarterback since Jackson in the season opener against Buffalo.

The NFL loves drama, and they’ll love the implications for the upcoming Ravens and Steelers game. Much like Tampa Bay and Carolina, it’s a winner-take-all contest with the loser licking their wounds and bouncing to the offseason, with the winner getting a playoff berth. The NFL is just so much fun.

Whoever walks away with a victory will most likely be looking at the No. 4 seed, and if the playoffs were to start today, the winner would be hosting the Houston Texans in the first round, no small feat for either team.