With just one week remaining in the 2023 NFL regular season, every single game matters. Division titles, postseason berths, and playoff seedings are on the line, so margins are razor-thin.
Which teams and players looked the best on Sunday, and who’s already looking ahead to next week? Here are all the winners and losers from Week 17.
Winners and Losers From NFL Week 17
Winner | Ravens and 49ers Secure No. 1 Seeds
Lamar Jackson took the lead in the NFL MVP conversation when the Baltimore Ravens beat the San Francisco 49ers last week. He ended the debate with a five-TD performance against the Miami Dolphins in a Ravens win that gave Baltimore the AFC’s No. 1 seed, a first-round bye, and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.
Sunday’s tilt was supposed to be one of the games of the year, but Jackson guided the Ravens to a dominant 56-19 victory, scoring at will against a Miami defense that had been much improved since CB Jalen Ramsey returned last month. With nothing to play for in Week 18, Baltimore can essentially take the next two weeks off.
The 49ers will get a de facto two-week bye, as well, after clinching the NFC’s top seed in Week 17.
San Francisco’s win over the Washington Commanders in Week 17 and losses by the Detroit Lions and the Philadelphia Eagles will allow the 49ers extra rest, which could be essential for banged-up veterans like WR Deebo Samuel and OT Trent Williams.
Loser | Miami Dolphins
Losing to the best team in the NFL isn’t all that concerning for the Dolphins, but getting destroyed by the Ravens probably wasn’t what head coach Mike McDaniel had in mind. To top it off, Miami also lost pass rusher Bradley Chubb to a torn ACL, while CB Xavien Howard (foot) left in the first quarter and never returned.
MORE: 5 Things We Learned About Dolphins in Blowout Loss
The Dolphins can still win the AFC East and secure the No. 2 seed in the conference, but they’ll have to beat the Buffalo Bills in the regular-season finale. Otherwise, Miami will drop all the way to the sixth seed.
Winner | Buffalo Bills
Josh Allen and Co. have won five of their last six games, with their only loss a Week 12 overtime defeat to the Eagles. After fighting back to 10-6, the Bills have put themselves in a position to win their fourth straight AFC East title by defeating the Dolphins next week.
Buffalo can still make the playoffs with a Week 18 loss. But if the Bills lose, while the Jacksonville Jaguars and Pittsburgh Steelers win, Buffalo will be left at home during the postseason.
Loser | Philadelphia Eagles
While the Bills have found themselves since that Week 12 loss to the Eagles, Philadelphia has been reeling since winning that game in late November. The Eagles somehow let Kyler Murray and the three-win Arizona Cardinals put together a game-winning two-minute drive, coughing up a late lead — and giving up 35 total points — to one of the least talented rosters in the NFL.
Philadelphia no longer controls the NFC East. If the Dallas Cowboys beat the Commanders in Week 18, they will win the division, and the Eagles will be the No. 5 seed, regardless of whether Philadelphia takes down the New York Giants next week.
Winner | AFC South
The Jaguars, Indianapolis Colts, and Houston Texans all won in Week 17. Each club is now 9-7 entering the regular-season finale — and the Colts and Texans just happen to be playing each other next week.
MORE: AFC South Playoff Scenarios After Week 17
Jacksonville will win the AFC South with a Week 18 victory over the Tennessee Titans. But if the Jags are upset, the winner of Indy-Houston will take the division crown. There is no scenario in which the Colts-Texans loser can make the playoffs, even if Jacksonville loses to Tennessee.
Winner | New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints were staring at elimination in Week 17, but their 23-13 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (which wasn’t as close as the final score might indicate) kept Dennis Allen’s squad alive for at least one more week.
Owning an 8-8 record after Sunday’s action, the Saints still need help to get into the playoffs. To win the NFC South, New Orleans needs to beat the Atlanta Falcons in Week 18 while hoping the Carolina Panthers upset the Bucs. A Wild Card slot relies on a Saints win, a Seattle Seahawks loss, and a loss by whichever team wins on Sunday night (Green Bay Packers or Minnesota Vikings).
Loser | Seattle Seahawks
Seattle couldn’t have clinched a playoff berth with a Week 17 win over the Steelers, but they would have been in pole position to grab the NFC’s No. 7 seed. Instead, the Seahawks allowed Mason Rudolph to put up 30 points in a loss that could force Seattle out of the postseason picture.
Down seven points with seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Geno Smith had a chance to lead the Seahawks on a game-tying touchdown drive. Instead, Smith was strip-sacked on Seattle’s first play of the series, allowing Pittsburgh to seal the win with a field goal.
The Seahawks no longer control their playoff destiny. Seattle needs a Week 18 win plus a loss by the SNF winner — otherwise, they’ll be out of the dance.
Loser | Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos
The Cincinnati Bengals and Denver Broncos were both eliminated from the playoffs on Sunday, but the two clubs face disparate offseasons.
Cincinnati can look forward to Joe Burrow’s 2024 return and aim to reload for another Super Bowl run. A Tee Higgins resolution and defensive improvements must be on the Bengals’ offseason docket, but No. 2 QB is no longer a concern after Jake Browning impressed during his stint as the club’s starter.
Denver turned the page on the Russell Wilson era by benching him ahead of Week 17, and Sean Payton probably won’t be active in free agency with Wilson’s $35+ million in dead money still on the club’s 2024 books. The Broncos need to take their salary cap lumps and hope they can find a quarterback in next year’s draft.
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