Grant White

Bills vs. Dolphins: NFL Regular Season Finale, Playoffs at Stake

Nothing generates as much buzz and excitement as the <a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/nfl">NFL</a>. Week after week, the intensity continues to be ratcheted up as we race toward the postseason. As usual, several noteworthy headlines emerged from this week&#8217;s gridiron action.
Without further ado, here are five overreactions to what we saw in the NFL in Week 17:
<a href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/newsletter/?utm_source=msn_feed&amp;utm_medium=video&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter">Have all the intel you need? Free actionable info is one click away! Sign up for our daily newsletter, SportsGrid Daily.</a>
<h3>5. Mike Tomlin was on Bath Salts at the Start of December</h3>
There&#8217;s no other rational explanation to account for the decision to start Mitch Trubisky. 
The Pittsburgh Steelers were comfortably sitting at 7-4, with games against the Arizona Cardinals, New England Patriots, and Indianapolis Colts on the horizon. Life should have been good, but then Kenny Pickett went down with an ankle injury. Mike Tomlin gets a free pass for turning to Trubisky against the Cardinals, as he was the only other pivot dressed. But 117 passing yards and three points later, Tomlin should have been convinced to look elsewhere. 
Instead, the Steelers rode Trubisky for two agonizing games longer, putting their playoff hopes on life support. If Tomlin was of clear mind, it&#8217;s unlikely Trubisky&#8217;s tenure as starting quarterback would have lasted three games.
Check out SportsGrid&#8217;s <a style="color: #0000ff;" href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/nfl/picks">NFL game picks</a> and <a style="color: #0000ff;" href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/nfl/player-props">NFL Props Picks</a> all Season Long.
<h3>4. Nobody Deserves to &#8220;Win the NFC South</h3>
The NFL playoffs would be so much more entertaining if the seven best teams made the postseason. Rather, we include all eight division winners, including whichever sad sack franchise unwillingly stumbles into the NFC South automatic berth.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still in the driver&#8217;s seat this season, but their effort against the New Orleans Saints in Week 17 left a lot to be desired. Tampa could have clinched a division banner and playoff berth with a win, but ended up dropping a decisive 23-13 decision as -2.5 home chalk. 
It all comes down to Week 18, with Bucs, Saints, and Atlanta Falcons all still in contention. Whichever team emerges with a home playoff game definitely doesn&#8217;t deserve it. 
<a style="color: #0000ff;" href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/article/nfl-playoff-bracket-if-the-postseason-started-today-9">NFL Postseason Picture if Playoffs Started Today</a>
<h3>3. The Los Angeles Rams Are Going on an Extended Playoff Run</h3>
The Los Angeles Rams 2022 campaign was an unmitigated disaster. In a vacuum, the Rams looked like a bottom-feeding team, with no direction or skill. But that season is sandwiched between a Super Bowl win and, what&#8217;s presumed to be, another deep playoff run.
Sean McVay is extracting maximum value from his offensive contributors. The Rams average the seventh-most yards and eighth-most points, amplifying their production over the latter part of the campaign. Moreover, they&#8217;ve allowed four of their past six opponents to 339 yards or fewer. 
If LA can sustain its defensive improvements, there could be no stopping them in the playoffs. Don&#8217;t be surprised if you see them making some noise in the NFC Championship Game.
<h3>2. Every Packers Quarterback Will Eventually End Up in the Hall of Fame</h3>
Add Green Bay Packers quarterbacks making the Hall of Fame to the list of death and taxes. All this franchise has done since the early dawn of football is produce Hall-worthy signal callers. Arnie Herber, Bart Starr, Brett Favre, eventually Aaron Rodgers, and maybe even Jordan Love will all walk the same path to Canton, Ohio. 
When the Packers needed him the most, Love threw for 256 yards and three scores, moving his team back into a playoff spot. That ratchets Love&#8217;s season-long totals up to 3,843 passing yards and 30 scores, nearly matching Rodgers&#8217; 16-game passing yard total of 4,038 and surpassing his 28 touchdown passes. With fewer interceptions to boot. 
Granted, Love&#8217;s got a lot of work left to do to reach the stratosphere of his predecessors. Still, Packers fans have to be pleased with early results.
<h3>1. NFL Officials Are The Worst</h3>
Let&#8217;s qualify this hot take. Being an official is not easy.
Still, that doesn&#8217;t excuse you for being terrible at your job. 
The officiating crew absolutely butchered the crucial NFC showdown between the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys. We all know what happened, so we can spare Lions fans reliving that nightmare. What&#8217;s swept under the rug is the devastating impact that had on the NFC playoff landscape. 
The Cowboys were handed the NFC East lead. The Eagles were relegated to the fifth seed. The San Francisco 49ers were gift-wrapped the first seed. Dallas was promoted to the second seed. The Lions were bumped to the third seed, robbing them of their chance at a Conference title and a first-round bye.
If you went to Taco Bell and were continuously shortchanged or given the wrong order, you&#8217;d expect heads to roll. Coincidentally, that&#8217;s probably where some of these officials will end up working when their officiating careers come to an end.
Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with <a style="color: #0000ff;" href="https://www.sportsgrid.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SportsGrid</a>.

5 Overreactions to Week 17 of the NFL Season: Lions-Cowboys Calls

Cleveland, boasting a strong OL advantage over New Orleans, has key player Nick Chubb back at about 75-80% fitness. Chubb is getting closer to being 100%.

Cleveland vs. New Orleans Matchup: Browns Favored by Health

Get key injury updates and insights for Seattle vs. San Francisco, focusing on player statuses and team tactics. Will George Kittle be ready for today's game?

Seattle vs. San Francisco: Injury Updates & Game Insights

Exploring how player injuries impact the Bills vs. Chiefs game, including strategy shifts and playoff effects. Pacheco, while getting closer, won't play today.

Buffalo Bills vs. KC Chiefs: Key Injuries & Game Insights

LATEST VIDEOS

Steelers Quarterback,Steelers QB,Packers Quarterback,Packers QB,Bart Starr,Brett Favre,Arnie Herber,NFL Officials,Lions vs. Cowboys Officials,Lions vs. Cowboys Controversy,NFL Officials Controversy,NFL Blown Call,Lions Blown Call,Kenny Pickett,Mason Rudolph,Mitch Trubisky,Atlanta Falcons,Terry Fontenot  Rich McKay,NFC,NFC South,Dallas Cowboys,Jerry Jones  Jerry Jones,NFC East,Detroit Lions,Brad Holmes  Rod Wood,NFC North,Green Bay Packers,Brian Gutekunst  Mark Murphy,Los Angeles Rams,Les Snead  Kevin Demoff,NFC West,New Orleans Saints,Mickey Loomis  Dennis Lauscha,Pittsburgh Steelers,Omar Khan  Art Rooney II,AFC,AFC North,Tampa Bay Buccaneers,Jason Licht  Art Rooney II

keywords

twitter:card

twitter:title

https://sg-images-bucket.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/thumnbail-webp/article/1878571-1920x1080.webp?v=1731908170

twitter:image

thumbnail

google

Week 17 of the NFL was the most controversial slate of action to date. What are some absolute insights that we can draw from this week's football action?

description

expires

robots

og:locale

og:site_name

og:type

og:title

og:description

og:image

og:image:type

og:image:width

og:image:height

og:image:secure_url

article:published_time

article:modified_time

Bengals vs. Chargers: Best Cincinnati Player Props

NFL Player Awards Betting: Top OPOY & CPOY Candidates

Bills vs Chiefs: Betting Preview & Insights for AFC Tilt

AFC Playoff Picture: How Does Week 11 Impact the Standings?

NFL Week 11: Seahawks vs 49ers Betting and Injury Insights

What Does the Future Hold for Daniel Jones and the Giants?

NFL Week 11: Broncos vs Falcons Betting and Matchup Analysis

Browns' Nick Chubb Primed for Strong Showing vs. Saints

Target These Fantasy Sleepers on Week 11's Main Slate

Assessing CeeDee Lamb's Fantasy Ceiling Beyond Week 11

Comment

Home

Articles

SportsGrid is your source for the best sports bets today. Watch SportsGrid for live sports news coverage, scores, odds, moneylines, sports betting tips & more.

sportsgrid.com

Ferrall Coast To Coast

College Football Today

NFL Pro Football Today

Bare Knuckle Fighting Main Event

In-Game LIVE Prime Time

The Early Line Live

SportsRage Tonight Live

NewsWire Live

The Bostonian Vs. The Book

Bare Knuckle Fighting Knuckle Up

MODUS Super Series Darts

Gametime Decisions Live

SportsGrid 2024 NFL Draft Special

Fantasy Sports Today

The Smylie Kaufman Show

SportsGrid 2024 NBA Draft Special

NHL Today

OUR SHOWS

Explore the 2024-25 unique college quarterback class: Deion Sanders's son Shedeur Sanders, Cam Ward, Carson Beck, Jalen Milroe & others, amid mixed reviews.

2025 College QB Class: A Look at Top Prospects & Trends

LATEST SPORTSGRID VIDEOS

Wherever you are, SportsGrid can be there too. Here are all of the platforms and subscription services you can find us on and how to watch SportsGrid today.

Where to Watch SportsGrid | How to Watch SportsGrid | SportsGrid

Samsung TV Plus

Roku TV

FireTV

LG Channels

Vizio

Xiaomi

VIDAA

SportsGrid is free to watch on any of the following Connected TV’s

FREE ON MY TV

Amazon Prime Video

Freevee

YouTube TV

FuboTV

Plex

Sling Tv

FreeCast

Local Now

Stremium

Rad TV

Free Live Sports

SportsGrid is free to watch on any of the following Streaming services

LIVE STREAMING SERVICES

Sirius XM

Sports.Tv

YouTube

Download the new SportsGrid app, watch on SportsGrid.com or our YouTube Channel

WEB/MOBILE

SportsGrid is free to watch on any of the following platforms

ALL PARTNERS

Wherever you are, SportsGrid can be there too. Here are all of the platforms and subscription services you can find us on:

WHERE TO WATCH SPORTSGRID

MORE ARTICLES