I found myself caring more about the losing teams this week, perhaps a byproduct of all the bad football on Christmas and the several meaningless games we’re going to get in next week’s regular-season finales.
A winner-take-all NFC South matchup between the free-falling Buccaneers and the inconsistent Panthers doesn’t exactly move the needle. My colleague Conor Orr said it best when he argued that the Saints should be given the NFC South title because the top two teams have been playing hot potato with the divisional lead.
I’m in favor of seeing more of Saints rookie quarterback Tyler Shough, a sentence I did not expect to write when New Orleans drafted him in the second round in April. His recent performances, including carving up the Titans in Sunday’s 34–26 victory, likely have the Saints thinking it doesn’t need to select a quarterback high in next year’s draft.
While the Raiders and Giants met in the Fernando Mendoza bowl on Sunday, the Saints suddenly have a bright future, and no one seems to care about them not tanking for better draft picks after they’ve won four consecutive games while Shough—who was 22-of-27 for 333 yards and two touchdowns against the Titans—continues to get better every week. The Saints might be next year’s Patriots—a team that lost double-digit games but was headed in the right direction because of the promise Drake Maye showed in his rookie campaign.
Not every team needs to tank to jump-start a rebuild. That’s one of many things we learned from Week 17.
Concerns remain for Bills despite late rally vs. Eagles
Look, I’m at the point where I need to see the Bills in a playoff game, because regular-season contests aren’t going to change my view on them as a suspect Super Bowl contender.
Seeing Josh Allen and his offense struggle against another physical defense on Sunday only reinforced my suspicion that this team still isn't ready to advance to the Super Bowl. At the same time, I didn’t mind seeing Bills coach Sean McDermott gamble on a failed two-point conversion to spoil Allen’s late rally and hand the Patriots the AFC East title in the 13–12 defeat.
Buffalo (11–5) shouldn’t care about division titles or home-field advantage, because that has gotten this team nowhere since their run with Allen began more than five years ago.
Supposedly, this is Allen’s best shot to advance to the big game because the Chiefs won’t be in the postseason. But this explosive offense was shut out for most of the game against the Eagles, whose defense might not be as good as the Broncos’ and Texans’, two teams that could stand in the Bills’ way once the playoffs arrive.
Buffalo’s defense, however, had a strong performance to stay within striking distance to give Allen an opportunity to steal the victory. Usually, it’s Allen & Co. that has to bail out the defense. Still, I’m not sure if this defense can contain Trevor Lawrence’s Jaguars or Maye’s Patriots.
But the Bills do have an advantage over the other AFC playoff teams because Allen—who was 23-of-35 for 262 yards, with two rushing touchdowns against the Eagles—is on their side, and no lead is safe against the reigning MVP.
The postseason wall will still be there for Buffalo; it just won’t be painted red and gold, and a two-point conversion wasn’t going to change that.
Steelers will have doubts about DK Metcalf if they miss postseason
The Steelers reportedly declined to void DK Metcalf’s $45 million in guarantees, an option the team gained after the star receiver was suspended for two games due to his altercation with a Lions fan last week.
Pittsburgh’s decision makers may have regrets after Cleveland’s 13–6 win on Sunday; the Steelers lost that crucial game in large part because Metcalf wasn’t on the field to help when it mattered most. What is it they say about the best ability? Aaron Rodgers was forced to throw passes to Marquez Valdes-Scantling on routes that were specifically meant for Metcalf’s elite skill set, including on the failed fourth-and-goal from the 7-yard line, which sealed the victory for Cleveland. No Steelers wide receiver had more than 25 receiving yards against the Browns, as the offense was held to 291 total yards.
It’s understandable why the Steelers quickly decided to re-commit to Metcalf despite his selfish decision to hit a fan. Pittsburgh had already invested plenty in Metcalf, sending 2025 second- and seventh-round picks to Seattle to acquire the two-time Pro Bowler in a trade before handing him a four-year, $132 million contract extension with a $30 million signing bonus.
But now the doubts will creep in whether the team made a mistake not to void the $45 million in guarantees because Metcalf’s absence was so noticeable on Sunday. On the other hand, this was a reminder of how much the Steelers need Metcalf on this roster—but he wasn’t absent because of injury. He was unavailable for something that could have easily been avoided, likely losing plenty of trust throughout the organization.
If the Steelers (9–7) lose to the Ravens (8–8) next week and miss the postseason, Pittsburgh’s brass will think about the contract decision all offseason, perhaps to the point where it could sour the relationship with Metcalf. Let’s not forget that this organization grew tired of George Pickens’s issues and shipped him to Dallas, thinking Metcalf would be less of a headache. Pickens has racked up fines and has been benched for disciplinary reasons, but he’s never been suspended for an NFL game, and most importantly, he has never hit a fan.
Metcalf failed his team, and his costly mistake will linger in the minds of his teammates, coaches and many others in Pittsburgh, especially if the team misses the playoffs. And, yes, I’m aware that the attention-seeking fan probably said things that would likely have gotten him punched on the street. But having a scuffle with a spectator absolutely can’t happen during a game.
Metcalf wasn’t caught for the in-game altercation last week and played the entirety of the Steelers’ signature victory in Detroit. But the consequences have caught up and could have a lasting impact that goes beyond next week’s winner-take-all AFC North showdown with the Ravens.
Panthers can’t be trusted in pressure-filled situations
I know the Buccaneers are in the middle of a five-game losing streak, but they’re in a far better position than the Panthers ahead of next week’s winner-take-all NFC South matchup. Not only will the Buccaneers be the home team, but they also have big-game experience, a massive edge over a Panthers team that continues to fold under pressure.
When the Panthers are in their comfort zone, usually at 1 p.m. ET on a Sunday home game that the rest of the country cares very little about, that’s when they beat good teams like the Rams. Oh, and the game week also has to fit into Carolina’s win-loss pattern—this team has alternated wins and losses since Week 7.
Unfortunately for the Panthers, they hosted the Seahawks the week after a win, and this matchup had plenty of attention because they were in position to clinch the NFC South with a victory and a Tampa Bay loss vs. Miami, which occurred, with the Buccaneers falling to the Dolphins 20–17. But Week 17 was long decided for the Panthers, and not because of their habit of alternating wins and losses. Carolina and Seattle had ugly starts to the game, but eventually the home team was outclassed and showed in the 27–10 defeat that it doesn’t belong in the postseason despite the benefit of being in the subpar NFC South.
The Panthers (8–8) aren’t ready for the bright lights against the big-boy teams of the NFL. This team also folded back in Week 12 against the 49ers during a Monday Night Football game for everyone to see with an opportunity to take first place in the division. This is the same team that got swept by the Saints, with two opportunities to wrap up the division before Christmas.
Whenever the NFC South is within reach, the Panthers’ true colors come out. They’re a feisty and occasionally fun team to watch, but still a work in progress with an inconsistent roster and unpredictable quarterback in Bryce Young, who had an awful day against Seattle, going 14-of-24 for 54 yards and one interception, along with one rushing score. That is, quite simply, not the sort of stat line a franchise quarterback should ever record.
Don’t expect the win-loss pattern to continue next week because all the pressure will be on Carolina. Tampa Bay’s experience edge over its divisional rival will likely pay off in the form of a fifth consecutive NFC South title to end the free fall for Baker Mayfield & Co.
Cardinals need to fire coach Jonathan Gannon ASAP
It’s not a given that the Cardinals (3–13) fire coach Jonathan Gannon after the season because the team had to eat plenty of money on Kliff Kingsbury’s contract, firing him 10 months after giving him an extension, a note Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer mentioned in his mailbag last week.
Breer also mentioned that owner Michael Bidwill’s history is not to blow things up. But at this point, what is there to save? Year 3 is when coaches are supposed to see the fruits of their labor, but the Cardinals have drastically regressed in their third campaign under Gannon, playing worse than in their first season in 2023, when the team showed plenty of fight before making sizable improvements in Year 2.
The Cardinals’ roster looks more appealing than in Year 1, when the team only won four games. But that credit should go to GM Monti Ossenfort, who’s had to watch Gannon operate one of the worst defenses in the NFL despite signing edge rusher Josh Sweat and using a first-round pick on defensive tackle Walter Nolen III—who in fairness only played six games this season.
Gannon, whose background is on the defensive side, has been forced to trot out a short-handed roster with most of his best players unavailable due to injury. Still, that’s not enough to excuse all the recent blowouts, as this team seems destined to end the season on a 10-game losing streak with only three wins in 2025. Maybe they’ll catch a break if the Rams decide to rest their starters in the regular-season finale. Still, a team filled with backups is capable of beating a squad that’s obviously not giving its all for Gannon to end the season.
On Sunday, Arizona lost 37–14 to Cincinnati. This same team lost 40–20 to the Texans in Week 15 and 45–17 to the Rams the week before that. The Cardinals have allowed at least 26 points in seven of their past eight games.
And even if the injuries are enough to excuse the blowout losses, take a look at what Gannon’s offense has done at full strength. Kyler Murray could find himself on another team next year because of how much he regressed under Gannon’s watch the past three seasons. Also, wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. hasn’t come close to meeting the high expectations that were placed on him as the 2024 No. 4 pick.
I guess Gannon should take pride in Trey McBride’s dominant season, but maybe a different coach can help the star tight end not be a one-man team on most Sundays. The Cardinals need serious changes to start building something worth saving.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
- Albert Breer: Brock Purdy Explains How This Season’s 49ers Team Is Different
- Rams vs. Falcons: Three Bold Predictions for ‘Monday Night Football’ in Week 17
- Sources: Marcus Freeman Spurns NFL Interest to Remain at Notre Dame
- Behind-the-Scenes Video Shows Moment Patriots Realized They Won AFC East
- NFL Analysts Agree With Bills' Controversial Two-Point Strategy Even Though It Failed
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Concerns Remain Despite Bills’ Late Rally vs. Eagles.
