Week 17 Top Plays: Vikings-Packers, Cardinals-Cowboys, more
The NFL's regular season entered its second-to-last weekend, and the jockeying for playoff position grew all the more intense.
It all added up to a post-holiday feast of marquee games for football fans across the country in Week 17.
The early window featured a riveting showdown between the Los Angeles Rams and Baltimore Ravens on FOX that was capped by a game-winning TD from Odell Beckham Jr.
In America's Game of the Week, the Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys met up in a potential NFC playoff preview that saw the Cardinals snap a three-game losing streak. And in the nightcap, the Green Bay Packers locked up the No. 1 seed in the NFC with a decisive win against the Minnesota Vikings, who were eliminated from playoff contention.
Here are the top plays from Sunday's games.
Green Bay Packers 37, Minnesota Vikings 10
Crosby = points
In a low-scoring first half, Packers kicker Mason Crosby was the sole player getting points on the board to start out.
No. 446
Aaron Rodgers found Allen Lazard in the end zone on a 20-yard throw to put the Pack up 13-0. It was Rodgers' 446th career TD.
Hello, old friend
Rodgers found his No. 1 guy Davante Adams for a stellar connection to give Green Bay a 20-point lead.
On the board
Vikings kicker Greg Joseph got MIN on the board as the first half ended, nailing a 51-yard field goal in freezing temps. He also nabbed the record for longest January FG at Lambeau Field.
The more the merrier
Rodgers & Co. kept running right over the Vikings' defense in the third quarter, with AJ Dillon joining in with a four-yard rushing TD.
Dillon added another in the final frame to pile on a few more points, too.
A first to close the third
Minnesota found the end zone as the clock hit zeroes on the third quarter, with Sean Mannion firing a 14-yard strike to KJ Osborn.
It was the first touchdown pass in the career of the 27-year-old Mannion, who joined the league in 2015 and found himself filling in for Kirk Cousins on Sunday.
Arizona Cardinals 25, Dallas Cowboys 22
A little trickery
The Cards owned the first quarter with an ardent flair. They pulled off this fake punt to fool Dallas, conjuring up old memories of David Tyree's helmet catch.
K1
The team capitalized on the conversion with another fourth down conversion … This time for a TD.
Rocket man
Murray continued to take deep shots in the second half. He opened by dropping a floater into Christian Kirk's bread basket …
… And closed with another rainbow over the top to Antoine Wesley.
Finding rhythm
Dallas was able to break its drought in the fourth's early stages, as Dak Prescott targeted Cedrick Wilson for a crucial TD.
Catching up
Prescott found Amari Cooper to put the Cowboys within three points after successfully converting a two-point play.
But without any timeouts remaining and the Cardinals maintaining possession as the 2-minute warning struck, the Cowboys weren't able to complete the comeback.
Houston Texans 7, San Francisco 49ers 23
Cheffin' it up
Brandin Cooks is having a whale of a season. He scored the game's first TD late in the second.
Trey time
Trey Lance earned himself a passing TD in the start, finding Elijah Mitchell for a special score to put San Fran up 10-7.
Loose cannon
Lance showed off his arm strength to give the Niners a 17-7 lead, finding Deebo Samuel for six.
Carolina Panthers 10, New Orleans Saints 18
Stiffed!
Chuba Hubbard dished out an emphatic stiff arm to displace his defender en route to the game's first TD.
Mr. Versatile
Alvin Kamara crossed the pylon in the fourth to help NO take an 18-10 lead.
Denver Broncos 13, Los Angeles Chargers 34
Shot in the dark
The Chargers have a potent offense that can erupt quickly. Austin Ekeler struck first for L.A., giving it an early lead in the first.
Justin Time
Justin Herbert, folks.
Electric Boogaloo
Andre Roberts boogied on down to the end zone with this game-breaking 101-yard TD return.
Herbert sets the record
The Chargers' QB became the franchise's single-season TD pass leader with 35.
One for the road
Drew Lock connected with TE Noah Fant for one final TD on the day.
Detroit Lions 29, Seattle Seahawks 51
Penny for your thoughts
Just in case you were wondering: Rashaad Penny is still an every-play TD threat.
Drop it in!
Russell Wilson hooked up with DK Metcalf on this floater to put the team up 24-7.
Two for two
Penny's got another one for the Hawks.
Lion-hearted
Amon-Ra St. Brown went on the spin cycle for Detroit's first score of the day.
Pouring it on
Tyler Lockett got in on the scoring effort as Seattle continued to pull away in the first.
More of the same
Seattle kept its momentum going in the third quarter, prompted by another Wilson TD.
Feed. The. Beast.
Make it a three-TD day for Metcalf:
Los Angeles Rams 20, Baltimore Ravens 19
Picked for six!
The interception bug has bit Matthew Stafford again. Backed up in their own territory, the Rams gave up a crucial turnover, as Chuck Clark stepped in front of his attempt, and took it back for six.
Fly high
Clark stifled Stafford again in the second quarter, soaring to steal another pass away on a deep shot.
Full speed ahead
It's been a day of INTs in this one. This time though, the Rams got one of their own, courtesy of Jordan Fuller.
You know who
Stafford got back on the right track to close the second half, and he did so by finding one of his favorite targets.
Ram tough
Sony Michel kept the Rams in it with a fourth-quarter TD.
OBJ!
Odell Beckham Jr. has found new life with L.A., and he likely just made two of his biggest grabs of the year. First, this catch-and-stretch to convert a pivotal fourth down, and second … the defensive score.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28, New York Jets 24
Around the edge!
Welcome to backyard football, starring the New York football Jets. Their star athlete on their first drive: Braxton Berrios.
Old reliable
Brady to Evans. It's nearly guaranteed to result in success.
Same place, different play
Berrios likes that outside area of the field. He also likes scoring TDs. This wondrous grab marked his second score of the day.
Antonio Brown leaves game
With the Jets in control, frustrations boiled over on the sidelines for Brown, who took off his jersey and left the field.
Back in it
Despite the controversy, Brady found a way to get into the end zone, converting on a fourth down try to bring TB within a score, 24-17.
Brady-mania
Tom Brady with a game-winning fourth quarter attempt = money. He found Cyril Grayson Jr. down the sideline with 23 seconds left to seal a 28-24 win. He finished with 410 yards on a 34/50 clip, and three TDs.
Cincinnati Bengals 34, Kansas City Chiefs 31
The Mahomie
Patrick Mahomes II is everyone's friend, and he's a very giving one at that. He gifted Demarcus Robinson with a special TD opportunity in the first quarter for KC.
Look away!
Hey look, another Mahomes no-looker.
The play keyed another Chiefs scoring drive, that was capped by this rocket TD throw to Travis Kelce.
Chase me if you can!
The Bengals have their share of big-play receivers as well. Ja'Marr Chase made a house call to keep his team in contention, speeding 72 yards to pay dirt for Cincy's first score.
Feast your eyes
This throw from Mahomes was the stuff of pure magic.
It led to this smooth rumble for six from Darrel Williams.
Chasing greatness
Ja'Marr Chase … Have yourself a day.
Home cooking'
Burrow and the Bengals took the lead on Burrow's fourth TD of the game.
Statement win
After KC added a field goal of its own to tie things at 31, Burrow led Cincy 74 yards in 15 plays in a commendable six-minute effort.
Evan McPherson split the uprights on a 20-yarder to seal the Bengals' 34-31 win. It helped the team clinch the AFC North division.
Philadelphia Eagles 20, Washington Football Team 16
Young buck
In a game with little playoff implications, both squads got early contributions from lesser-known competitors. Washington's Jaret Patterson aided his team's effort early in the first, scoring his second TD of the season.
Our turn now
The Eagles got the wheels turning in the ground game. On a fourth-down play in the red zone, they opted to try for six, and converted.
Big play Hurts
Jalen Hurts has done this numerous times this season. He scrambled to make something out of nothing, before rifling a missile into the red zone.
Scott punched in the culminating TD.
Chicago Bears 29, New York Giants 3
Makin' waves
The Bears' defense made an impact early, forcing a strip-sack on the game's first play, before David Montgomery pounded one in on its second.
Da Bears
Chicago's defense was the star in the first half. It came away with another stellar takeaway, this time via INT by Tashaun Gipson.
Let's go for it
Welcome into the field, Bears offense! On a red zone try, Andy Dalton found Darnell Mooney in the back of the end zone to put CHI up 14-0.
For the books
Robert Quinn's been taking down QBs for years now, and he just set the Bears' single-season record for sacks.
Las Vegas Raiders 23, Indianapolis Colts 20
How bad do you want it?
In a game with crucial playoff implications for both teams, the urgency for each was very apparent early on. The Raiders struck first in Indy, courtesy of a Josh Jacobs romp.
Hey JT
It was probably safe to assume that Jonathan Taylor would find the end zone somehow.
Thank you, T.Y.
This wasn't exactly how the Colts drew it up, but hey, they'll take it nonetheless.
Hunting season
The Raider had an answer for the TD. Derek Carr and Hunter Renfrow connected for their go-ahead score, putting them up 20-17.
Game-winner!
Indy tied things up at 20, but Carr kept his fourth quarter heroics alive. Nobody in the league has more game-winning drives than Carr through his career, and Daniel Carlson helped him complete another one as the clock hit double-zeroes.
New England Patriots 50, Jacksonville Jaguars 10
Feed the hot hand
Damien Harris has scored TDs in bunches for NE in the past few weeks. He found the end zone in the first quarter to give the Pats a 7-0 lead.
It's me again!
That Harris fellow just has a nose for the end zone.
Mama I made it!
Welcome to the NFL, Kristian Wilkerson. He scored his first career TD on this play-action pass from Mac Jones.
He added another shortly thereafter.
Mr. INT
Leave it to J.C. to notch a tally in the interception column.
More from Mondre
Rhamondre Stevenson saw Harris' pair of TDs, and raised him two of his own, scoring the team's final TD for its 50th point of the day.
Buffalo Bills 29, Atlanta Falcons 15
Snowmobile!
Josh Allen's legs are so deadly. After a Falcons safety, he gave the Bills six points of their own with a nifty rushing TD.
Two of 'em!
Allen showed of his footwork again to put Buffalo up 14-2.
Tip drill
Atlanta's defense has likely practiced this once or twice.
Coming back
ATL capitalized on the pick with a TD. Mike Davis was the man who scored to bring ATL with two.
Breaking records!
Kyle Pitts passed the 1,000-yard threshold in the third, becoming just the second rookie TD to amass 1,000 yards in a season.
Not so fast
The Falcons took a 15-14 lead on the same drive, but Buffalo charged back into the lead after Devin Singletary snowplowed his way into the end zone.
Tennessee Titans 34, Miami Dolphins 3
Keep 'em honest
Tennessee forced the defense one way, and went in an entirely different direction to get on the board first in this one.
Take off!
D'Onta Foreman. He's gone.
Wide open!
Tennessee rolled through its opponent in this one. Ryan Tannehill added another passing TD to give his team a 24-3 lead.
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The secret formula to beating Ravens, and what else we learned in Week 13
NFL Week 13 Big Bets Recap: $5 on 13-team parlay cashes in for $23k
2024 NFL MVP race, odds: Josh Allen, Saquon Barkley surge; Lamar Jackson falls
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2024 NFL Playoff Picture: Chiefs, Bills clinch berths; wild race in NFC West
49ers' Christian McCaffrey to be placed on IR after suffering PCL injury
Azeez Al-Shaair apologizes for hit on Trevor Lawrence that led to concussion
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Russell Wilson cooks for Steelers. Kirk Cousins on thin ice with Falcons?
What can the Ravens do about kicker Justin Tucker's continued struggles?
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