Week 17 live: Scores, playoff scenarios, draft order and more
Darren Woodson picks the Titans at home in Week 17, but Tedy Bruschi likes the Colts in a close game with playoff implications. (0:59)
Week 17 is shaping up to be an exciting finale to the regular season, setting the stage for January (and February) football — and April’s draft. Here’s a tick-tock of everything important as it happens on Sunday. Follow along live with us as we keep you up to date all day long.
Go to: Playoff picture | Scoreboard | Standings
All eyes in New Orleans were trained on Teddy Bridgewater, who made his first start since the 2015 playoffs, but another quarterback has stolen the show at the Superdome.
Panthers backup Kyle Allen, starting for the injured Cam Newton and Taylor Heinicke, has run for one touchdown and thrown for two more as the Panthers have taken a 30-0 lead over the Saints.
NFL teams don’t make personnel decisions based on meaningless Week 17 games. Bridgewater will still get interest this offseason. But Allen, an undrafted rookie from Houston, certainly drew some positive attention with throws like this one:
Kyle Allen goes DEEEEP! 🎯
📺: FOX #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/9ZYWM84wDw
As we look ahead to the late afternoon games, there are a couple of important personnel decisions to be aware of.
The Pittsburgh Steelers won’t have receiver Antonio Brown (knee) as they begin an uphill battle to get back into the playoff picture. They will, however, have tailback James Connor (ankle).
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Vikings will be without cornerback Xavier Rhodes (groin) as they try to defeat the Chicago Bears and clinch a playoff spot. The Bears have some injury deactivations as well, including receiver Allen Robinson (ribs), safety Eddie Jackson (ankle) and linebacker Aaron Lynch (elbow) — but they appear set to play the rest of their starters in this game.
The NFL is a copy-cat league, and it appears that a few teams that stole the “Philly Special” from the Eagles don’t want to take their own versions into the offseason with them.
Here is the Falcons’ version, which ended in an 5-yard scoring pass from Mohamed Sanu to Matt Ryan:
The @AtlantaFalcons special.
Sanu to Ryan. TOUCHDOWN.
📺: FOX #InBrotherhood pic.twitter.com/Jlryt8QaAQ
And here is what the Dolphins put together, ending in an 3-yard touchdown from Kenny Stills to Ryan Tannehill:
.@KSTiLLS ➡️ @ryantannehill1 ➡️ TD!
📺 » @NFLonCBS#MIAvsBUF #FinsUp pic.twitter.com/FBrwyngnjq
The Houston Texans have a comfortable 17-3 halftime lead over the Jacksonville Jaguars. If that holds, the Texans will win the AFC South title.
Unless the Patriots collapse and lose to the Jets, the Texans would have to wait until this evening to learn their playoff seeding.
Other than a Patriots loss, here is how the Texans could clinch a first-round bye: Texans win, losses by the Chiefs and Chargers and Texans clinch a tie in strength of victory tiebreaker over the Chiefs. The Texans can’t clinch the No. 1 seed unless the Patriots lose.
Up 17-3 at halftime, the Texans now have a 94% chance to win the AFC South. pic.twitter.com/XlMRxisqqN
Meanwhile, as the early games go to the half, there is some movement in FPI’s projected draft order:
Live order of FPI’s average projected draft position as of about 2 p.m.:
1. Cardinals
2. Jets
3. 49ers
4. Raiders
5. Giants
6. Lions
7. Jaguars
8. Bucs
9. Falcons
10. Bills
A snooze-fest at Lambeau Field turned both serious and entertaining during the second quarter.
On the serious side: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers went to the locker room to be examined for a possible concussion. The decision to play Rodgers in a meaningless game behind a number of backup offensive linemen should be scrutinized.
On the entertaining side: Detroit Lions kicker Matt Prater threw a touchdown pass and kicked an extra point on consecutive plays as the Lions took a 14-0 lead. The Lions snuck tight end Levine Toilolo wide left, and the Packers never saw him as they prepared to defend a 26-yard field goal.
Instead, Prater threw this 8-yard touchdown pass:
.@PatMcAfeeShow calling a kicker TD pass is everything we’ve ever wanted 🙌@MattPrater_5 pic.twitter.com/GEsh58X58u
The New England Patriots have taken a 21-3 lead over the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium. A Patriots win would clinch at least the No. 2 seed in the AFC, which would give them a first-round playoff bye.
To get the No. 1 seed, and thus AFC home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, the Patriots need a win along with losses by both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers. Both teams will kick off later this afternoon; the Chiefs host the Oakland Raiders and the Chargers visit the Denver Broncos.
Up 21-3 at halftime, the Patriots have all but wrapped up a bye. pic.twitter.com/hrofFf8Y36
Week 17 brings us playoff intensity in some stadiums and preseason lethargy in others. And in a few, we see the personification of worst nightmares and greatest dreams.
The good news for New York Giants fans is that rookie quarterback Kyle Lauletta got on the field.
The bad news is that he was lined up at receiver.
Meanwhile, starting quarterback Eli Manning has thrown two horrendous interceptions, including the one below:
Big guy got some big hands 🙌 @AntwaunWoods_ pic.twitter.com/YSrOxahYkE
This graphic won’t be complete until about 11 p.m. ET. But today’s chaos is all based on this structure. Let’s have some fun!
A reminder of where the @NFL playoff picture is BEFORE Week 17 games start. pic.twitter.com/YPPOrzdAUw
Entering today, the most likely Super Bowl scenario is Saints-Chiefs:
Entering today’s action, FPI believes there is a 25% chance the Saints and Chiefs will meet in the Super Bowl, by far the most likely Super Bowl matchup. Next-most likely is Saints-Patriots at 14%.
Some teams will treat today like a playoff game. Others … will not. Check out some of the big names who are inactive today, in some cases because their teams are out of the playoffs and in others because they are already in.
Official:
Ezekiel Elliott: Out
Davante Adams: Out
Alvin Kamara: Out
Drew Brees: Out
Kenny Golladay: Out
Leonard Fournette: Out
Carlos Hyde: In
Cordarelle Patterson: Out
DeSean Jackson: Out
Keke Coutee: Out
D’Onta Foreman: Out
Devin Funchess: Out
Today isn’t just about @NFL playoffs. Most of the 2019 draft order will be determined as well. Here is how ESPN’s Football Power Index projects the top 10: pic.twitter.com/kHN56iZBoM
While most of our attention today will be on the playoff ramifications of each game, it’s worth remembering that the NFL coaching carousel will begin in earnest as early as tonight and certainly by tomorrow. A handful of head coaches could be working their final games with their current franchises. A quick refresher on where it all stands:
It’s firing-and-hiring season, and we’re tracking all the moves.
• Everything to know about openings »
• The hottest NFL coaching candidates »
Two teams have confirmed openings via in-season firings: the Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers. Interim coaches Gregg Williams (Browns) and Joe Philbin (Packers) will get consideration as replacements, but both teams will conduct multiple outside interviews. The Packers already have spoken to former NFL head coaches Jim Caldwell and Chuck Pagano and are expected to request an interview with Northwestern’s Pat Fitzgerald.
The future of New York Jets coach Todd Bowles is very much in doubt, according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. So is that of the Arizona Cardinals‘ Steve Wilks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ Dirk Koetter.
Other coaches to keep an eye on include: the Cincinnati Bengals‘ Marvin Lewis, the Denver Broncos‘ Vance Joseph, the Miami Dolphins‘ Adam Gase and the Washington Redskins‘ Jay Gruden.
According to Schefter, at least one team is planning to contact the Baltimore Ravens about coach John Harbaugh, to determine if Harbaugh could be available via trade. The Ravens said last week that they were entering negotiations with Harbaugh on a contract extension.
Where will the replacements come from? Here is an extensive list of possibilities ESPN compiled last month, headed by New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Yes, multiple NFL teams would jump at the chance to hire him even after he reneged on an agreement last winter to join the Indianapolis Colts.
Rise and shine — it’s Week 17! We explained the full playoff scenarios in this post, but with three hours until the first games of the regular season’s final week kickoff, here’s a quick rundown of today’s important games. Make sure you settle in. Most of the games with playoff impact will be played late this afternoon or tonight.
Early window (1 p.m. ET):
We asked reporters, analysts and former players whom they’d pick to coach their team, with 25 names making the list.
The Heisman Trophy winner might choose baseball over football, but he could be a star in the NFL. Here’s where his skill set fits best.
Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants: The Cowboys have the NFC East locked up, but the Giants will jockey for draft position in a class light on QBs.
Miami Dolphins at Buffalo Bills: Both teams are looking ahead to the draft, and the Dolphins are perhaps taking one last look at Ryan Tannehill before evaluating their quarterback situation in the offseason.
Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers: The Bears are in and the Vikings have a chance to be, but these two NFC North teams will be on the outside looking in over the next month. The Packers have a pair of first-round picks to look forward to in April.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans: The Texans can clinch the AFC South with a win, or a tie between the Colts and Titans. They would secure a first-round bye with a win and a Patriots loss; or a win combined with losses by the Chiefs and Chargers and a tie in the strength-of-victory tiebreaker over the Chiefs. They also have an outside chance at AFC home-field advantage — they would need a win and losses by the Patriots, Chiefs and Chargers. On the other sideline, the Jags still have a chance to better their draft position as they look for the answer at quarterback.
New York Jets at New England Patriots: The Patriots still have a chance at the AFC’s No. 1 overall seed. They would need to win and for the Chiefs and Chargers to lose. Otherwise, they can clinch a first-round bye with a victory or losses by the Ravens, Texans and Titans.
Carolina Panthers at New Orleans Saints: The Saints will showcase Teddy Bridgewater, as they already have home-field advantage for the playoffs. The Panthers, meanwhile, are down to their third-string QB.
Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Neither team will see postseason action, but it will be an evaluation day for Jameis Winston. Will the Bucs commit to the FSU product long term?
Late window (4:25 p.m. ET):
Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens can clinch the AFC North title with a win or a Steelers loss. In that scenario, there is an outside chance they could clinch a first-round bye. To do it, they would need a win, losses by the Patriots and Texans, and then either one of two results: a Colts-Titans outcome that doesn’t end in a tie, or the Ravens clinching a tie in the strength-of-victory tiebreaker over the Texans.
Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins: The Eagles need a victory and a Vikings loss to clinch a playoff spot.
Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs: A victory will give Kansas City the AFC West title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. If the Chiefs lose, they would need losses from the Chargers, Patriots and Texans to remain the No. 1 seed, and losses by the Chargers and either the Patriots or Texans would secure the No. 2 seed for the Chiefs. The Raiders are in the hunt for the top pick in the draft, and it would be the first of three selections for them in the first round in April.
Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings need a win or an Eagles loss (or tie) to clinch a playoff berth. With a win, they would be the No. 5 seed if the Seahawks lose and the No. 6 seed if the Seahawks win. The Bears, who have already clinched the NFC North, have incentive as well. They can clinch a first-round bye with a victory and a Rams loss.
Cincinnati Bengals at Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers win the AFC North title with a victory and a Ravens loss. If the Ravens win, the only way the Steelers can make the playoffs is if they win and the Colts and Titans tie.
Los Angeles Chargers at Denver Broncos: The Chargers can leap to the top of the AFC playoff race with a win and a Chiefs loss. That would give them the AFC West title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Otherwise, they will be the No. 5 seed.
San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams: The Rams will clinch a first-round bye with a win or a Bears loss.
Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks have clinched a playoff berth. They’ll be the No. 5 seed if they win, and the No. 6 seed if they lose and the Vikings win. The Cardinals can clinch the No. 1 overall pick in the draft with a loss.
‘Sunday Night Football’ (8:20 p.m. ET):
Indianapolis Colts at Tennessee Titans: The winner of this game will make the playoffs as a wild card if the Texans win and as the AFC South champion if the Texans lose. The loser is going home. The Titans will have to play without quarterback Marcus Mariota (elbow), according to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. So their playoff hopes ride on the shoulders of backup Blaine Gabbert.
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