We are down to the last week of the regular season. There were plenty of chaotic moments and moments of realization in week 17. We have witnessed stars turning in legend-cementing moments and teams demonstrating the championship stamina needed for December football. That includes one team and one quarterback in their infancy that showed off a championship effort in a loss that made us beg for more to see in the coming seasons. Here are those takeaways from this past slate of NFL games.
Joe Burrow is the Best PLAYER in the NFL
There is no dispute against Joe Burrow being the best player in the NFL this season. Having to work with a lousy defense through one of the NFL's most demanding schedules, Joe Burrow has put up spectacular statistics with 42 touchdown passes, 4,641 passing yards, and only eight interceptions through 16 games. The only other quarterbacks in NFL history to throw that many touchdowns and passing yards with a single-digit number of interceptions in a season were Aaron Rodgers in 2011 and Tom Brady in 2007. He just passed for at least 250 yards and three touchdowns for the eighth straight game, the most in NFL history.
He passed for exactly 412 yards and three touchdowns against the Denver Broncos, one of the NFL's most elite defenses. The NFL's leaders in sacks and pressures sacked Joe Burrow seven times last Saturday without having to blitz. Despite Cincinnati's offensive line being unable to hold off Denver's front four, Burrow could still find his receivers through tight windows under pressure. Thanks to his pocket awareness and quick releases, the Bengals' offense recorded 34 first downs, 23 of which came off pass plays. Joe Burrow also accounted for 437 of the Bengals' 499 yards of total offense against the Broncos. On 49 pass attempts, Joe Burrow completed 39 and threw the football on an average of 8.4 yards per pass.
The performance would be topped off by the last drive in overtime when Joe Burrow made one of the most challenging throws ever. It was second and 10 with a minute and 14 minutes left; Joe Burrow launched one 31 yards down the left sidelines to Tee Higgins, with cornerback Riley Moss having decent coverage on him and a safety over the top. The pass was still completed to Higgins, downing him at the three-yard line, practically throwing him open for the sideline catch. The pass was similar to Eli Manning's 38-yard pass completion to Mario Manningham down the sidelines in Super Bowl 46 against the Patriots. For Joe Burrow to deliver performances like this against some of the NFL's best teams and best defenses with a Bengals squad that would be lucky to get four wins without him makes him well deserving of the Most Valuable Player award more than any other player this season.
Jayden Daniels is a Legend in the Making
Another young gunslinger on the cusp of greatness is Washington Commanders' rookie sensation, Jayden Daniels. Already having a rookie season to be remembered, it was at the point when the Commanders at 9-5 after a tight win over a lost Saints team and had yet to clinch a playoff spot came the sense of endangerment for them. Their next opponent was the 12-2 Philadelphia Eagles, the hottest team in the NFL. Jayden Daniels threw five touchdowns, including the last-second game-winner against the number-one total defense in the league. A two-game streak in which he threw at least three touchdowns, completed 60 percent of his passes, and rushed for 80-plus yards against two playoff-eligible opponents in December solidified his readiness to pursue greatness.
In his performance against the 8-7 Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football, he and the Commanders had to overcome a 17-7 deficit coming out of halftime. That point of the game was when Jayden Daniels rose to the challenge with the kind of composure unusual for rookies but common for all-time greats like Mahomes, Brady, Montana, Elway, and Staubach. He showed off his combination of throwing talents and uncanny mobility to regain momentum for the Commanders. He became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to throw three touchdowns and rush for at least 125 yards in a game and just the fourth quarterback ever to do so. His game-winning touchdown pass to tight end Zach Ertz in overtime was his twelfth touchdown pass in the fourth quarter and overtime this year.
This is the second consecutive game in which Jayden Daniels helped the Commanders overcome a double-digit point deficit. This is the sixth time this year that Jayden Daniels conducted a game-sealing or a game-tying drive. For Hall of Fame head coach Tony Dungy from NBC to compare him to Joe Montana after the game in terms of his poise and coolness during crunch time is something. His play and confidence have ignited belief in the city of D.C. and its football team that they can win regardless of the circumstances. Teams unable to faze this rookie reveal how dangerous he has already become and could continue to strike fear into the hearts of opposing defenses for more seasons of the Jayden Daniels Show to continue.
Michael Penix Jr. is a Keeper for the Falcons
Jayden Daniels' draft classmate, Michael Penix Jr., is about five years ahead on what he needs to know to succeed in the NFL. He has already perfected going through his progressions, reading coverages, and being patient in the pocket. It was apparent in his performance against the Commanders on Sunday Night Football. He wasn't so anxious about impressing the viewers; he just stuck to the game plan and played his game.
On the third play of the game's first drive, Penix stood in a clean pocket and looked three ways before settling down for the check down to running back Bijan Robinson. He didn't crave the big play, as he settled for the comebacks and the out routes to the sidelines. The interception he threw that night was going to Chris Blair on a corner post to the left, but he had too much anticipation of him being there and threw it too early. Having too much anticipation on his throws might be his only issue, which explains why he was inaccurate on some throws he had that night. Including one pass to Drake London in the endzone on a crossing route where he missed him by a mile.
The poise Michael Penix Jr. showed on the game-tying drive was impressive. He went six-for-nine on that drive and threw the game-tying TD strike to tight end Kyle Pitts when a botched snap was made three plays ago. For him to seize the moment with the game and their season on the line without panic reveals a championship heart that Michael Penix Jr. possesses. He was a winner in college and showed in just two games that he can be a winner in the pros. His calmness and intelligence give off visions of this Falcons offense becoming a force to reckon with in the near future and beyond.
The Rams Are Dangerous in an Unpredictable Way
The Los Angeles Rams are on a five-game win streak and are now champions of the NFC West. With the seventh 10-win season under Sean McVay, the Rams are heading into the postseason as a dark horse contender. The way they have been winning their games this season has been nothing short of unpredictable. You don't know how they are going to beat you or how they are going to play you. They come into the game without a plan and play football best.
They upset the Bills by running up the scoreboard in week 14 with 44 points to their 42 points, nearly came back from behind, and upset the Lions riding on Matthew Stafford's arm in week one. It wasn't until week 15 that the Rams began to win games with their defense. Their division-clinching win over the Arizona Cardinals was the third consecutive game in which their defense permitted less than 10 points, less than 20 first downs, and caused at least one turnover.
Their offense has failed to reach 20 points or more in their last three games. Still, their two sophomore standouts, Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams, have been making crucial plays for them. Williams scored the Rams' only touchdown against the Cardinals, while Nacua racked up 129 receiving yards on 10 catches. The defense sacked Kyler Murray four times and came away with four tackles in the backfield. Cornerbacks Ahkello Witherspoon and Kamren Kinchens each picked off Kyler Murray during the Cardinals' last two chances to win the game with a needed touchdown. Their 13-9 win over the Cardinals shows their winning attitude to be simple. No matter how they do it, they will get the job done in any way needed.
The Road to the Super Bowl goes through Kansas City
The Chiefs are demonstrating the championship stamina needed for January football, which champions from the past have perfected. Throughout the season, the Chiefs have been ridiculed for being the most fraudulent one-loss team in NFL history. It was due to barely defeating inferior opponents like the Raiders, Saints, and Panthers by last-minute scores. They have also won most of their games in some of the luckiest scenarios, like a blocked field goal against the Broncos, a botched snap against the Raiders, and a few missed or bad calls. Claiming that referees have been saving games for them. Their only loss of the season was to the Buffalo Bills, 30-21. The loss had skeptics doubting their capability of defending their championship title again.
Since their last-minute win over the Chargers on Sunday Night Football in week 14, they have closed out the rest of their games with superb defensive play and solid ball possession management. They have mixed up the run and pass better than earlier in the season. Their offense has been working the football down the field steadily and methodically for the past four games. Their defense has also held some of the best passing offenses in the league in check. The Chargers, Browns, Texans, and Steelers were all held under 20 points and forced two or more turnovers off three of those last four opponents.
Their 29-10 Christmas win over the Pittsburgh Steelers was convincing enough to show the rest of the league that the Chiefs aren't ready to relinquish their throne yet. In their most convincing fashion, they have defeated one of four playoff teams this season. This is their most significant margin victory this season, with 389 yards of total offense, two takeaways, five sacks, and six tackles for losses from the defense. Patrick Mahomes had his best game of the season against a T.J. Watt-led defense, throwing for 320 yards, three touchdowns, and a 127.1 passer rating. Eight different Chiefs players caught a pass from Mahomes. Each Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy caught eight passes and a touchdown while combining for 163 receiving yards and 20.4 yards per catch against the NFL's seventh-best defense against the pass. Kansas City's defense held Pittsburgh's 14th-ranked scoring offense to 10 points.
This win clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and the most wins in a regular season in their franchise's history. The Chiefs demonstrated that the NFL season is a marathon, not a sprint. They waited until the most critical point of a football season to play their best ball. Whether it's the Bills, Ravens, or Chargers being the most likely teams to knock off the Chiefs, they should know that whatever happened during the regular season doesn't matter in the postseason. September through August performances are disintegrated by the ones between November and February.
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