NFL Week 17 was one for the books, 7 Things We Learned in NFL Week with some of the most exciting games of the season taking place. Quarterbacks were at the center of all the action, as they have been all year. 7 Things We Learned in NFL Week
From veteran signal-callers like Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, to emerging stars like Lamar Jackson and Deshaun Watson, it’s clear that quarterbacks continue to tell the tale in the NFL.
7 Things We Learned in NFL Week
In this blog post, we’ll take a look at 16 things we learned in Week 17 about these talented quarterbacks.
1) The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are for real
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been one of the most surprising teams in the NFL this season.
After a slow start to the year, the Bucs have surged to the top of the NFC South and clinched a playoff berth with their impressive Week 17 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
Quarterback Tom Brady has been the catalyst for this dramatic turnaround.
He has thrown for 4,633 yards and 40 touchdowns, both career highs, and led the Bucs to their first division title since 2007.
The Tampa Bay defense has also been instrumental in their success, allowing just 19.3 points per game, good for fourth-best in the league.
With an elite quarterback, a stout defense, and a promising young coach in Bruce Arians, the Buccaneers appear to be a team on the rise and ready to make some noise in the playoffs.
2) The Seattle Seahawks are still the team to beat in the NFC
The Seattle Seahawks, led by perennial MVP candidate Russell Wilson, are still the team to beat in the NFC.
The Hawks have been to three straight Super Bowls, including winning back-to-back championships in 2013 and 2014.
They have also gone to the playoffs in five of the last six seasons, with their only miss coming in 2016.
The Seahawks are still considered to be one of the most complete teams in the NFL, as they have a strong offense led by Wilson, and a defense that can still bring the heat despite missing some key players in recent years.
Seattle also boasts a deep receiving core, with Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf leading the way.
With a strong running game to help keep defenses honest and a ferocious pass rush, the Seahawks are the clear favorites to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
3) The San Francisco 49ers are not going away
The San Francisco 49ers have been one of the most successful teams in the NFL this season and they showed no signs of slowing down in Week 17.
The 49ers put on a dominant performance against the Seattle Seahawks, winning 26-21 and clinching the NFC West title.
The 49ers have been led all season by quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who has put together a career year in 2020. In Week 17, Garoppolo threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns in the win over Seattle.
He also connected with wide receiver Kendrick Bourne for two fourth quarter touchdowns to help seal the victory.
Shake Effect
The 49ers defense has also been a force this season, ranking second in the NFL in total defense and first in sacks. In Week 17, the defense held Russell Wilson and the Seattle offense to just 21 points.
The 49ers defense also forced two turnovers in the win, which helped to secure the victory.
With their win over the Seahawks, the 49ers have now clinched their third straight NFC West title and are headed to the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
The 49ers have become a perennial playoff contender and there’s no reason to think that will change anytime soon.
4) The Green Bay Packers are the best team in the NFC North
The Packers are one of the most successful teams in NFL history, and their success is continuing this season.
Led by MVP candidate Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay has posted a 13-3 record and clinched the top seed in the NFC playoffs.
Offensively, the Packers have been unstoppable, ranking first in points scored and fifth in total offense.
Rodgers has been at the helm of it all, throwing for 4,299 yards, 48 touchdowns and only 5 interceptions while completing 70.7 percent of his passes.
He has plenty of weapons to work with, including All-Pro wide receiver Davante Adams and tight end Robert Tonyan..
Defensively, the Packers have also been impressive.
They rank fourth in points allowed per game and ninth in total defense. They’ve been especially strong against the pass, ranking third in passing yards allowed and second in interceptions.
Jaire Alexander has emerged as an All-Pro cornerback, while Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith have been terrific at getting to the quarterback..
The Packers have all the pieces to make a deep run in the playoffs this season, and they are undoubtedly the best team in the NFC North.
5) The Minnesota Vikings are still a force to be reckoned with
Coming into Week 17 of the NFL season, the Minnesota Vikings had a lot to prove.
After starting the season strong with a 7-3 record, the team had lost three of their last four games and were at risk of missing out on the playoffs.
Despite their recent struggles, the Vikings showed up to play in Week 17 and defeated the Chicago Bears, ensuring they would be one of the twelve teams playing postseason football.
The Vikings were able to win this game thanks to the play of quarterback Kirk Cousins, who completed 25 of 37 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns.
He also managed to avoid throwing any interceptions and provided the team with enough offensive firepower to get the job done.
Wide receiver Adam Thielen was his favorite target, hauling in nine receptions for 95 yards.
The defense also played a key role in the victory, allowing only 248 total yards and forcing two turnovers.
Linebacker Eric Kendricks led the charge with seven tackles, a forced fumble, and an interception.
The Minnesota Vikings have proven that they are still a force to be reckoned with in the NFC and will look to make a deep run in the playoffs.
With a defense that has been playing well lately, and an offense that can put up points in bunches, the Vikings have all the pieces in place to make some noise in January.
6) The New Orleans Saints are the class of the NFC South
The New Orleans Saints had an impressive season and finished as the division champion of the NFC South with a 13-3 record.
Quarterback Drew Brees led the way with 4,338 yards passing, 32 touchdowns and five interceptions.
Running back Alvin Kamara had 1,330 total yards and 16 touchdowns while wide receiver Michael Thomas added 1,725 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
The Saints defense was equally impressive, finishing with the second-best points allowed total in the NFL at just 18.9 per game.
Cameron Jordan and Marcus Davenport combined for 15.5 sacks, Marshon Lattimore was named to his second Pro Bowl, and Demario Davis led the way with 121 tackles.
With their strong offense and dominant defense, the Saints are the team to beat in the NFC South.
They have a deep roster that can compete for a championship and Brees’ leadership has been instrumental in their success.
They look like a team that will be tough to beat down the stretch and should be a top contender in the NFC come playoff time.
7) The Dallas Cowboys are falling apart
The Dallas Cowboys have long been considered one of the elite teams in the NFL, but this season has been a different story. The team that was once thought to be a lock for the playoffs is now in danger of missing out entirely.
The Cowboys are currently 6-9 and with just one game left to play, they need to win against the Washington Redskins and hope for some other outcomes to go their way in order to make the playoffs.
Even if they do manage to make it in, there’s no guarantee that they will be able to advance very far.
The issues with the Cowboys have largely been due to a lack of offensive firepower.
Quarterback Dak Prescott has not been able to consistently move the ball downfield, while the defense has been hampered by poor performances from veterans like Sean Lee and Byron Jones.
The team has also suffered from costly injuries to star running back Ezekiel Elliott and receiver Amari Cooper.
The Cowboys have failed to live up to expectations this season, and it doesn’t look like things will get any better in 2020.
It will be interesting to see what changes the team makes in the offseason in order to try and get back into contention.
For now, though, it looks like the Cowboys are falling apart.
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