Friday 18 January 2019 11:56, UK
Neil Reynolds picks six storylines from Week 17 in the NFL, including the Ravens finishing the job, Eagles sneaking in and offenses finding their groove.
It was a night of high drama in the NFL as the final playoff spots were filled ahead of January's knockout party.
Here are six headlines of note as we head into the New Year and begin on the postseason road to the Super Bowl in Atlanta.
The Baltimore Ravens clinched the AFC North with a dramatic and tense 26-24 victory over a plucky Cleveland Browns team that I expect to become major players in 2019.
With rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson evolving as a passer and pretty close to being unstoppable as a runner, the Ravens fully deserved to take their division as winners of six of their last seven.
They finished the job with a defensive stand from the number one unit in the NFL, snuffing out a late Baker Mayfield drive for the winning points with a CJ Mosley interception. It was a fitting end from one of the most physical teams in the league at the moment.
Few will want to play the Ravens in the postseason and even though the Los Angeles Chargers have a better record than Baltimore, I would expect them to start as underdogs when they meet in the first round of the playoffs next weekend.
With Baltimore clinching the AFC North, the Pittsburgh Steelers missed out on the playoffs and were left wondering how such a talented squad could find themselves on the outside looking in.
There will be no pity party for the Steelers. They only have themselves to blame for not making the knockout stages of the season, losing late in the year to very beatable teams in the Denver Broncos and the Oakland Raiders.
Pittsburgh ended up losing four of their final six games and, more worryingly, their season was something of a soap opera all year long. I don't think head coach Mike Tomlin is in trouble (the Steelers are not that reactionary) but there is just too much 'stuff' around these Steelers and they need to play more like a team in 2019 and not like a collection of talented superstars.
The Minnesota Vikings also missed out on the playoffs as they suffered a morale-sapping, depressing 24-10 defeat at home against the Chicago Bears. When you consider that the Vikings knew a win would get them into the postseason, it was a toothless and frustrating showing that leaves many questions heading into the offseason.
There is no question over the future of quarterback Kirk Cousins. We should remember that the Vikings signed him to a fully-guaranteed three-year deal. So Minnesota fans will have to deal with two more years of Cousins. And some of them will feel it is a case of 'dealing with' the hot and cold quarterback.
But I don't hold Cousins to blame for Minnesota's disappointing 8-7-1 season. Sure, he could have played better on the bigger stages but few quarterbacks in the NFL get pressured as much as Cousins. The big offseason fix for the Vikings does not need to come at quarterback - they must improve a leaky offensive line.
Coaches often preach that it's not how you start but how you finish - and that is why the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles have sneaked into the playoffs with a 9-7 record.
The Eagles won five of their last six and proved, once again, they are at their best when their backs are to the wall and the rest of the NFL has written them off.
Whether Nick Foles can take them on another magical run remains to be seen. He suffered bruised ribs in Sunday's shutout win over Washington and next up is a fierce and opportunistic Chicago Bears defence. But, for now, the Eagles will be glad to be in the postseason mix because that seemed unlikely a while back when they were floundering at 4-6.
The Indianapolis Colts booked the final playoff berth in the AFC on Sunday night with a 33-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans. And while they are the sixth seed, I fancy the Colts to make some noise in the playoffs, starting with a road win at Houston on Saturday night.
Andrew Luck is in majestic form at quarterback, he is well protected behind a much-improved offensive line and supported by a group of receivers who are growing in confidence and an in-form running back in Marlon Mack.
But one area of the Colts' roster that doesn't get enough attention is the defence and I think it is one of the better groups in the NFL. Darius Leonard is a stud at linebacker, the secondary makes plays and the front four is big and physical and especially strong against the run.
Add in very good coaching from Frank Reich and the Colts are going to be dangerous in the playoffs and potentially for years to come in the AFC.
The Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams got their prolific offences back on track in Week 17. Just in time for the playoffs.
The Chiefs booked homefield advantage in the AFC playoffs as the No 1 seed with a 35-3 demolition of the Oakland Raiders. The one-sided game was a reminder of just how special first-year starter Patrick Mahomes is at quarterback.
He joined Peyton Manning (2013) as the only other quarterback to throw for more than 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns in a single season. There are concerns over Kansas City's defence but they are going to be fun to watch with the dynamic Mahomes at the helm.
The Rams clinched the No 2 seed in the NFC with a routine 48-32 victory over the San Francisco 49ers. Jared Goff threw four touchdowns and is firmly back on track heading into the playoffs and, most importantly, they were able to rest Todd Gurley for a couple of weeks with CJ Anderson subbing impressively.
There was a general feeling that the Rams had gone off the boil in recent weeks but they are very capable of winning it all and will be a genuine factor in the race to the Super Bowl. They are back and more than good enough to become Super Bowl champions.
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