NFL overreactions Week 17: Bengals' core on last ride together in final week of season

NFL overreactions Week 17: Bengals’ core on last ride together in final week of season

Admin December 30, 2024

Let’s start by thanking Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals for their service the final two Saturdays of the NFL regular season. After this week, the Bengals may not look the same next season.

The Bengals’ hopes to reach the playoffs depends on several factors Week 18:

They must beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday night. Doable, but a challenge, nonetheless.
The Denver Broncos must lose Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, who may rest Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and other starters after clinching the best record in the NFL. Not the best scenario for Cincinnati.
Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets need to beat the Miami Dolphins, who again might have to play without starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. Also, not promising.

USA TODAY Sports’ NFL overreactions after Week 17 begins with the Bengals: They are going to miss the postseason, and a franchise overhaul looms.

Hey, anything can happen in the final week of the regular season — including the Bengals faltering in a year where they’ve mostly faltered, losing seven one-score games despite their two stars playing at unbelievable levels.

Joe Burrow is in the MVP conversation with Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson. He leads the NFL in passing yards and touchdowns. Ja’Marr Chase could win the receiving triple crown leading the NFL in receptions, yards and touchdowns. And let’s not forget the contributions of Tee Higgins, also in a contract year like Chase, while running back Chase Brown has been a revelation.

Zac Taylor may be on his ninth life as Bengals coach after Cincinnati outlasted Bo Nix and the Broncos last Saturday. Taylor opted to go on fourth down twice early in the game, and nearly mismanaged the end of the game before they escaped with a win.

Brown, who could’ve scored but opted to give himself up at the 1, injured his ankle on the play and was unable to finish the game. His injury status could play a major role for Saturday’s game in Pittsburgh.

This same Bengals franchise that reached the Super Bowl in 2021 could have a new look in 2025. Taylor’s job is at stake in the season finale. And while Burrow is already paid, keeping Chase and Higgins could prove costly for Cincinnati. Chase could become the NFL’s new highest paid receiver this offseason if previous negotiations and reports pan out. And Higgins could be in for a franchise tag or trade for big money. He should command more than a $25 million deal based on other top wide receiver salaries.

As much as Burrow, Chase and the Bengals going into Buffalo as the No. 7 seed to face Josh Allen and the No. 2-seed Bills would be a dream matchup for NFL fans, we don’t think it’s going to happen.

Raheem Morris cost Falcons a trip to postseason

Speaking of game mismanagement, Falcons coach Raheem Morris cost his franchise its best chance to win the NFC South and reach the postseason with an overtime loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday Night Football.

Morris should have called the first of his two timeouts remaining in regulation after Michael Penix Jr. found receiver Darnell Mooney on the first play of their final drive of the game. Instead of keeping at least 30 seconds on the clock, the Falcons ran their second play with 17 seconds remaining.

They found themselves at their own 44-yard line for three plays before calling a time out when the play clock expired. Then, they needed to kick a 56-yarder, which they missed, as time expired despite a pass interference call.

We don’t know what would have happened if the Falcons had more time. But after Penix converted two fourth downs to tie the game on the previous drive, the Falcons could have had a more productive drive to end the game – one with a closer field goal attempt – with better time management.

Morris failed his kicker, his quarterback and the franchise with poor decision-making. What’s worse: Even if the Falcons beat the Carolina Panthers next week, they will lose the division and playoff spot if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the New Orleans Saints at home.

The Raiders and Giants will regret late-season wins

Does any team out there want the No. 1 pick? Does Colorado’s Shadeur Sanders and Travis Hunter, or Miami’s Cam Ward tickle anyone’s franchise?

One week after the Las Vegas Raiders played themselves out of the top pick in 2025, the Raiders won again while the New York Giants followed suit with a win over the Indianapolis Colts.

It would be one thing if the Giants or Raiders fell to the No. 2 or No. 3 picks in the draft. But heading into the final week of the season, they’re respectively sitting at No. 4 and No. 8.

Now, the New England Patriots are in the driver’s seat for the No. 1 pick, followed by the Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns and New York Giants. All three teams have 3-13 records heading into the final week with their strength of schedules as the tiebreaker.

The Jaguars, Panthers, Jets, Raiders and Bears are next in line with their 4-12 records, while the Saints round out the Top 10 at 5-11.

Again, anything can happen in the final week of the season. But the Raiders and Giants – who both could use a transformative quarterback to turn their franchises around – will look back on these wins and regret the cost.