The NFL Roundup 2017: Week 16 - What We Learned

Written by John Edward Betancourt

(Chris Szagola/Associated Press)

​Sometimes, the NFL season comes to an early conclusion in Week 16 when all twelve playoffs spots are clenched and slotted, leaving only pride on the agenda for the final week. But this is simply not the case when it comes to 2017. Sure, a fair chunk of the playoff spots were claimed this past weekend, but a handful still remain, and some Divisions are still up grabs, because Week 16 was full of surprises and fascinating stories yet again, and here is what we learned from this weekend’s slate of games.
 
The Eagles are dedicated to winning.
Sometimes a win appears to come easy in the NFL, but most do not, and that’s a lesson that Philadelphia learned against Oakland on Monday Night. But, the finest teams don’t care how the win comes about, as long as they get it and despite the fact that the Eagles were sloppy for a better part of the night in every single phase of the game, they didn’t let the game escape them, nor did they lose sight of the prize and they pulled it together when necessary because they are dedicated to winning, and their reward for their dedication? Home field advantage throughout the playoffs, and the knowledge that they can achieve anything when they put their minds to it…
 
The Rams are NFC West Champions once again.
It’s been ages since anyone has referred to the Los Angeles Rams as Division Champions but at long last, they are just that, but it sure didn’t come easy. The Titans put up one hell of a fight as they tried valiantly to lock up their own playoff spot this week. But the Rams have seen adversity all season long, and they have lost from to time and the feeling that comes with that apparently motivated them to seal the deal and bask in the wonder of their first Division Title since 2003. So really, cheers to the Rams. They’ve gone from laughing stock to contender and while the mantra in the NFL is to enjoy it quickly and move on, I hope the team basks in this wonderful honor for just a moment longer because it is quite the accomplishment considering where they were a year ago.
 
The Denver Broncos quarterbacking woes continue.
For a brief moment in the Mile High City, there was hope. Hope that Brock Osweiler had finally figured it all out and would bring some consistency to the quarterback position after his performance against the Colts, and well…as it turns out, his stellar play was nothing more than a fluke after all. Once again, the Broncos offense was ineffective and inept on Sunday and at this point, who knows where the franchise goes from here. It does look like Paxton Lynch will start in Denver’s season finale against the Chiefs, but considering his inexperience, we are likely in for more of the same when it comes to the QB position, and that’s unfortunate to say the least. But on the bright side, it looks like Broncos Country (and football fans everywhere for that matter) will only have to put up with another week of abysmal QB play, because once the offseason hits you know John Elway is going to make some serious and sweeping changes at that position.
 
The San Francisco 49ers have found their long-term answer at quarterback.
It’s truly been a tale of two seasons for the San Francisco 49ers. Because earlier this year it seemed as though they would be battling it out with the Browns for the number one overall pick in the draft, but what a difference a decent quarterback makes, because everything changed once they traded for Jimmy Garoppolo, especially when one considers that he is now 4-0 as the starter in San Francisco and once again, he impressed everyone on Sunday by beating the vaunted Jacksonville Jaguars defense and well, it really seems like the sky is the limit for Jimmy and while San Fran’s season is coming to an end, it’s clear that Jimmy G is the answer at this position and I have no doubt that getting him locked into a long-term and lucrative deal will be the top priority for the Niners once the postseason hits.
 
The Cleveland Browns are that much closer to an 0-16 season.
Every team out there will have its down years, some will have several, but if there’s one constant that I see from even the worst teams out there, is that they at least try to fight the fight good and try to win as the losses mount up. But that’s simply not the case with the 2017 Cleveland Browns. They have no fight, no desire, and they continue to make stupid mistake after stupid mistake and well, thanks to their lack of effort and focus, they once again lost in embarrassing fashion on Sunday to the Bears and more and more, it’s looking like the Cleveland Browns will be the second team in NFL History to go 0-16.    

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