The NFL Roundup 2017: Week 17 - What We Learned

Written by John Edward Betancourt

(Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)

​Well ladies and gentlemen, just like that, the NFL Regular Season has come to a close, and regardless of whether or your team ended their year with a bang or a whimper, I think we can all agree that this past year was one hell of a ride, and in keeping with tradition for this season, Week 17 was filled to the brim with incredible surprises and fascinating storylines that taught us something important about our favorite teams. So, with that in mind, let’s dig right in and discuss what we learned from the final week of the 2017 NFL season.
 
The Cleveland Browns made history, for all the wrong reasons.
Well, it finally happened. Another team in the NFL managed to go 0-16 in the regular season and wouldn’t you know it, that team just so happened to be the Cleveland Browns. However, while one would have expected this squad to have been blown out by the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, the Browns did make a game of it. But a loss is a loss, and the Browns now join the 2008 Detroit Lions as the only other team to accomplish this historic and unfortunate accomplishment and while I think we all knew this was inevitable, the biggest surprise to come out of this disastrous season, is that Hue Jackson is safe after all as Head Coach. So, if there’s any silver lining to come out of this mess, it’s that it can’t get much worse for this team in 2018.
 
The Denver Broncos started their offseason makeover early.
Throughout his tenure as General Manager/President of Football Operations for the Denver Broncos, John Elway has made two things inherently clear: he expects the Broncos to be competitive every single year, and he is not afraid to make sweeping changes to ensure that happens, and for proof, look no further than what happened at Dove Valley on Monday, since the Broncos said goodbye to six assistant coaches. Granted, while some fans would have preferred that number to be seven, with Vance Joseph’s name included in the mix, it’s clear that Elway wants to give Vance every chance to succeed, and a new set of offensive coaches, and in turn a new unified vision, may help him do just that. Either way, Monday’s coaching purge is likely just the beginning of a massive offseason makeover for the Denver Broncos that will likely include the roster, next.
 
The Buffalo Bills are back in the playoffs, thanks to quite an assist.
The last time the Buffalo Bills enjoyed a playoff berth, dial up internet was still a thing and there were no smartphones around to deliver sports fans instant updates on scores and stats. But alas, that dark stretch for the Bills came to an end on Sunday as they locked up their first playoff berth in eighteen years by way a solid win over the Dolphins, and with an assist from the Cincinnati Bengals. Yes, that’s right, Cincy’s big win over Baltimore is what propelled Buffalo into the tournament, courtesy of playoff math and well, this is one of those strange twists of fate that I’m okay with. Buffalo really isn’t that bad of a team this year and now they have the opportunity to prove to everyone they belong in the postseason with a strong showing this weekend.
 
Head Coach Bruce Arians is calling it a career.
You know, I truly respect it when anyone in the NFL makes the decision to retire from the league on their own. Because this is a sport that is hard to walk away from since it gets into your blood, and we’ve seen far too many players and coaches refuse to leave the game when their skills or football acumen have declined and thankfully that unfortunate moment for Bruce Arians will never come to pass. Because yesterday, Bruce announced his retirement from the NFL and despite the fact that he’s going out on his own terms, this is still quite the loss for the league and the Arizona Cardinals. Simply because Coach Arians was that rare breed of coach; the kind that brought out the absolute best in his players time and time again and whomever takes the reins in Arizona, has some big shoes to fill. Either way, I wish Bruce Arians nothing but continued success in whatever awaits him in the next chapter of his life.
 
Black Monday was surprisingly kind to NFL Head Coaches this year.
Sometimes, Black Monday is a wholesale blood bath, with Head Coaches being shown the door left and right, and you’ll often find a surprise firing or two mixed in there as well. But, this year, outside of assistant coaches, this unofficial and ugly holiday in the NFL was quite gentle to head coaches around the league. This year only five vacancies were created on Sunday and Monday and each and every single one of them made sense. However, despite the fact that decisions were made for the good of a particular franchise, you still hate to see coaches be dismissed since they have families and bills like the rest of us. So, here’s to hoping these men find continued work in the NFL at some level and that future Black Mondays, are as equally as kind as this one.  

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