The NFL Roundup 2019: Week 17 – What We Learned

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

​Well football fans, we’ve come to the most bittersweet time of the year, the end of the NFL Regular Season. And I call it bittersweet simply because, for some fans, their team’s journey has come to an end and they face an offseason of re-loading or rebuilding to try and compete in the fall while other fans, are rejoicing over the fact that their favorite team is getting their respective shot at the title in the playoffs. But, before we can discuss what comes next for a particular squad, or what a particular team’s chances are in the postseason, we still need to discuss this past week’s slate of games, for plenty of important moments came forth from Sunday’s finale. So, without further ado, let’s dig right in and discuss what we learned from Week 17 in the NFL.
 
The road to the Super Bowl is going through Kansas City in the AFC.
After weeks of back and forth in the AFC, the playoff seeding is finally decided and any AFC team that wants a shot at the Super Bowl, has to travel to Kansas City and that’s a huge deal for the Chiefs. Because home field advantage is always a wonderful thing and they were simply electric at Arrowhead against the Raiders on Sunday with their fans cheering on every last touchdown. But while this is cause for celebration for Chiefs fans, if their defense falters in the postseason, home field advantage will mean nothing when all is said and done. But it really is a different deal when you’re in your own house and I expect KC to deliver at least one electric game when the playoffs come to town.
 
The New Orleans Saints better do their best to keep Drew Brees healthy in the playoffs.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, you have to have a quality backup in the NFL ready to go simply because…anything can happen on any given Sunday and you need a strong #2 to step up and guide the team in the event of a crisis at Quarterback and well, after what I saw from Teddy Bridgewater on Sunday, I’m a touch nervous for the Saints in the postseason. Because if Brees goes down for any reason, their Super Bowl dreams may be in trouble because Teddy, was not good. Yes, he got a late game touchdown, and yes, he completed 63% of his passes. But he only amassed 118 yards over the course of four quarters and threw an INT and really…didn’t command or electrify the offense. So, that O-Line better do whatever it takes to keep Drew Brees upright because the alternative is downright concerning…
 
Baltimore may be the proverbial dark horse in the playoffs.
Every single year, there’s that one team that outright wows us in the playoffs with dynamic play or a stunning upset and this year, there’s a good chance the Baltimore Ravens might be that team. Because they are a tough team on offense and defense and their last-minute stand against the Browns showed the football world, they want a fair shot at the title, and they will play their hearts out to get there, and that should scare the living daylights out of the Chargers. Because Los Angeles had trouble putting away a bad Broncos team, and now, they’ve got to deal with that vaunted defense and the ever-sneaky Lamar Jackson. So, expect this team to go far if they continue to play with a chip on their shoulder.
Black Monday was absolutely brutal this year.
Black Monday, and all the firings that come with it are tradition in their own right in the NFL, as teams make coaching changes in the hopes of becoming more competitive next season, but this year’s firing spree simply felt far more brutal than it has in past years. After all, we saw Arizona add Steve Wilks to the one and done game, and while many of the vacancies made sense this year, Marvin Lewis’ release came as quite the surprise since he’s been a fixture in Cincinnati, as did Atlanta’s decision to clean house coordinator wise since that usually means the Head Coach is going to be on a short leash after that, so Dan Quinn will need to work miracles in the fall. But while this is always an ugly day, and you feel for the guys let go, what’s done is done, and teams have made their decisions to move in a different direction and time will tell if letting these men go was the right call, or a knee jerk reaction.
 
The Denver Broncos have a long road ahead of them.
I remember that when Josh McDaniels was fired in the Mile High City in 2010, the city basically erupted in joy, and with good reason, he is, and remains, the worst coach in Broncos history and while some would like to dispute that with Vance Joseph’s record, never forget that McD cheated, the end. But, I digress, and bring up Josh because Vance’s firing on Monday, was met with far different fanfare. Some fans were ecstatic at his dismissal while others believed he deserved more time and well, in my mind, there was no joy to be found in his termination simply because, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done in order to return Denver to contender status and quite frankly, the coach is merely one cog in that proverbial wheel. The Quarterback situation is still a mess since Case Keenum had quite the disappointing year when one considers what he is getting paid, the wide receiving corps had a lackluster year as well and the offensive line still isn’t fixed. So, while some may think Vance being gone is the cure all, that’s likely not the case and until John Elway gets those key positions stabilized, the next guy to lead this team on the sidelines, is in for one bumpy ride…

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