Ron Rivera leads Washington to a division title, while Eagles and Pederson ‘sideline’ Jalen Hurts

by

The final day of the 2020-21 NFL season left us with numerous conclusions, some good and others not so much, about what awaits us in the playoffs and the next tournament for the unclassified teams.

From the inexplicable decisions of Eagles coach Doug Pederson to the elimination of “Team America,” the Cowboys and other topics, we’ve put together the best and worst of Week 17.

1. Josh Allen became the quarterback with the most passing yards in a season in Bills history. No one currently plays better than Buffalo in the entire NFL. Not even the Chiefs. #nflxespn

2. Aside from the balance being positive, it was a disappointing performance for Miami in a defining game. He wouldn’t pick another QB in the first round of the draft. Yes, it would surround him with more ‘playmakers’, and if Tagovailoa doesn’t perform next year, they’ll think of alternatives. I would change OC #nflxespn

3. The fact that the Patriots have won seven games with that side speaks volumes about what Bill Belichick is like as a head coach. I personally think they will add QB through change. Both Matthew Stafford and Carson Wentz would make sense to New England. #nflxespn

4. The very long season of The Jets is over and Adam Gase is very misstep through the franchise. The good news is that with that second choice, they can choose Justin Fields, Zach Wilson or trade them for multiple choices, which I would. #nflxespn

5. The Ravens rushed for 404 yards (3 off the record) and Lamar Jackson became the first quarterback in history to have two seasons of at least 1,000 rushing yards. I still don’t trust Baltimore as a candidate, but at least they rediscovered their identities. #nflxespn

6. Reports continue to indicate that Joe Burrow must be ready for the start of the season. The Bengals now have to invest most of their resources in the attack line and then add a few pieces to their defense. #nflxespn

7. The Cleveland Browns made it to the playoffs for the first time since 2002. They had to suffer more than they had to, but the long streaks are both a mental and physical stumbling block. Thanks to Kevin Stefanski, who should be Coach of the Year, for changing his culture. #nflxespn

8. The Steelers decided to rest a few starters, including Big Ben, and now they will take on the Browns again next week. If they want to be successful in this late season, they will have to find a way to deal effectively with the situation. #nflxespn

9. The ‘Bucs’ finished the season with four wins in a row, and while it was against small opponents, the offense looked very good in light of their game against Washington, which has a great defense. However, Mike Evans’ injury overshadows the whole picture. #nflxespn

10. The Falcons are already intensifying their search for a new coach over their salary limit. It’s not an easy situation, but I would think signing Keanu Neal and Younghoe Koo would be a priority. Will Matt Ryan continue? I think so, even if they can be restructured. #nflxespn

11. Justin Jefferson broke the record for passing yards for a rookie catcher, and were it not for Justin Herbert, he would likely be named Offensive Rookie of the Year. I still think they’re not going anywhere with Kirk Cousins, but they need to bolster that defense. #nflxespn

12. The win wasn’t enough for the Giants, but I like the direction the franchise is heading, and it’s a good sign that Daniel Jones played a good game when the stakes were high. Evan Engram already worries me after finishing the season with eight lost steps. #nflxespn

13. The Cowboys have already ratified Mike McCarthy for his job on his way to next season. The last game, plagued by bad decisions by the head coach, included the bad season he had. Lots of injuries, terrible defense and a really bad year for Ezekiel Elliott. #nflxespn

14. The Titans were crowned AFC South champions. Derrick Henry became just the eighth player in history to rush more than 2,000 yards. Tennessee is only the second in history to make the playoffs despite shooting less than 20 sacks. #nflxespn

15. Deshaun Watson is why the Texans’ job is going to be attractive, but just imagine how bad the rest is that they lost 12 games. They are past the salary ceiling and have no selection in the first or second round. #nflxespn

16. After a slow start, Jonathan Taylor ended the season phenomenally, including 253 yards to make the playoff berth for the Colts. I like the defense, but again they had some gaps with a 20-0 lead. They have to dance “with the ugliest” in Buffalo. #nflxespn

17. Speaking of attractive job openings, you may be worse off than Trevor Lawrence at quarterback, 10 other draft picks, over $ 60 million cap, and little pressure to win in the cutoff. Ah, there is no state tax in Florida either. #nflxespn

18. The Rams have qualified for the postseason, where they will meet the Seahawks for the third time this year. Much credit to the defense, but especially to John Wolford. It’s not easy getting your first start with so much at stake and getting ready for the task. #nflxespn

19. Frustrating season for the cardinals. When Kyler Murray was injured and didn’t have the same mobility, Arizona’s level dropped dramatically. They have lost five of the last seven games and Kliff Kingsbury still has a lot to improve as the team’s coach. #nflxespn

20. No one has awarded fewer points than the Seahawks defense since week 11. It’s amazing how they turned a weakness into strength. Now it’s time for the offense to get back to early season form to become a real contender. #nflxespn

21. Difficult to judge the 49ers season with so many major injuries. But I think San Francisco will do its best to find a better option than Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback. Rookie Zach Wilson and Matthew Stafford would be interesting options. #nflxespn

22. The Saints became the first team in history to capture the NFC South (6-0). Drew Brees started to look a lot better over the past two weeks and the defense had five interceptions. Now they are waiting for Alvin Kamara, Michael Thomas and Marcus Williams. #nflxespn

23. After a promising start, the Panthers fell like a piano. While I understand that Christian McCaffrey, who was injured most of the year, is changing the dynamics of the offense, the questions about Teddy Bridgewater are legit. I do not rule out that they choose QB in concept #nflxespn

24. Despite a loss to the Packers, the Bears got some help from the Rams and made it to the playoffs. Matt Nagy didn’t impress me in Chicago, but he made it to the playoffs in two out of three years. Trubisky continues to play the part. Roquan Smith is concerned about his injury. #nflxespn

25. There’s no better offense than Green Bay in the NFC, and Aaron Rodgers deserves the MVP. Rodgers won just one NFC Championship in four tries, but this may be his first at Lambeau Field. The offensive line was fine on Sunday without David Bakhtiari. #nflxespn

26. If it were Matthew Stafford’s last game in Detroit I would say he is a gladiator and any team would be lucky to have him. Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones become heavyweight free agents at wide receiver. The lions need a facelift. #nflxespn

27. It has to be one of the most hopeful off-seasons in recent memory for the Chargers. A franchise QB and a scary young defensive core: Joey Bosa, Melvin Ingram, Chris Harris, Casey Hayward and Derwin James. They are better than 7-9. #nflxespn

28. I doubt the Chiefs’ decision to rest their starters if they don’t play next week. History tells us that quarterbacks often start out rusty at rest. Health is the most important, but we’ll see how the Chiefs respond in a few weeks. #nflxespn

29. The Raiders did everything they could to lose (4 losses and 14 penalty kicks for 111 yards), and they won. I’m in the boat of those who think Jon Gruden is more marketing than content. Darren Waller is the plain truth. #nflxespn

30. It’s the fifth year in a row that the Broncos have played virtually nothing in their last regular season game. Denver seems to think Drew Lock is the one to get them out of that apathy, but there are more options in free agency / trading than in years past. #nflxespn

31. Washington won their first division title since 2015. They started 1-5, but ended up winning 5 of the last 7. Interestingly, the last time a team reached the playoffs with a negative record was in 2014 with Ron Rivera. 6 games ago that had no defense allows more than 20 points. #nflxespn

32. Let’s just say Eagles coach Doug Pederson’s game management was curious, who insists he was “training to win”. He risked fourth place all year round, but setting up Nate Sudfeld shocked me. #nflxespn

.Source