Week 17 belonging 2025 NFL season began on Christmas Day with an NFC East showdown between the Cowboys and Commanders. Dallas beat Washington early but had to hold on after making some big plays..
Later that day, the Vikings dashed the Lions' playoff hopes. Minnesota came out strong and managed to beat Detroit at home. And the Broncos closed out the game with a commanding victory over Kansas City, keeping hopes alive of earning the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
The action continued Saturday as the Texans beat the Chargers to earn their third straight playoff berth for the first time in franchise history.
Our NFL Nation reporters have been responding to all the action, answering questions about every game and breaking down everything you need to know about each team. Let's get to it.
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DAL-VSH | IT MINE
DEN-KS | HOU-LAK
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Texans
What is the Texans' top priority now that they're in the playoffs? Victory in the AFC South. The Texans still have a chance to win the division title, but it depends on whether they can Jacksonville Jaguars lose either of the next two games. It's that simple: if the Jaguars fall to Indianapolis Colts or Tennessee Titans and Houston beats the Colts in Week 18, the Texans will win the AFC South for the third straight season.
Turning point: Defender C.J. Stroud was sacked on third down with 2:32 left in the fourth quarter. The Chargers were ready to get the ball back, but the quarterback Tarheeb Still was flagged for illegal contact, resulting in Houston's first down. running back Woody Marks then picked up a first down two plays later to secure Houston's seventh straight win. — DJ Bien-Aimé
Next game: vs. Colts (TBD)
Chargers
How far can you go Justin Herbert take the Chargers? The box scores don't quite reflect the game (236 passing yards, one interception, 37 rushing yards), but Saturday's game was one of Herbert's most impressive. The quarterback dodged sacks, ran through opponents and made throws with defensive linemen on him – all while playing with a broken left arm. It was the kind of effort that underscores why the Chargers believe Herbert can lead them to a title. However, expecting Herbert to replicate this level of play is not sustainable for a deep postseason; even with how well he played, he couldn't overcome the mistakes surrounding him.
Key stats to know: Cameron Dicker missed a field goal attempt of less than 40 yards for the first time in his career. Dicker, the most accurate scorer in NFL history and a first-time Pro Bowl selection this season, fired a 32-yard strike to the right side to end the first half but later missed the extra point attempt. Dicker has accounted for most of the Chargers' wins this season, but his misses took a toll on Los Angeles on Saturday. — Chris Rome
Next game: in Broncos (TBD)
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Bo Nix passes to RJ Harvey
Bo Nix finds RJ Harvey in the back of the end zone to give the Broncos a 20-13 lead over the Chiefs.
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Broncos
Are the Broncos ready for a playoff-clinching offense? The Broncos made sure they had what they needed to stay in the driver's seat Thursday for the AFC West title and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs. But there was both good and bad news from the Denver attack. The good news was that the Broncos had three scoring runs of eight minutes or more. Bad? Only one of them ended in a touchdown. They'll need to make a deal with more authority (and touchdowns) in the postseason because if they don't, they'll leave themselves open to what happened with the Chiefs – where they're in a bind despite only giving up 95 yards of offense before Kansas City's final drive.
What to do with QB performance: Bo Nix made another game-winning drive in the fourth quarter, capped by a 1-yard touchdown pass to R.J. Harvey There was 1:45 left to play, so he did the general work again. But the Broncos didn't have a play of more than nine yards until Nix broke for 14 yards with 5:35 left in the second quarter and completed a pass of more than nine yards before the two-minute warning in the first half. Nix, who finished 26 of 38 for 182 yards, also had some accuracy issues again, leading to a deflected interception in the first half. — Jeff Legvold
Next game: vs chargers (TBD)
Managers
What we learned Chris Oladokun? Well, the Chiefs had the ball for less than 21 minutes Thursday night, which wasn't looking good for Oladokun, Kansas City's third-string guard. But when he had limited opportunities, Oladokun showed that he was capable of becoming a quality game manager. In just 16 attempts before the main pass, Oladokun never put the ball in danger. Instead, he had some nice moments as he scrambled and improvised to create yards. Even under suboptimal circumstances late—less than two minutes and just one timeout—Oladokun was able to get the ball to the Broncos' 21-yard line. But his final pass of the game, a deep pass into the end zone on fourth-and-8, was too high for the receiver. Hollywood Brown.
Most amazing performance: Without two of the best defenders, Trent McDuffie And Jaylen WatsonThe Chiefs' defense didn't just hold up against Denver's offense. Christian Fulton and newbie Nol Williams performed well in replacement roles despite the Broncos trying time and time again to acquire the receiver. Courtland Sutton in one-on-one opportunities. Fulton finished the game with three passes, one of which resulted in a linebacker interception. Nick Bolton. Williams had eight tackles, including three behind the line of scrimmage.
Best locker room quote: “This is the first time I've seen anyone try to get a defense to fumble,” Chiefs tight end Travis Kelsey said of Oladokun, laughing. “It was like a little yo-yo trick he was doing. I'm proud of him, man, all week, his attention to detail, his professionalism and his leadership. I'm very happy for this guy. Of course, I would like us to be able to get this victory for him.” [in] big game against an opponent. I'm proud of the way he led us and continued to fight.” — Nate Taylor
Next game: in Raiders (TBD)
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Vikings
Was this enough to ensure safety? Harrison Smith play another season? It's been a long time since the 36-year-old has made so many impactful moves in a game. But Smith produced a sack, an interception, two pass breakups and two tackles for loss while the Vikings defense forced six turnovers. Smith has not said he plans to retire, but there are many people in and around the club who suspect he will. But if he can still play like that, maybe one day he can put that decision aside.
Key stats to know: The Vikings finished with 3 net passing yards, the fewest by a winning team in an NFL game since 2006 as a rookie quarterback. Max Brosmer took six sacks and struggled to find open receivers. They were minus-7 net passing yards until Brosmer's final throw, a 10-yard pass to a receiver. Justin Jefferson convert the third down and seal the game. — Kevin Seifert
Next game: vs. Packers (TBD)
Lions
How worrying it was for the quarterback. Jared Goffperformance? Very worrying. Goff couldn't get anything going as the offensive line struggled to protect him without running the LT. Taylor Deckerwho was declared inactive due to illness. The Vikings' tough defense sacked Goff five times and forced him into a career-high five turnovers (two interceptions, three fumbles). The Lions' eight turnovers in Week 16 were the fewest in the NFL, but Minnesota capped them with a season-high six turnovers as Goff went 18 of 29 for 197 passing yards and a touchdown while facing constant pressure. The loss eliminated the Lions from playoff contention.
Key stats to know: This is the first time the Lions have lost multiple fumbles in a game this season – four. Goff fumbled in first quarter, then RB Jamir Gibbs missed on a snap at 14:22 of the second quarter. Goff fumbled twice in the fourth quarter. Before this game, the last time Detroit lost at least two fumbles in any game was Week 12 of 2023 against the Packers. The Lions' 38-game streak without multiple losses was the fourth-longest active streak in the NFL entering Thursday, behind the Falcons (42), Chiefs (41) and Texans (40). — Eric Woodyard
Next game: in Bears (TBD)
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Cowboys
Does finishing undefeated matter? Same with Brian Schottenheimer, who has often said this is the program's first year. The Cowboys are 7-8-1 in their Week 18 finale vs. New York Giants looms, and Schottenheimer has given no indication that the Cowboys plan to welcome regulars like Dak Prescott to avoid injury. The quarterback said he wants to play and will fight to stay on the roster. If the Cowboys lose to the Giants – whether they play their starters or not – it will be the first time Dallas has had back-to-back seasons with a losing record since three straight 5-11 wins from 2000 to 2002.
Key stats to know: The Cowboys converted 4 of 9 third downs in the first half and all four fourth-down chances. They finished with six, the most fourth-down conversions the Cowboys have had in any game in the last 45 seasons. The last team to make four first-half conversions on fourth down was the 2006 team. New Orleans Saintswho also had four against the Giants. The Cowboys had 17 first downs in the first half, while the Commanders ran just 18 plays. Dallas added two more fourth-down conversions in the fourth quarter. — Todd Archer
Next game: in Giants (TBD)
Commanders
Will Dan Quinn finish the season in the hot seat? There has been no indication that Quinn's job is in jeopardy, but even if he doesn't finish the season in the hot seat, his future employment will be a topic for next season. Washington has lost 12 of its last 13 games, a year after winning 12 regular-season games. But the main reason for Washington's poor season was a roster depleted by injuries, giving Quinn and his team a reprieve. However, Quinn will have to make a decision with the defensive coordinator. In Week 11, he took over playcalling duties from Joe Whitt Jr. Many players say Quinn hasn't lost the locker room, and despite being shorthanded against Dallas, he's starting as his No. 3 QB. Josh Johnson — The Chiefs made it a game, thanks in part to good running back play. Jacorey Croskey-Merritt (105 yards rushing) and defensive tackle Newton (three bags).
Biggest hole in the game plan: Third and fourth down defense. Dallas converted 8 of 19 third downs, which wasn't terrible. There was one 14-yard gain on third-and-18 that set up fourth-and-short. This is where the Commanders fell short, with Dallas converting all of its fourth down attempts, resulting in 17 points. Dallas was able to play 87 games, 19 more than any other team has played against the Commanders this season. — John Keim
Next game: to Eagles (TBD)
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