NFL Week 17 live scores and updates: Playoff picture, standings, inactives, predictions, odds, latest
SOURCE:The Athletic|BY:The Athletic NFL Staff
The NFL playoff picture is coming into focus. Follow all things from The Athletic's NFL writers in Week 17.
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Updated 8m ago
The NFL playoff picture is coming into focus. Follow all things from The Athletic's NFL writers in Week 17.
The Athletic NFL Staff
December 28, 2025 at 12:40 PM EST
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What to know about Week 17 in the NFL
Two playoff spots — one in the AFC and one in the NFC — are still available heading into today's action. There are just nine games today before Sunday night's game kicks off.
The Seahawks are on the road against the Panthers with both teams fighting for their respective division crowns. (1 p.m. ET on CBS) Both games in the late window have interest. The Giants and Raiders are in contention for the No. 1 overall draft pick. (4:05 p.m. ET on CBS) The Eagles and Bills also meet in a potential Super Bowl preview (4:25 p.m. ET on FOX)
The Indianapolis Colts have been eliminated from playoff contention following the Houston Texans’ 20-16 win against the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday.
After an electric 8-2 start, things unraveled quickly in Indianapolis. The Colts, who have lost five straight, entered Week 17 with their playoff chances essentially out of their control. Indianapolis (8-7) plays the AFC South-leading Jacksonville Jaguars (11-4) on Sunday, but a win at home will no longer be enough to keep it in the postseason picture.
Broncos clinch AFC West title for first time in 10 years with Chargers’ loss
On Christmas Eve, as the Denver Broncos prepared for their final road game of the regular season the next day against the Kansas City Chiefs, coach Sean Payton had longtime assistant Joe Vitt speak to the team inside a hotel meeting room.
The 71-year-old Vitt, who began coaching in the NFL as a quality control assistant back in 1979, spoke about the chance Denver had to do something special. It was an opportunity, Vitt knew from experience, that doesn’t come around all the time.
Jags have AFC South in sights
Jacksonville are chasing a 12-win season for the third time in franchise history. They will not be able to match the 14 wins of 1999, but can level the 12 wins of 2005. Jacksonville have won six in a row with Indianapolis losing their last five. After locking up a playoff place, a win will keep Jacksonville on top of the AFC South after Houston’s win yesterday.
Trevor Lawrence is humming - he has 10 touchdowns in his last two games (eight passing and two rushing) - and the passing game is one of the league’s most productive and varied, with five different leading receivers in their last five games. But the ground game has stalled somewhat. In their last four games, the Jags average 90.5 rushing yards per game, fewest in the NFL. No one has scored more touchdowns than Travis Etienne since Week 11 (9), but he is without a 100-yard rushing game since Week 4’s win over the 49ers.
And the offensive line has been in a constant flux all season, a trend that continues. Right guard Patrick Mekari (back) and center Robert Hainsey (groin) miss today’s game.
Without the ball, Anthony Campanile’s unit is still the NFL’s No 1 run defense, with Jacksonville allowing 81 rushing yards per game in their last six games. With 28 takeaways, second-most in the NFL, Jacksonville have scored 100 points off takeaways, the highest in the league.
Jaguars inactives
CB Keith Taylor
RB Bhayshul Tuten
OL Patrick Mekari
OL Robert Hainsey
TE Hunter Long
DL Danny Striggow
DT Maason Smith
What I'm watching for the Bengals Sunday
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How many yards will Joe Burrow and the Bengals passing attack be able to put up today? The Cardinals defense is beat up and has not played well. Their injured corners were listed as questionable and are active on Sunday, but it still presents a significant mismatch against a full healthy Bengals passing attack. They showed off where they are at least week ripping off 45 points against the Dolphins, Burrow throwing for four touchdowns and 309 yards. The potential exists for this game to go in a similar fashion. Expect the Cardinals to bring pressure early and often to try to cause disruption, which opens up the possibility of Burrow finding explosive plays to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, among others.
A true win for the Bengals on Sunday would involve Burrow and the receivers staying healthy considering neither team has anything to play for, but adding one more dominant offensive performance wouldn't hurt considering nearly the entire offense is back under contract next season.
Defensively, seeing production from Shemar Stewart would go a long way. He's finally back playing and healthy but wasn't much of a factor last week against the Dolphins coming back off IR. He's one player that could use positive momentum to help launch him into a critical offseason after what feels like a wasted rookie year.
Bengals inactives
Jake Browning (3rdQB)
WR Charlie Jones
CB Josh Newton
S PJ Jules
EDGE Joseph Ossai
TE Cam Grandy
DT Jordan Jefferson
Tyrod Taylor (personal) is inactive for the Jets which means the Jets two quarterbacks will be starter Brady Cook (a rookie) and Hendon Hooker, who they signed to the practice squad last week.
Justin Fields was placed on injured reserve this week as well, leaving the Jets down to options who don’t really have any bearing on their future beyond this season. Hooker was a former third-round pick of the Detroit Lions.
CLEVELAND — On a wet, windy day at Huntington Bank Field, there's a good shot the game will be won on the ground. Steelers rookie running back Kaleb Johnson won't be part of that formula. For the second consecutive game, the Steelers are only dressing two running backs (Jaylen Warren and Kenneth Gainwell) and making Johnson inactive.
The Steelers other inactives are: QB Will Howard (3rd QB), WR Calvin Austin III, CB Brandin Echols, CB James Pierre, OG Isaac Seumalo and OLB T.J. Watt.
Meanwhile, with the Steelers missing the top two receivers on their depth chart, second-year receiver Roman Wilson is active after three games idle. Outside linebacker Nick Herbig returns after missing one game with a hamstring injury.
Tetairoa McMillan active for Panthers
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers survived a scare with one of the league’s best rookies Sunday. Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who was a late add to the injury report with an illness, is active for the game against the Seattle Seahawks.
McMillan had a big game last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to again become the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year, according to the major sportsbooks, including BetMGM.
The Panthers’ inactives are: Turk Wharton, Hunter Renfrow, Demani Richardson, Jared Harrison-Hunte and James Mitchell.
Sauce Gardner active for Colts
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Colts inactives:
C Tanor Bortolini (concussion)
RB Tyler Goodson (ankle)
S Rueben Lowery III
S George Odum
RG Dalton Tucker (shoulder)
DE JT Tuimoloau (oblique)
CB Sauce Gardner will play for the first time since Week 13 and LT Bernhard Raimann is back from a one-game absence.
Big opportunity here for young Patriots WRs
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Patriots are entering Sunday’s game here against the Jets with only four wide receivers active since their top two receivers (in terms of playing time) are sidelined.
So without Mack Hollins (abdomen) and Kayshon Boutte (concussion) a bigger role is going to fall on rookie receivers Kyle Williams and Efton Chism.
Williams, a third-round pick in April, has played better of late after a slow start, but still has just seven catches this season, though he’s turned those receptions into 189 yards and three touchdowns. Chism was a training camp standout, but has been a healthy scratch in nine of 15 games this season and doesn’t yet have a reception.
Stefon Diggs will be the team’s no-doubt top receiver on Sunday. But if he draws extra attention from the Jets’ defense, Williams or Chism may need to step up. So it’ll be interesting to see how the rookie receivers respond on a day the Patriots enter with a banged-up roster, hopeful some of their young players will aptly fill the void.
Harold Fannin Jr. active for Browns
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The Browns will have their leading receiver, tight end Harold Fannin Jr. available for today's game vs. Pittsburgh despite a late-week injury scare.
Fannin has been targeted by Shedeur Sanders 42 times in Sanders' five starts, and Fannin's 70 receptions this season are a franchise single-season record for a rookie. Fannin was listed as questionable after he suffered a groin injury in practice on Friday, but the Browns went through their weekend activities believing Fannin would be able to play.
Sanders, Fannin and Myles Garrett remain the primary reasons Browns fans might still be watching as their 3-12 team tries to play spoiler against a Steelers team that clinches the AFC North with a win. Garrett has 22 sacks and is just a half-sack short of the single-season record currently shared by Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt, who won't play today due to injury.
With No. 1 wide receiver D.K. Metcalf serving a two-game suspension, expect the Steelers to focus on the run and a quick pass game focused on their tight ends and running backs. That might or might not also include an extra emphasis on avoiding and minimizing Garrett, which is something the Browns see almost every week. The last time Garrett didn't have at least a half-sack in a game was Week 6 in Pittsburgh, and Garrett has never sacked Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Sanders is trying to play his way into the team's future plans, and he'll have to operate today without primary running back Quinshon Judkins, who suffered a season-ending leg injury last week. Running back Dylan Sampson returns from a hand injury and figures to lead a running back committee that will also include Raheim Sanders and Trayveon Williams. Sanders has thrown six touchdown passes and eight interceptions and today faces a veteran Pittsburgh defense that wants to force turnovers on its way to clinching the division.
The Browns have Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward back from a two-game absence. Slot cornerback Myles Harden will not play today due to a shoulder injury.
Dillon Gabriel, the Browns' usual backup quarterback, is inactive today due to a shoulder injury. The Browns promoted Bailey Zappe from the practice squad to be Sanders' backup. Besides Gabriel, and Harden, the Browns' other inactives are tight end David Njoku (knee), defensive tackle Sam Kamara (elbow), wide receiver Jamari Thrash and backup offensive linemen Jerremiah Byers and Kendrick Green.
What I’m watching for from the Patriots against the Jets
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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The Patriots probably aren’t going to lose to the Jets, but this is a surprisingly big test for them as the playoffs loom.
That’s because the Patriots are dealing with a lengthy injury report that could linger into the postseason. So Sunday’s matchup against the Jets, while not expected to be a nailbiter, could be revealing about how ready the Patriots are.
There are two especially interesting positions to follow.
The first is wide receiver. The Pats placed Mack Hollins, who has played more at receiver for them than anyone else, on injured reserve Saturday due to an abdomen injury. They’re also without Kayshon Boutte (concussion), who has played the second-most snaps for them at wide receiver. They only have four healthy wide receivers entering Sunday’s game here, so expect plenty of jumbo formations from them with a focus on running the ball.
The second spot is defensive tackle. While Milton Williams, the team’s highest-paid player, was cleared to return to practice this week, he was not activated off injured reserve before the game. Additionally, Khyiris Tonga (foot) was ruled out of Sunday’s game, so the Patriots will enter with an inexperienced rotation of Cory Durden, Eric Gregory, Jeremiah Pharms Jr., and Leonard Taylor III. There’s opportunity there for the Jets to run the ball on this D-line.
Week 17 coverage maps
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Check out TV coverage maps for Week 17’s games today, per 506 sports.
What to know with Myles Garrett 1 sack shy of breaking NFL’s single-season record
Myles Garrett resumes his quest to break the NFL’s single-season sacks record Sunday when the Cleveland Browns host the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Garrett has 22 sacks on the season and stands a half-sack short of the record shared by Michael Strahan and the Steelers’ T.J. Watt, who won’t play Sunday due to injury.
How Giants-Raiders impacts race to No. 1 pick, with Browns, Jets still lurking
Whoever loses has a lot more to gain than the winner as the NFL’s only two-win teams take the field in Week 17, with the No. 1 pick standing as a silver lining in an otherwise dark season.
Scoop City: How 49ers’ Injury-Ravaged Season Has Turned into a Title Run
Who can’t afford to slip up in Week 17? And which quarterbacks are separating themselves as the postseason approaches?
Scoop City returns with James Palmer and Chase Daniel breaking down a loaded NFL slate as the holiday week of football brings massive playoff implications. With most postseason spots nearly locked in, James and Chase explain what still matters — from the race for the No. 1 seed to which teams could be dangerous once January arrives.
Their Week 12 game came down to the final play, and the Texans picked off Josh Allen to secure a 23-19 victory. C.J. Stroud missed that game with an injury.
Houston’s defense is legit, but it feels unlikely that Allen will have another off game, as he did last month in Houston. That game marked the second Bills loss in a span of three games. Buffalo hasn’t lost a game since.
Myles Garrett nearing history
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Cleveland Browns pass rusher Myles Garrett (22) just needs one sack to break the single-season record (22.5). The Browns meet the Steelers today.
Who's in the AFC playoffs?
These AFC teams are in the playoffs heading into Week 17:
