NFL Overreaction Week 17
USAT’s Prince Grimes breaks down the best games from Week 17 in the NFL and how the playoffs unfold.
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ATLANTA — It’s strange.
A team led by a quarterback who could win his first career NFL MVP is headed to the NFC playoffs.
The other team was eliminated from the playoff race a few weeks ago amid speculation about the job security of a major power broker.
So what good is that equation?
Now, when you add Falcons wonderback Bijan Robinson into the mix, anything can happen.
And it happened.
Buoyed by Robinson’s 195-yard rushing show, including a scintillating 93-yard touchdown run, the Atlanta Falcons dominated the Los Angeles Rams 27-24 in a dramatic performance that kept on giving.
With 21 seconds left, Zane Gonzalez made a 51-yard field goal for the winning point. But the Rams still had a chance to force overtime.
How crazy was it?
L.A. QB Matthew Stafford, who could be the MVP, threw three interceptions and still nearly won the game.
Ah, that tricky NFL. What a show.
There was a pick-six as Falcons safety Jesse Bates III went 34 yards to the house. Rams linebacker Jared Verse one-upped it late in the third quarter by blocking Gonzalez’s field goal try and returning it 76 yards for a touchdown.
In the fourth quarter, Puka Nacua (who else?) made a nice catch between two defenders for a 41-yard TD that apparently clinched the game, except it was negated.
And while Nacua’s catch in the final seconds might have resulted in a field goal try, instant replay confirmed it was incomplete. He landed wide of the frame with the ball in his left arm, and his second leg briefly appeared to leave the grass before he remained on the ground.
Crazy game of inches.
“100 percent,” Nacua agreed. “It takes every effort. It takes every effort.”
Robinson said he sat on the Falcons’ bench while a replay review determined whether he made the catch or not, pleading for more power.
Prayers were answered.
But there was another proof that the Falcons were very committed. While questions remain about the franchise’s direction under head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot, they are determined to finish the season on a high note, winning three straight since being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs.
What do you play with? For one thing, it’s pride. Jobs, one more thing.
“We’re in the NFL,” Robinson said. “You can’t give up on anything in this league. First of all, that’s how injuries happen. That’s how bad things happen. You lose your identity as a team. So for us, as soon as we were eliminated, we made it known that we were going to end the season the right way. We’re going to finish strong. We’re all guys.”
Robinson also marked another banner night by catching five passes for 34 yards, leaving him with 229 yards from scrimmage. He broke the franchise’s single-season record for yards from scrimmage (2,176), which had stood for 43 years since William Andrews set it in 1983, and led the league in total yards with 2,255.
And that record was perfect for a night where the Falcons (7-9) got off to a hot start. They led 21-0…and then had to sweat it out until the end.
But the comeback attempt was no consolation for Stafford, who had his worst game of the season.
“I obviously didn’t play well enough,” he grumbled after the game. “That’s what it is.”
And it was another example of the intense games that have defined the NFL this season.
The Rams (11-5) know that all too well. In Week 16, they led 30-14 in the fourth quarter against Seattle, but lost 38-37 in overtime. This was after an incredible drama in Week 15 when the Falcons defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 28-14 in the fourth quarter. And we won 29-28.
Speaking of the Bucks, Monday night’s result greatly affected their chances of winning their fifth consecutive NFC South title. Even if the Bucs defeat the Carolina Panthers on Saturday, there could be a three-way tie for the division title if all three teams finish with records of 8-9.
And if the Bucks, Panthers and Falcons, who face the New Orleans Saints in a close game on Sunday, tie, the Panthers will have the tiebreaker advantage and the division championship.
Go figure.
“Well, that sucks,” Robinson said. “But that’s the reality. You never know what’s going to happen in this league.”
Of course, crazy things never cease to happen in the NFL, as Monday night was yet another example.
Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@usatoday.com or follow X @JarrettBell.
