The 2023 NFL season is nearing its climax as we say goodbye to the 2023 calendar year. And there was plenty of drama around the league ringing in the new year. From the Cardinals spoiling Philadelphia's holiday to the Ravens calling themselves the class of the AFC, Week 17 was full of big headlines.
Which players, coaches and teams deserve the most praise (or criticism)? Here are our biggest winners and losers:
Will Brinson has laid this out before, even going so far as to claim that Jackson is borderline Hall of Fame inductee provided he makes NFL history by becoming the youngest quarterback to win multiple MVPs at 27 years old. One thing is for sure: Jackson was thrilled in a crucial battle for the AFC's top playoff spot with the Dolphins. His effortless five-point game put Miami to shame and cemented Baltimore as a title contender and itself as both the most dynamic and efficient quarterback of the year.
Loser: Nick Sirianni and the Eagles team
If there was ever a time for the struggling Birds to advance straight to the playoffs, it should have been at home against Jonathan Gannon's Cardinals, who took over Lincoln Financial Field with a semi-ill Kyler Murray and a lineup full of spares. Instead, Sirianni and Brian Johnson got too cute down the stretch and Matt Patricia's defense looked helpless save for a pick-six in the first half. There really is no world in which the 2023 Eagles should give up 35 points to the 2023 Cardinals. Philly needs to wake up quickly.
Nothing Fields does at the end of 2023 could prevent the Bears from taking advantage of the opportunity to move back at quarterback with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft. And certainly a win against the Falcons doesn't mean they're leading a playoff run. But in Week 17, he was nearly flawless against an underrated Atlanta defense, surpassing 300 total yards and leading one of the Bears' most convincing victories of the year. It's not hard to see that this boy still has the talent to make a difference. And if the Bears don't buy it, someone else will.
Losers: The Florida teams
The Jaguars won, so they're excused. But the others? Baker Mayfield has gotten more and more hype in recent weeks as a potential post-2023 option under center for Tampa Bay, but he has a clear chance to win the NFC South against the mercurial Saints, him and Todd Bowles and basically all of the Buccaneers Win The key frontrunners failed, making the Week 18 rematch against the Panthers crucial. Mike McDaniel's Dolphins, meanwhile, couldn't keep up with Baltimore and prove they're ready for a deep playoff push.
Winner: NFL Parity
A day after the Cowboys and Lions played within a point of each other, Sunday's schedule was another reminder that nothing can be taken for granted in this league. The Cardinals upset the Eagles. The Giants did almost the same thing to the Rams. The Colts and Raiders, fittingly, played an even game. This also applied to the Bills and the Patriots, who should theoretically be on two different levels. The only teams that may have survived the recent barrage of questions were the 49ers and Ravens, who are legitimate Super Bowl frontrunners.