Five things you may have missed from NFL Week 17: Wild endings, savvy trick plays, elite dance moves and more

Week 17 of the 2024 NFL season was the busiest yet, with the action kicking off with Christmas Day games on Wednesday. The holiday slate saw the Kansas City Chiefs defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Baltimore Ravens beat the Houston Texans in a blowout and an entertaining halftime show from Beyonce to round out an exciting day of holiday football.

The week continued with a low scoring “Thursday Night Football” game between the Seattle Seahawks and Chicago Bears and we also got a triple-header on Saturday. The bout between the Denver Broncos and Cincinnati Bengals had a lot on the line. Lose and the Bengals are out, but quarterback Joe Burrow wasn’t going to let that happen, even if it took nearly all of overtime.

There’s a lot on the line for teams still in contention for a playoff bid, as those eliminated play for pride.

It’s been jam-packed week of NFL action; if you missed any of it, don’t worry, because we have you covered with some of the biggest moments and plays you may have missed:

1. Bengals live to see another day

The Bengals have struggled all season, but by the hands of Joe Burrow they are somehow still in playoff contention. With 1:29 remaining in the game, the Bengals were on the 1-yard line with the score at 17-17. Run down the clock, kick a field goal and the game was likely theirs. Burrow ran it in himself for the score, giving Bo Nix and the Broncos offense plenty of time to lead an impressive drive for a touchdown of their own.

It took nearly nine minutes of overtime and a missed Cincinnati field goal, but Burrow and the Bengals kept their playoff hopes alive by driving down the field to get the win. With 1:01 left in OT, Burrow found wide receiver Tee Higgins for the game-ending score to win 30-24. The Bengals still need some help to extend their season, but this wild-ending game was the first step in possibly making that happen. This marked the first time in Bengals history they scored an offensive touchdown in overtime.

Here’s a look at the biggest plays from the game-winning drive:

2. Trick plays and great dance moves

This section is all about the fun. From bringing out the unique plays to the unique dance moves, teams got creative this week.

The Saints got creative for their first touchdown pass of the day. Quarterback Spencer Rattler tossed the ball back to running back Kendre Miller, who threw the ball back to Rattler, who then found Foster Moreau for 30 yards and the score. 

The Vikings dance squad never disappoints, and this week was no different. They broke out the “High School Musical” “We’re All in This Together” dance and I think Troy Bolton would be proud. 

3. Best surprise performances of the week

This week, there were some impressive performances that we may not have seen coming. 

Giants fans were likely rooting for a loss so they could keep their No. 1 overall pick for the upcoming draft, but quarterback Drew Lock had other plans. Lock had a 73.9 completion percentage, 309 passing yards, four passing touchdowns and a touchdown on the ground in the 45-33 win over the Colts.

Here’s a look at some of his highlights:

Joe Flacco hasn’t played a game since Nov. 10, but came in for an injured Anthony Richardson and despite the loss, put up some decent numbers. While he did have two interceptions, he also had 330 passing yards, fourth most in the league in Week 17.

Here are some of Flacco’s best throws from the day:

Trey McBride Fantasy owners were certainly happy with the Cardinals tight end’s performance this week. He had 123 yards, his third most for this season, but more importantly he finally got a much-awaited receiving touchdown. It took 128 targets and 98 receptions for him to get in the end zone as a receiver, which marks the most receptions in a single season by a player without scoring a touchdown in NFL history.

Take a look at the big moment:

4. Best grabs around the league

As is now tradition, we will highlight some of the best grabs from the week. Players impressed with their toe-taps, one-handed catches and managed to complete passes in tight coverage.

Here’s a roundup of some of the best:

5. Off-the-field antics

This week, there were some off-the-field moments that you don’t see too often.

The first was from Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who brought the Christmas spirit to the locker room. After they clinched the AFC No. 1 seed, first-round bye and home-field advantage, Reid came in to celebrate, and dressed the part. The Chiefs better not cry, they better not pout, because they’re playoff bound.

“Merry Christmas,” Reid said. “For the present, you get home-field advantage!” 

Another funny moment from this week was a surprise guest showing up to the Buccaneers game against the Panthers. The duck had to be escorted off the field. 

Should they be renamed the Tampa Bay Duck-aneers?