32 things we learned in NFL Week 17: Furious race for top playoff seeds

The 32 things we learned from Week 17 of the 2025 NFL season:

0. The number of losses suffered on the road this season by the New England Patriots, who wound up with their first AFC East title in six years by Sunday’s end. Their 42-10 rout of the New York Jets made the Pats the second team (along with the San Francisco 49ers) to have three undefeated seasons on the road since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger.

1. As in the Las Vegas Raiders, who now occupy the top spot of the 2026 NFL Draft after (decisively) losing Sunday’s game to the New York Giants in a matchup of teams that were 2-13 entering the weekend.

2. The number of playoff spots available heading into Week 18 – basically the still unclaimed titles in the AFC North and NFC South. It seems likely the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers plus the Carolina Panthers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will decide who wins those crowns on the field … unless the Atlanta Falcons keep winning and throw a minor wrench into the NFC South showdown. (If all three teams finish 8-9, the Panthers win the division due to a 3-1 record against the other two squads.)

3. The number of net passing yards the Minnesota Vikings had in their Christmas win over the Detroit Lions, who were eliminated by the Vikes despite their defensive effort – which included seven sacks (for minus-48 yards) of Minnesota rookie QB Max Brosmer.