Tue Dec 30 01:30:00 UTC 2025: NFL Week 17: Rookies Shine, Chase Makes History, and Playoff Races Heat Up

New York, NY – Week 17 of the 2025 NFL season delivered a mixed bag of standout individual performances and critical playoff implications, as highlighted by NFL.com’s “Around the NFL.”

Rookie Quarterbacks Impress: Tyler Shough of the Tennessee Titans continued his strong finish to the season, joining an elite club of rookie QBs with back-to-back games of 300+ passing yards and zero interceptions. On the other side of the spectrum, Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young struggled, finding success only on short passes. Drake Maye of the Patriots had a plus-30.7 EPA against the Jets, the most of any quarterback in a game this season and now leads the NFL with plus-0.24 EPA per dropback.

Chase Enters Record Books: Cincinnati Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase cemented his place in NFL history, joining Randy Moss as the only players with seven or more receiving touchdowns in each of their first five seasons. He also stands alone as the first player ever with 80+ receptions and 7+ receiving touchdowns in each of those seasons.

Key Performances Across the League:

  • Cardinals vs. Bengals: Chase Brown had a career day, rushing for 101 yards and two touchdowns for the Bengals.
  • Steelers vs. Browns: Harold Fannin Jr. recorded the most recieving touchdowns by a Browns rookie since 2002 with six.
  • Jaguars vs. Colts: Trevor Lawrence rushed for two touchdowns and joined an elite group of quarterbacks to have at least 25 touchdown passes and 9 rushing touchdowns in a season.
  • Buccaneers vs. Dolphins: De’Von Achane continued his impressive streak, reaching 11 straight games with 90+ scrimmage yards.
  • Giants vs. Raiders: Deonte Banks returned a kick for a 95-yard touchdown.
  • Eagles vs. Bills: The Eagles defense recorded all five of their sacks with a four-man rush.
  • Bears vs. 49ers: Christian McCaffrey joined LaDainian Tomlinson as the only players in NFL history with three seasons of 2,000-plus scrimmage yards and 15-plus touchdowns, while D’Andre Swift became the first Bear with 1,000 rushing yards in a season since David Montgomery in 2020 — Swift’s rookie season with Detroit, where Montgomery now plays.

Playoff Races Tighten: The article also noted the Seahawks’ nail-biting win over the Rams, which keeps them in the driver’s seat for the NFC West, and the Steelers’ victory over the Browns which helped them remain atop of the AFC North.

With Week 18 looming, the playoff picture remains fluid, and these performances will undoubtedly have a significant impact on the final standings.

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