Monday’s Quick Hitters (Week 17)
December 29, 2025
Texans vs. Chargers
It was a huge game for both sides. CJ Stroud and the offense came out as hot as they’d ever looked. Stroud hit his two rookie wide receivers for deep bombs and was at a quick 150 yards midway through the first quarter. Jesse Minter got his defense to quickly adjust and they immediately put a stop to the passing attack and forced two interceptions. The Bolts came battling back and almost pulled off the comeback, but ultimately fell short in a 20-16 defeat. The matchup featured two of the top three defenses in the league and they both played like it. Houston has to feel fortunate to escape with the victory and desperately need to figure out how to keep things moving on offense. The win clinched a playoff berth for the Texans and eliminated the Colts.
Ravens vs. Packers
Also known as the battle of the backups, and what a battle it was. There were a couple big story lines that emerged out of this one, but there was nothing bigger than the night Derrick Henry had. Henry carried the ball 36 carries for 216 yards and 4 touchdowns. Yes, 4 trips to the endzone. He ended fantasy Championship dreams for many all across the country and left no doubt in the Packers defense that it would be the Ravens walking away with the win that night. Green Bay quarterback Malik Willis put on an absolute clinic, throwing for 288 yards and rushing for 60 more while getting into the endzone 3 times himself. He did exit the game late with a shoulder issue but he no doubt made a big statement about where he currently sits in his development. I have to imagine the Packers will be getting some calls this offseason.
Bucs vs. Dolphins
Who had Quinn Ewers outdueling Baker Mayfield in a game the Bucs had to have? To be clear, Baker threw for nearly 350 yards with 2 touchdowns, but he also threw 2 picks while Ewers didn’t turn it over at all. It doesn’t help that the Tampa run game continues to be nonexistent either. The good news for the Krewe, is that the Panthers also lost, setting up a winner take all rematch in Week 18. However, it has to be frustrating to lose to a Dolphins team that has been utter chaos essentially since Week 1. Meanwhile, Miami has to feel somewhat good about what they’ve seen from Ewers. Overall, he’s been fairly efficient but is utilizing the tight ends and short game more than his receiving corps. It’s somewhat understandable given what he’s working with at wideout, but he’s certainly raising some eyebrows.
Eagles vs. Bills
It was more of a Josh Allen struggle-fest while both defenses flexed all game long. Buffalo was shutout until late in the 4th quarter when they finally broke through with 12 points. They made somewhat of a questionable call to go for two and missed, resulting in the loss. They were flamed a little bit by the Fox crew for going for two as the Buffalo defense had completely shut down the Eagles offense in the second half. Of course, had Allen just completed the layup of a throw to his wide open target in the endzone, none of this would have mattered as they would have won. Unfortunately, that’s not how it played out and they’ve now lost their chance to win the AFC East.
Saints vs. Titans
This might be the game that nobody watched, and I get it. But while you were watching something else, you no doubt kept seeing highlights from this one and were surprised by the results. Tyler Shough has given the Saints a future. He’s certainly earned the right to start in 2026 but he continues to develop and look even more impressive with each passing week. That’s not to take anything away from what we saw out of Cam Ward because he’s also doing so well lately with some of the worst skill position groups in the league. He notched his fourth straight week of throwing for two touchdowns, but he’s also showing incredible pocket awareness (aside from the Chase Young play) and ability to buy time and throw downfield. Both teams are playing for nothing at this point, but the live reps will certainly set both of their rookie quarterbacks up for future success.
Keith, Author
Keith runs youth flag football leagues by day, and by night he hosts the podcast and writes articles with the confidence of a man who’s been rushing quarterbacks since dial-up. A longtime flag football DE and lifelong Falcons fan, he’s no stranger to heartbreak and enjoys watching the bears get slaughtered each week. Equal parts coach, critic, and chaos, Keith calls it like he sees it… even if it hurts.
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