Heading into Week 17, there’s not really that much drama left in the strangest NFL season ever.
Yes, seven playoff spots remain unclaimed. But only two divisions — the AFC South and the NFC East — have yet to be clinched.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the lone team to actually secure a Wild Card spot so far, but there’s not much room for variance: In the AFC, the Colts are currently in eighth place and could either win their division or jump into a Wild Card spot depending on how the Titans, Dolphins, Ravens and Browns fare.
In the NFC, the Arizona Cardinals sit in that No. 8 spot but play the Los Angeles Rams in Week 17 for a win-and-get-in-game. The Chicago Bears are sitting in seventh with a matchup against the Packers looming; they get in a with a win, but Green Bay still needs to clinch home-field advantage and the bye. The Bears can also get in if Arizona loses.
Yes, three teams in the NFC East are still in contention for what will be the No. 4 spot, but that hardly counts, right?
Besides, it’s long been clear which team is the class of the league this year, and a sloppy game over the weekend didn’t change that. What has changed, though, is the re-emergence of a squad that has the game-altering talent at QB needed to make a run.
You’re here for those takes. Because this is, after all, the NFL Monday Take Dump, where no take is too hot and all opinions are subject to change after further review.
Here are my four spiciest takes after a long day of watching football…