Panthers 21, Falcons 20

Greg Hardy had another four sacks and four hurries. He’s abusing left tackles.

Atlanta fired both their offensive and defensive line coaches, and justifiably so. They need to rush the passer and protect their own passer at much higher levels if they want to get back to competing for the NFC crown.

Bengals 34, Ravens 17

Four interceptions by Andy Dalton, yet Cincinnati scored 34 points. This is a dangerous team if Andy Dalton can put together some “good Andy” performances on the road.

Three interceptions, including a pick-six, with the season on the line is not acceptable from Joe Flacco.

Colts 30, Jaguars 10

Robert Mathis has sure transitioned well to being the attention-getting pass rusher-- he finished with the league lead in sacks with 19.5.

With better quarterback play and an improved defense, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Jaguars threaten for a playoff spot in the next couple years.

Jets 20, Dolphins 7

Good for Rex Ryan for keeping his job—he deserves it. Now to make a decision about the quarterback position.

I know Miami’s two starting defensive tackles, best cornerback, and starting safety are all free agents in the offseason, but fixing that Dolphins offensive line needs to be a priority.

Vikings 14, Lions 13

I seriously don’t understand Minnesota’s handling of the Josh Freeman situation. For Leslie Frazier, who was fired on Monday, why not at least put Freeman in the game in hope that he sparks the team and maybe even saves your job instead of paying the high-upside quarterback over $2 million to be inactive?

Josh McDaniels looks like a favorite to get the Browns coaching job, but I would sure love to see him in Detroit. With weapons like Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and Reggie Bush, that offense is always going to put up some big numbers, but McDaniels’ emphasis on efficiency could finally translate to more wins for the Lions.

Giants 20, Redskins 6

With his Week 17 performance, Jerrel Jernigan likely makes Hakeem Nicks expendable for the Giants this offseason.

Finally, an end to the misery that was the Redskins’ season and Mike Shanahan’s career in Washington. Current Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell would be a great hire for Washington, as he has shown the ability to mold his offense around and get efficient production out of a young quarterback in Russell Wilson, something that would undoubtedly be key to getting RGIII’s career back on track.

Steelers 20, Browns 7

The Steelers were a game away from making the playoffs this year. They better make it next year, or Mike Tomlin’s job may be in serious jeopardy.

Cleveland is in the midst of an identity crisis. They initially built their offense around Trent Richardson and the run game, then traded Richardson. On defense, they loaded up on pass rushers in the offseason and seemed to emphasize their front seven, but neither big money acquisitions Desmond Bryant nor Paul Kruger lived up to expectations this year, and the rest of the defense was inconsistent as well. Last but not least, head coach Rob Chudzinski was just let go on Sunday night after less than a calendar year of holding said position. The Browns need to come up with a plan, and stick to it.

Titans 16, Texans 10

Since this game was essentially meaningless, I’ll just say this: Tennessee has talent on every level on defense, a very good offensive line and explosive offensive playmakers. This team is a quarterback away from being a playoff contender.

I like the rumors of Bill O’Brien landing the Texans job. They need to rebuild, and the man who brought Penn State up out of the ashes brings the right attitude for the job.

49ers 23, Cardinals 20

San Francisco has the best linebacker corps in the league and it’s not close. Patrick Willis, NaVorro Bowman, Aldon Smith and Ahmad Brooks all do so many things so well for that defense. And on offense, the 49ers' ability to pull and block one-on-one with so many of their offensive linemen makes them hard to beat. Their dominance in the trenches on both sides of the ball is what every team should aspire toward and is why they can still dominate teams even when Colin Kaepernick isn’t at his best.

The Cardinals have some elite players on their roster, but they also have plenty of question marks going forward. Is Carson Palmer their guy going forward? Will John Abraham be able to produce at a high level for a second year in a row? Is the coaching staff really comfortable with that offensive line? 

Packers 33, Bears 28

Who wants to play Aaron Rodgers in the playoffs? However, Dom Capers and the Clay Matthews-less defense does concern me.

Two stupid plays by the Bears had drastic influences on this game’s result. First was the fumble that the Bears’ defense thought was an incomplete pass that Packers receiver Jarrett Boykin picked up and ran for a touchdown, and second was the winning score by Green Bay during which Bears safety Chris Conte either didn’t know the defensive call or incorrectly guessed and misjudged what Packers receiver Randall Cobb was going to do. Either way, that's terrible football.

Patriots 34, Bills 20

Hernandez. Gronkowski. Wilfork. Mayo. Kelly. Those are only some of the players the Patriots have lost this year, yet they are still able to compete at this high a level. Bill Belichick needs to be a top candidate for Coach of the Year. By the way, Rob Ninkovich might be the most underrated defender in football.

Whether or not EJ Manuel is “the guy” will likely decide whether or not Doug Marrone is fired in two years.

Saints 42, Bucs 17

The Saints are dominant at home. But the postseason is what matters now, and they’ll now have to go on the road.

Lavonte David should be a top candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. Not only does he have the numbers, but his ability to take on and maneuver around blockers is simply amazing.

Broncos 34, Raiders 14

Easy win. By the way, watch out for Malik Jackson. He’s a good-looking pass rusher who has been more impactful than his numbers show.

Dennis Allen is supposed to be a defense-first coach, correct? Then why is Oakland's play on the defensive side of the ball so terrible?

Chargers 27, Chiefs 24

Few have noticed, but Ryan Mathews has had the best year of his pro career by far. With Mathews, Keenan Allen, Ladarius Green and Phillip Rivers on the roster, this offense has a bright future.

The Chiefs almost (and arguably should have) beat San Diego without their key players. I don’t know how Andy Reid does it, but he’s a true backup quarterback whisperer if I’ve ever seen one.

Seahawks 27, Rams 9

Seattle’s defense is championship-caliber, but their offense isn’t exactly holding up their end right now. However, the Rams obviously had it in for Golden Tate after his taunting penalty in the teams’ previous matchup this year, but Tate responded with 129 yards and a touchdown. A gutsy performance by someone Seattle will need.

The Rams had a sequence where, within the span of five plays being run, St. Louis was called for six personal foul penalties. They’re a talented team with a bright future, but they need more of a veteran presence in the locker room.

Eagles 24, Cowboys 22

Nick Foles sometimes looks lost and ends up taking bad sacks, possibly because he is not entirely comfortable going through progressions--something that could haunt Philadelphia in the post season. Also, center Travis Kelce is awesome. Teams don’t often ask centers to pull and go block second-level defenders in space because 1) centers are often not athletic enough to do this and 2) because it is difficult for a center to concentrate on snapping the ball and then quickly transition to take on the difficult task of pulling immediately thereafter. When centers do pull often such as Kelce does, this speaks to the high abilities of that player.

DeMarcus Ware hasn’t been the same dominant force and isn’t getting any younger. Jason Hatcher and Anthony Spencer are impending free agents. Something has to be done about the Cowboys’ defensive line, especially if they’re going to be relied upon to create consistent pressure in the Tampa-2 scheme.

Reach Staff Writer Andrew McKagan here.