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Colts coach Shane Steichen feeling heat after playoff elimination

Sun Dec 29 8:49pm ET
Field Level Media

Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen seemed to sense the question might arise after his club was eliminated from playoff consideration Sunday with a ghastly 45-33 loss to the host New York Giants in East Rutheford, N.J.

The Giants were 2-13 and had lost a franchise-record 10 straight games entering the contest and their season-high point total Sunday more than tripled their season average of 14.3 points per game.

It was the type of bad loss that leads to head coaches being asked about their job security.

"I control what I can control," Steichen said of the employment situation.

The Colts (7-9) were outplayed all contest by the team that entered the day with the worst record in the NFL -- and with their playoff hopes on the line.

Last season, Steichen's first as Indianapolis coach, the Colts also fell short, losing to the Houston Texans in the final week of the season to miss the playoffs.

"It was as disappointing as it gets," Steichen said of the setback against the Giants. "As the leader of a football team, shoot, I always say I've got to be better, we've all got to be better. That's a group effort, everyone's got to chip in and do their part, so stuff like that doesn't happen."

Giants quarterback Drew Lock passed for 309 yards and tied his career high of four touchdowns while also running for a score.

Meanwhile, the Colts also went with a reserve quarterback in veteran Joe Flacco and he turned the ball over three times on two interceptions and a fumble. He also passed for 330 yards.

Flacco started because rookie Anthony Richardson couldn't play due to back and foot injuries.

Indianapolis completes the season next weekend at home against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

"I know it's a tough situation, obviously, when you're out of the playoff hunt, but again, I told (the team) we've got to be professional about it," Steichen said. "That's the biggest thing. We've got to show up and do our job still with one week left."

The Colts last made the playoffs in the 2020 season. Their last playoff win was two seasons earlier.

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Bender's Starts/Sits: Week 17

Player Notes
Mason Rudolph Dec 29 8:10pm CT
Mason Rudolph

Tennessee Titans quarterback Mason Rudolph completed 19-of-31 passes for 193 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in a 20-13 loss to the Jaguars Sunday. Rudolph tacked on another 23 yards rushing on five carries. It was an underwhelming day for the Titans QB as he failed to take advantage of a terrible Jacksonville pass defense, marking his sixth straight game with at least one turnover. It was also the first time in five games that Rudolph could not find the end zone more than once. It will be another divisional matchup in Week 18 as Tennessee hosts a Texans team allowing the 10th-most points to fantasy quarterbacks this season.

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Calvin Ridley Dec 29 8:10pm CT
Calvin Ridley

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley managed his second solid performance in a row in Week 17, hauling in five receptions for 84 yards and running for seven more on one attempt in Sunday's 20-13 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. It was Ridley's first time leading his team in receiving yards since Week 14-;another matchup against Jacksonville. It was also his most in a game in his last five outings. Ridley still tied for second-most targets on Tennessee (six) with fellow WR Nick Westbrook-Ikhine, trailing behind tight end Chig Okonkwo yet again. However, after catching a touchdown last weekend, this is the best two-game stretch out of Ridley since the middle of the season. Next week, he's home against a Texans defense, allowing the fifth-most points to opposing fantasy wideouts this year.

From RotoBaller

Braelon Allen Dec 29 8:10pm CT
Braelon Allen

New York Jets running back Braelon Allen carried the ball six times for 26 yards in a 40-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 17. Allen finished third on the team in rushing yards behind both Breece Hall and Isaiah Davis in the blowout loss. That being said, the Jets have little left to play for heading into the regular-season finale against the Miami Dolphins. While nothing is official, the team could opt to shut down Breece Hall, who dealt with a knee injury earlier in the month. If that happens, Allen would have flex value in fantasy leagues that play for championships in Week 18 of the regular season.

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Cooper Rush Dec 29 8:10pm CT
Cooper Rush

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush struggled to get going in Sunday's 41-7 blowout loss against Philadelphia. Rush completed 15-of-28 passes for 147 yards, tossing a touchdown and two interceptions on the day. He also rushed once for a two-yard gain. The career backup has been up-and-down since replacing Dak Prescott (hamstring) in Week 9, with this week's showing being one of his lowest points. Rush will start one final time in Week 18 against the Washington Commanders.

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Winston Reid Dec 29 8:10pm CT
Winston Reid

Per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal, Cleveland Browns linebacker Jordan Hicks (concussion) was forced from Sunday's 20-3 loss to the Miami Dolphins early due to a concussion and did not return. Before his exit, he notched seven tackles (two solo) and one QB hit. The veteran will now enter the league's concussion protocol ahead of Cleveland's Week 18 road tilt with the Baltimore Ravens. According to USA Today, the team replaced Hicks with linebackers Devin Bush, Mohamoud Diabate, and safety Ronnie Hickman. If the 32-year-old cannot clear protocol before the Browns' divisional bout, those three figure to fill in for him again, with linebacker Winston Reid mixing in behind them. Hicks has missed four games thus far in 2024.

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Davante Adams Dec 29 8:10pm CT
Davante Adams

New York Jets wide receiver Davante Adams caught five of his eight targets for 47 yards in a 40-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 17. Adams dealt with a hip injury throughout the week and came into the game listed as questionable before he ultimately suited up to take on the Bills. It is possible that the hip issue slowed Adams, who had posted five touchdown catches in his previous four contests. On the bright side, Adams appeared to emerge from the contest without any setbacks, putting him on track to take on the Miami Dolphins in Week 18.

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Garrett Wilson Dec 29 8:10pm CT
Garrett Wilson

New York Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson caught seven of his eight targets for 66 yards and a touchdown while losing a fumble in a 40-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 17. Wilson, who is rumored to be considering requesting a trade in the offseason if Aaron Rodgers remains as the team's quarterback in 2025, was one of the team's few bright spots in the blowout loss to Buffalo. His touchdown came on a nine-yard pass from Tyrod Taylor in the fourth quarter. Wilson will take a career-high seven touchdown catches into the season finale against the Miami Dolphins in Week 18.

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Alexander Mattison Dec 29 8:10pm CT
Alexander Mattison

Las Vegas Raiders running back Alexander Mattison rushed for just 32 yards on 10 carries during Sunday's Week 17 win over the New Orleans Saints. He also caught one of his three targets for six yards through the air. Mattison salvaged his fantasy showing last weekend with a touchdown, but he had no such luck during this week's battle with the Saints. Furthermore, he played second fiddle to Ameer Abdullah (foot), who was much more productive and efficient with 20 carries, 115 rushing yards, three catches, and 32 receiving yards. In fact, Mattison didn't see a steady workload until Abdullah exited with a foot injury early in the fourth quarter. Las Vegas' backfield has been very unpredictable this season, but if Sunday's game is any indication, Mattison won't be a reliable fantasy option against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18.

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Ameer Abdullah Dec 29 8:00pm CT
Ameer Abdullah

Las Vegas Raiders running back Ameer Abdullah (foot) rushed for 115 yards on 20 carries during Sunday's Week 17 win over the New Orleans Saints. He also caught three of his four targets for an additional 32 yards through the air. Abdullah managed to approach the century-and-a-half mark for total scrimmage yards despite playing just three quarters. He registered his final touch on the first play of the fourth quarter, then proceeded to injure his foot. The Raiders listed him as questionable, but he did not return to the contest. Between Weeks 15 and 16, Abdullah ranked as the overall RB11 in PPR leagues, but it seemed like most of his value came from his pass-catching role and nose for the end zone. That wasn't the case in Week 17, though, as the majority of his fantasy points came from raw rushing yards. In fact, he didn't score a touchdown, and he also had his lowest receiving contributions since Week 14. His volume and efficiency allowed him to rank as the overall RB5 in PPR leagues for Week 17 so far, and he should be able to still rank inside the top-12 range once the rest of this week's games wrap up. In one of the bigger surprises of the 2024 season, if Abdullah can get healthy in time for Week 18, he'll likely rank as a solid RB2 option with significant upside against the Los Angeles Chargers.

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Alec Pierce Dec 29 8:00pm CT
Alec Pierce

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce caught six of nine targets for 122 yards and a touchdown in Sunday's 45-33 loss to the Giants. Both the target and catch totals were season highs, while it was the third time the speedy wideout has gone over 100 yards in a game this season. Although the 24-year-old is the third option behind Josh Downs and Michael Pittman Jr. with just 35 receptions on the year, he leads the Colts in receiving yards (767) and reception TDs (6) thanks to his league-leading average depth of target (aDOT). If Joe Flacco gets the start again next Sunday, Pierce could be in line for at least a few more accurately thrown long-balls before the season is out in a great home matchup versus the Jaguars.

From RotoBaller

Breece Hall Dec 29 8:00pm CT
Breece Hall

New York Jets running back Breece Hall carried the ball 10 times for 45 yards and caught his lone target for an eight-yard gain in a 40-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 17. Hall was quiet in the blowout loss, although the Jets went pass-heavy after falling behind 33-0 in the third quarter. That being said, his slow performance is even more disappointing considering he caught just one pass with the Jets in comeback mode. The veteran running back has struggled over his past three games, failing to top 52 yards while scoring just once over that span. Hall will look to bounce back in the season finale against the Miami Dolphins in Week 18.

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Tyrone Tracy Jr. Dec 29 8:00pm CT
Tyrone Tracy Jr.

New York Giants running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. rushed for just 59 yards on 20 carries during Sunday's Week 17 win over the Indianapolis Colts. He also caught two of his three targets for 14 yards through the air. Outside of a big 40-yard run, Tracy had an unproductive and inefficient showing as the Giants adopted a pass-heavy approach in their upset victory against Indianapolis. On a positive note, though, Tracy had four times as many carries as Devin Singletary, so there's no debate that the rookie remains New York's No. 1 running back going forward. He'll look to bounce back against the Philadelphia Eagles next week, but it won't be easy. In his last outing against the Eagles, he rushed for just 23 yards on six carries despite playing two-thirds of the offensive snaps.

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Isaiah Davis Dec 29 8:00pm CT
Isaiah Davis

New York Jets running back Isaiah Davis carried the ball three times for 35 yards and caught his lone target for an eight-yard gain in a 40-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 17. Davis averaged an impressive 11.7 yards per carry in his limited work while outperforming Braelon Allen for the third straight game. The Jets have nothing left to play for, which means there's an outside chance they could shut down starting running back Breece Hall heading into a Week 18 matchup against the Miami Dolphins, making Davis an interesting preemptive waiver add in fantasy leagues with championships that run through the regular-season finale.

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Tucker Kraft Dec 29 7:50pm CT
Tucker Kraft

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft was solid in his limited opportunity in the Packers' 27-25 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17. Kraft caught 2-of-3 passes from quarterback Jordan Love for 53 receiving yards and had the Packers' longest pass play of the day; a 35-yard strike from Love in the fourth quarter that helped to set up their first of two touchdowns in the final stanza. While the Packers had their most passing attempts since before their Week 10 bye, it wasn't enough for Green Bay to put up any sort of meaningful passing volume outside of Romeo Doubs' team-leading 11 targets. The Packers will host the Chicago Bears in their Week 18 finale and Kraft should be considered a streaming option at tight end for fantasy purposes.

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Tyrod Taylor Dec 29 7:50pm CT
Tyrod Taylor

New York Jets quarterback Tyrod Taylor completed 11 of his 14 passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns while adding six rushing yards on two carries and a two-point conversion pass in a 40-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 17. Taylor took over for Aaron Rodgers with the Jets down 33-0 in the fourth quarter and was able to spark the offense to two touchdowns, one apiece to Garrett Wilson and Tyler Conklin. Despite the impressive performance, interim head coach Jeff Ulbrich told reporters after the game that Rodgers would remain the team's starter heading into the Week 18 season finale against the Miami Dolphins, which will push Taylor back to the QB2 role for the Jets.

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Jayden Reed Dec 29 7:40pm CT
Jayden Reed

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed continued his steep backslide in consistency and production as the Packers fell to the Minnesota Vikings 27-25. Reed had been a bit disappointing of late with his fantasy production with a combined eight catches for 110 yards in his last three weeks combined, but he caught his only target for six yards in Green Bay's loss. With Christian Watson (knee) inactive for Week 17's game, the hope was that targets would condense to multiple weapons in the Packers' offense. However, it was Romeo Doubs, not Reed, who was the primary recipient of those looks from quarterback Jordan Love as Doubs led the Packers in targets. Consider Reed a low-end flex option when the Packers host the Chicago Bears in their Week 18 regular season finale.

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Bryce Young Dec 29 7:30pm CT
Bryce Young

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young completed 15 of 28 passes for 203 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions during Sunday's Week 17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He also took five sacks and rushed for eight yards. Although the Panthers were blown out by a score of 48-14, Young was able to play turnover-free football and add two touchdowns to his 2024 stat line. We would have liked to see a higher completion rate from the former No. 1 pick, but he still showed numerous flashes of upside, including an impressive 40-yard touchdown strike to Adam Thielen. Young has thrown for a touchdown in every game since returning from his midseason benching, specifically totaling 15 scores and six interceptions during that nine-week span. He will be a mid-to-high fantasy QB2 for Week 18 against the Atlanta Falcons, but he could jump up to the low-end QB1 tier if the Panthers beef up their wide receiver corps during the next offseason.

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Romeo Doubs Dec 29 7:30pm CT
Romeo Doubs

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Romeo Doubs led the Packers in targets, receptions, and receiving yards in the Packers' 27-25 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 17. Doubs was the Packers' most consistent passing-game option on the afternoon, catching 7-of-11 targets for 58 yards from quarterback Jordan Love. The Packers had the most passing attempts they've had since before their Week 10 bye and Doubs was a big part of that in Week 17. With the Packers' regular season finale in Week 18 where they will host the Chicago Bears, Doubs should be considered a low-end flex option for fantasy managers.

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Dontayvion Wicks Dec 29 7:20pm CT
Dontayvion Wicks

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks was a contributor to the Packers' effort but came up short as Green Bay lost to the Minnesota Vikings 27-25. Wicks caught 4-of-5 targets for 43 yards, finishing second on the team in targets on the afternoon. The recipient of quarterback Jordan Love's first two completions of the game, Wicks earned just one targets until the Packers' final drive of the game. Taking advantage of Christian Watson (knee) being inactive for the Packers in Week 17, Wicks was solid, but unspectacular. Wicks' fantasy value will be directly tied to Watson's availability in Week 18 when the Packers host the Chicago Bears in Week 18. For fantasy purposes, Wicks would be a dart-throw flex option if Watson doesn't suit up.

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Aidan O'Connell Dec 29 7:20pm CT
Aidan O'Connell

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Aidan O'Connell completed 20 of his 35 pass attempts for 242 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions during Sunday's Week 17 win over the New Orleans Saints. The 26-year-old has gone two consecutive starts without a turnover, giving Raider fans something to celebrate despite being eliminated from playoff contention. Furthermore, the Purdue product is working to establish himself as a starting-caliber quarterback in the NFL, whether he's auditioning for a 2025 job with the Raiders or another team. O'Connell will get one more chance to make an impact on film and the stat sheet when the Raiders finish off their regular season against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18.

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