A critical Week 17 began with a pair of games on Christmas Day, as the Kansas City Chiefs took down the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Ravens won at the Houston Texans to alter the complexion of the AFC North race. On Thursday, the Seattle Seahawks moved road teams to 3-0 on the week by taking down the Chicago Bears, keeping Seattle in play for the NFC West title and a playoff berth.
Saturday's tripleheader kicked off with the Los Angeles Chargers punching their playoff ticket with an easy win over the New England Patriots, then continued when the Cincinnati Bengals picked up an overtime victory over the Denver Broncos to stay alive in the AFC playoff race.