NFL Week 17 Grades: NFC West

Offense – A

Now that is a performance. Brock Purdy showed up and threw for 303 yards and three touchdowns with just one interception. To take things to the next level, Purdy showed off some versatility with six carries for 28 yards, but more importantly, two more touchdowns. Christian McCaffrey rushed for 140 yards and added another 41 through the air. George Kittle was sidelined, but Jake Tonges stepped in without issue, catching seven passes for 60 yards and a touchdown. Ricky Pearsall also had a strong game with five catches for 85 yards as everything worked according to plan here.

Defense – D-

The only thing that’s keeping the 49ers from an “F” is the fact that they were victorious. They did just enough on the last drive of the game to preserve a victory, but there’s not much else positive that we can say. They failed to generate a sack or interception while allowing 38 points, 330 passing yards, and an average of five yards per carry.

Coaching – C

Split the difference here between offense and defense? Aside from shutting down Caleb Williams on the last drive, the 49ers didn’t offer up much in the way of resistance. Whether it was the run game or the passing game, Chicago did whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted. The hope here is that it’s just an outlier and it won’t carry through to the postseason.

Overall – B-

Arizona Cardinals

Offense – D

The Arizona Cardinals are one of the few teams, if not the only team, to really struggle offensively against the Cincinnati Bengals. Even Justin Fields and the New York Jets went nuts offensively, scoring 39 points. So, if they can do it, anyone should be able to. Instead, Jacoby Brissett threw for just 212 yards, or 191 yards if you account for his four sacks. Yes, Trey McBride and Michael Wilson had good days, but that was it. The running game didn’t show up, but the Cardinals were also playing from behind.

Defense – F

It wasn’t a fair fight, but Joe Burrow completed 24 of 31 passes for 305 yards and two touchdowns before giving way to Joe Flacco. They also allowed 120 yards on the way to a 37-point day for the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s not like Jacoby Brissett was going to keep up with Burrow, but the Cardinals defense never even gave him a chance.

Coaching – F

Once again, the Cardinals came out flat. We know that they are playing out the string, and it was very apparent. The only good thing that came out of this was that Trey McBride broke the record for most receptions for a tight end. Other than turning Michael Wilson loose, there aren’t many, if any, victories Arizona can take into next season.

Overall – D

The Cardinals truly looked every bit as overmatched as they were this week. Neither team is making the postseason, but based on the way they played, you would have never known it. We know that this team will look very different in 2026, and that’s becoming quite clear.

Seattle Seahawks

Offense – B+

The weather was an issue, but the Seattle Seahawks still managed to score 27 points. Sam Darnold wasn’t especially strong, but he did connect with AJ Barner for a touchdown. It should go without saying at this point, but Jaxon Smith-Njigba had another strong game with nine catches for 72 yards. Instead, it was all about the running game. Led by 100 yards and two touchdowns from Zach Charbonnet, Seattle averaged 4.5 yards per carry on 36 carries to control the game.

Defense – A-

Coaching – A-

Everyone knows that the Panthers struggle to defend the run, and Seattle exploited that this week. The weather didn’t appear to be an issue, but most importantly, the defense came to play. In what has been a strong year for Bryce Young, he simply never had a chance to get anything going. To say that the game plan limited him would be an understatement.

Overall – A-

Given the circumstances, this was the perfect game by the Seahawks. They did what they needed to offensively and pulled away in the second half. Traveling east for an early start isn’t easy, and Seattle settled in and got stronger as the game went on. In a game between two first-place teams, the Seahawks stood far above their opponent.

Los Angeles Rams

Offense – C

Too little, too late. Ultimately, it was the three interceptions by Matthew Stafford that brought this grade down. Had he taken better care of the ball, the overall conversation would have taken a different tone as the Rams likely would have been victorious. It was also telling that Puka Nacua was almost a non-factor, catching just five passes for 47 yards and a touchdown. Kyren Williams gained 92 yards on just 13 carries, but the game flow kept him from doing anything more.

Defense – C-

Can we split the run defense from the pass defense here? All the Atlanta Falcons needed was Bijan Robinson has he had a 93-yard touchdown run and then 102 yards on his other 21 carries. Kirk Cousins only completed 13 of 20 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown, but thanks to Robinson, he didn’t need to do anything more. Not coming up with a sack or interception was also a problem.

Coaching – D

How do you not have a better game plan to account for Bijan Robinson? This was a case where the one player you can’t let beat you, beat you. And it was done in resounding fashion as well. They then allowed Cousins to get comfortable and manage the game without forcing him into any big plays or mistakes.

Overall – C-

This was the second straight week where the Rams lost a game they should have won and didn’t look great in the process. Matthew Stafford made mistakes, and the turnover battle was lost. Letting Robinson do whatever he wanted clearly wasn’t production, as Los Angeles fell into a hole that was too big to climb out of.