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Anthony Gharib, ESPN
The NFL trolls in Week 17 did their best to end 2023 on a high note.
The Houston Texans defeated their division rivals, the Tennessee Titans, for a second time in three weeks. The Buffalo Bills took care of business against the New England Patriots to win their fourth straight game.
With postseason berths on the line and plenty of divisional matchups, the final Sunday of the calendar year was intense on and off of the gridiron.
Here are the top trolls of Week 17.
Houston Texans 26, Tennessee Titans 3
The Texans kept their playoff hopes alive with a comfortable win against the Titans.
Quarterback C.J. Stroud didn’t miss a beat in his first start since Dec. 10, throwing for 213 yards and a touchdown. Houston’s defense held Tennessee to 187 total yards and just three points — marking the first time since Week 9 of the 2019 season they’ve allowed three or fewer points, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
There’s a little more passion when the Texans troll the Titans, and they offered up two jabs after the win.
happy new year, nashviLLe 🎆 https://t.co/HxyWmYHFnf pic.twitter.com/K7KxoWiOhr
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) December 31, 2023
— Houston Texans (@HoustonTexans) December 31, 2023
Buffalo Bills 27, New England Patriots 21
Owners of the second-longest win streak in the NFL, the Bills held on to defeat the Patriots.
New England had four turnovers, including three interceptions by quarterback Bailey Zappe. Buffalo scored 20 straight points after a Jalen Reagor kickoff return opened the game and put New England up 7-0. Bills quarterback Josh Allen struggled, throwing for 169 yards with an interception on 15-of-30 passing, but he had two scores on the ground.
The Bills used actor Ben Affleck, who grew up in Massachusetts, to troll the Patriots.
Last win of 2023. 😮💨#NEvsBUF | #BillsMafia pic.twitter.com/dHYNwr7Mlg
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 31, 2023
Down 21-6 at halftime, the Cardinals stormed back to upset the Eagles on the road.
A 43-yard Jake Elliott field goal gave Philadelphia a 3-point lead with 2:33 remaining in the game. But Arizona responded with a seven-play, 70-yard drive capped off by a 2-yard James Conner touchdown run with 32 seconds left. The Eagles lost for the fourth time in its last five games.
The loss dropped the Eagles to the No. 5 seed and clinched the NFC’s No. 1 seed for the San Francisco 49ers. It also means the Dallas Cowboys now lead the NFC East. The Cardinals poked fun at Philly’s “Fly, Eagles Fly” fight song with a postgame troll.
C-A-R-D-I-N-A-L-S pic.twitter.com/DIQz2bYpgp
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) December 31, 2023
They also gave a shoutout to the Arizona Diamondbacks, who defeated the Philadelphia Phillies earlier this year to reach the World Series.
Hey @Dbacks,
is this what it felt like 😉
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) December 31, 2023
The Steelers offense found its groove Sunday, with 468 total yards and scoring 30 or more points for the second week in a row.
Quarterback Mason Rudolph had 274 passing yards while running back Najee Harris had a season-high 122 rushing yards and two scores. Wide receiver George Pickens added seven catches for 131 yards, becoming the first Steelers player with 125 receiving yards in back-to-back games since Antonio Brown in 2017. The win also means Pittsburgh will finish with a .500 record or better for the 20th consecutive season, the second-longest streak in NFL history.
The Steelers had a flappy, bird-themed troll aimed at the Seahawks.
Im-peck-able win pic.twitter.com/Z8OfP2xWs0
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) January 1, 2024
