By Lucas Camacho
Photos USA Today, AP, and Fan Nation
NFL RECAP WEEK 16
If this were a boxing match, the NFL season would be heading for the championship rounds. The next few weeks will determine who watches the playoffs, and who PLAYS in the playoffs. Going into this week, the Ravens and the 49ers had a firm stranglehold over their respective conferences, but something was gonna give as the two faced off in a potential Super Bowl preview in a primetime Christmas matchup. Here’s how all the games played out, and who is still in and who is out.
SAINTS 22 – RAMS 30
This was a week of pure insanity, and it started Thursday night as the Rams held off the Saints for a much needed win. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford had another great game throwing for 328 yards and two touchdowns. Rookie Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua had yet another eye-catching performance with nine catches for 164 yards and a touchdown. It seems impossible, but the Rams might just make the playoffs after all, and Nacua now has a legitimate chance to steal Rookie of the Year honors with Texans quarterback CJ Stroud still sidelined. On the other side, the Saints are now in a hole as the Buccaneers now have sole control over the NFC South. They’ll need a more consistent performance from quarterback Derek Carr if they want to get into the playoffs, because things just got a lot harder…
BILLS 24 – CHARGERS 22
Everyone knew the Chargers’ season was over when franchise star quarterback Justin Herbert went down. But now they’re officially eliminated from playoff contention after failing to finish the upset over the Bills. There will be a lot of questions for the Chargers this offseason as they search for coaches and a general manager that can put together a winning team around the amazing Justin Herbert. However, on the other side, this wasn’t exactly a win to write home about for the Bills. The fact they had to win on a last minute field goal from Tyler Bass against a fractured Chargers team doesn’t bode well. Nevertheless, a win is a win as the Bills try to keep their playoff hopes alive.
BENGALS 11 – STEELERS 34
Going into this game, fans had two big questions: could the Steelers turn it around and would rising star Jake Browning keep up his amazing performance? The answers turned out to be yes and no respectively. The Steelers finally snapped out of their funk as wide receiver George Pickens had a monster game catching four passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns. Browning threw for over 335 yards for a touchdown, but he also threw three interceptions. Both teams are a big dogfight with the Texans and Colts for the last playoff spot, with the Raiders and Broncos still in it.
COLTS 10 – FALCONS 29
Looks like the Falcons aren’t ready to give up on their season quite yet. Atlanta got a much needed win over the Colts to keep their playoff hopes alive. Maybe throwing for 229 yards and one touchdown doesn’t sound impressive, but it’s all the Falcons needed out of quarterback Taylor Heinicke. The Colts couldn’t get anything going on offense without star wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. This should be the opportunity for the Colts to pass the Texans with CJ Stroud on the sidelines, but they are squandering too many opportunities, and it could still cost them a playoff spot.
SEAHAWKS 20 – TITANS 17
The Titans have nothing left to play for except pride. Sunday showed they couldn’t even win for that as the Seahawks won a crucial game. Thanks to some key losses, the Seahawks are back in one of the wild card spots. Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith threw for 227 yards and two touchdowns as he led his team to just their third victory on the road. Derrick Henry had 19 carries for 88 yards and a touchdown as speculation will only grow over the offseason about whether he stays with the Titans or leaves.
LIONS 30 – VIKINGS 24
It was a big day for Lions fans as the big, dark clouds parted. That’s a simple metaphor for a Lions team that clinched its first division title in decades. The last time the Lions won the division title, Michael Jordan was announcing his first retirement from basketball. Now the Lions must prepare for the playoffs. As for the Vikings, they’re now left to fight for a wild card spot. That won’t be easy to do with the Seahawks winning and the Rams surging. It bodes well for the Vikings to have star wide receiver Justin Jefferson back, who caught 6 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown in a performance that reminds the league why he’s still arguably one of the best receivers in the league.
COMMANDERS 28 – JETS 30
We will see more of these games where both teams have nothing to play for. But when you have these games, you end up with games whose endings become instant classics. The Jets didn’t score in the second half as they squandered a 27-7 lead until Jets kicker Greg Zuerlein kicked a 54 yard field goal to win the game. This could be considered a silver lining for the Commanders, however. They may have lost, but their ability to come back down 20 points bodes well for the future of the organization. There are holes to fill, but they have two games left to see what they have and the Commanders can then build on what they have.
PACKERS 33 – PANTHERS 30
The Panthers’ final drive basically sums up their entire season: too little too late. The Panthers couldn’t spike the ball in time to stop the clock, as the Packers got a much needed win. The Panthers were the first team to be eliminated from playoff contention, but the Packers still have something to play for. Thanks to the Vikings’ loss, the Packers live to fight another day. Packers running back Aaron Jones led the way with 21 carries for 127 yards, but he failed to find the endzone.
BROWNS 36 – TEXANS 22
Amari Cooper was instantly trending after this game. That’s because the Browns wide receiver put up video game numbers catching 11 passes for 265 yards and two touchdowns. Joe Flacco also had a good game throwing for 368 yards and three touchdowns, but he did throw two interceptions. As for the Texans, they’re gonna need CJ Stroud back, because time is running out. This offense needs him, and there doesn’t seem to be any way that Davis Mills or Case Keenum leads them to the postseason. The rumor mill currently says that Stroud could be back next week, and not a moment too soon with Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua now a threat to his shot at Rookie of the Year.
JAGUARS 12 – BUCCANEERS 30
Tampa Bay has been on a miraculous turnaround. After going through a rough patch where they dropped six of seven, the Buccaneers have gotten hot at the right time winning four straight games. Now they have sole possession of first place of the NFC South (after a bruising battle over the last few weeks with the Falcons and Saints). Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield even admitted that they were getting hot at the right time. On the other side, this is the Jaguars fourth loss in a row as they seem to be heading in the opposite direction of the Buccaneers. Jaguars franchise star Trevor Lawrence was intercepted on two of the Jaguars first three possessions, and it didn’t get better after that. We’ll have to wait and see how Lawrence does after exiting the game with a shoulder injury.
CARDINALS 16 – BEARS 27
With their playoff hopes on the line, the Bears did not disappoint. Despite allowing Kyler Murray to throw for 230 yards and two touchdowns, the Bears managed to hold off the Cardinals. Despite already being out of playoff contention, the Cardinals were looking to play spoiler and knock the Bears out of the playoff race. Thanks to monster game from Bears running back Khalil Herbert who carried the ball 20 times for 112 yards and a touchdown, the Bears lived to fight another day. They will have to win out and have some key losses though to sneak into the playoffs. For the Cardinals, Kyler Murray is just fighting to keep his job, as the Cardinals are projected to have an early pick in next year’s Draft…and the Cardinals could pick a quarterback.
COWBOYS 20 – DOLPHINS 22
In a big matchup between two playoff bound teams, this was a game worth watching. The Dolphins managed to snatch a victory at home with a walk-off field goal over the Cowboys. In the fourth quarter, the game winning field goal was the only points the Dolphins managed to put on the board as the Cowboys stormed back behind a great effort from Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb who had 6 catches for 118 yards and a touchdown. The Dolphins have now punched their ticket to the playoffs, and will look to lock up the division next week. The Cowboys are still in the playoffs, but whether or not it will be as a division champion will be determined by how they and the Eagles do moving forward.
PATRIOTS 26 – BRONCOS 23
This was the week for game winning field goals, and this game was no exception. Patriots kicker Chad Ryland, after missing both a field goal and an extra point earlier in the game, became the hero by nailing a 56 yard field goal in the final seconds of the game. It was a good day for the Patriots, who have already been eliminated from playoff contention, as Bill Belichick fights to keep his job. The Broncos, however, now find themselves on the verge of elimination. Their quick turnaround shocked the league, but that bad start could still cost them. They came from behind a 23-7 start to the game, but the Broncos couldn’t complete the comeback.
RAIDERS 20 – CHIEFS 14
Boy, talk about your Christmas miracles. During this game, in the span of 7 seconds, the Raiders scored TWO defensive touchdowns against the defending champion Chiefs. This game was a crucial win for the Raiders, who are trying to make a last minute playoff push. There is only one thing that can be said of the Raiders interim coach Antonio Pierce: make him the PERMANENT coach. The success he’s had at the helm of the Raiders has been undeniable. There is still a lot of work to do, but the Raiders finally seem to be on the right track. As for the Chiefs, this does NOT look good at all. This loss means they can no longer keep pace with the mighty Ravens for the number one seed. It is also possible, however unlikely, that the Chiefs could be bounced from the playoffs altogether. They haven’t locked up their division yet, and they haven’t secured a playoff spot yet. It may be time for the alarm bells to be ringing for the Chiefs if they want any chance to repeat as Super Bowl Champions.
GIANTS 25 – EAGLES 33
The Eagle has landed…well, more to the point, the EAGLES have landed. After a disappointing stretch, the Eagles finally snapped their 3 game losing streak against the Giants. The losses that the Eagles took at the hands of the 49ers, Cowboys, and Seahawks shook Philadelphia fans, and it threw their hopes of getting the number one seed into serious doubt. The Giants were eliminated, and they weren’t expected to give the Eagles much of a challenge. However, the Giants did give the Eagles a bit of a scare. The Giants benched quarterback Tommy DeVito in order to try something different with journeyman Tyrod Taylor. It seemed like a good call as Taylor threw for 133 yards with a touchdown and interception for a respectable performance. The Eagles aren’t out of the number one seed race yet, but they also need to hold off the Cowboys to win the division.
RAVENS 33 – 49ERS 19
The billing of this game was that this was a possible preview of the Super Bowl. If that’s the case, the 49ers may have a lot more work to do than they thought. 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy was humbled on Christmas night as the Ravens dominated the 49ers in San Francisco. It looked like the game was for the 49ers to lose after they got their first safety in years when Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson TRIPPED over a referee. However, it was Purdy that had the worse performance of the two, throwing a startling four interceptions before his night ended from another hard hit. This was a hard lesson for the 49ers that they aren’t invincible, but it was an important lesson with only two weeks left to tune up for their playoff run. On the other side, if you weren’t scared of the Ravens before…you SHOULD be. It’s scary how good this team is, and after years of early and painful exits from the playoffs…this may finally be their year.