Week 16 was probably the most watched week of football this season because families gathered around the television to cheer their favorite teams. For the second straight season, the NFL outperformed the NBA on its Christmas Day Slate with fans choosing to watch Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, and Lamar Jackson over the NBA superstar counterpart. With only two weeks left in the regular season, 24 teams still alive with aspirations of making it to the playoffs. It ties the record with the 2004 season for the most teams still in contention after the league expanded to 32 teams in 2002 Texans. The teams out of contention, like the Los Angeles Raiders and New England Patriots, had impressive wins over the Chiefs and Broncos, while the Panthers had an entertaining loss against the Packers. Yes, the NFL is more interesting than ever, and we look forward to a fantastic finale. In this article, we will discuss the three biggest takeaways from a dramatic week 16.
1. The Ravens send a statement message as the top Team
The game storyline centered around the clash of the best teams in each conference on Monday Night Football. It was a unique matchup because it was the first time since the end of the 1993 season that the two teams tied for the best record in the NFL faced off in Week 16 or later. The 49ers were favorites to win at home, but the Ravens played the Grinch that stole Christmas. Zay Flowers’ demonstrated the team’s mentality in his touchdown celebration. The Ravens proved they are the best defensive unit in the game by forcing Brock Purdy to make four interceptions and five overall for the game. The Ravens deflected passes and anticipated where the ball was getting thrown. Purdy entered the game as the MVP favorite, but instead of cementing the award, he looked rattled, and his performance has led to a collapse in the MVP race. Lamar Jackson, on the other hand, won the duel for the award by showcasing his ability to avoid the 49ers pass rush with his legs and completing 23 of 35 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns. The Ravens showed they are the best team in the league, but that label will be on the line when they face the Dolphins in week 17.
2. The Chiefs should officially be in panic mode
The Chiefs received an early present when the New England Patriots shocked the world by beating the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football. It meant that the Chiefs just needed to win at home against the Raiders, it would allow them to claim their eighth straight AFC West title. Instead of coronation, the Chiefs fell flat on their face and continued their struggle on offense. The Chiefs offensive line struggled to protect Patrick Mahomes by allowing four sacks, and won the turnover margin 2 to 0. Travis Kelce was visibly frustrated by the performance in throwing his helmet on the sidelines, and Andy Reid was visibly upset with the All-Pro Tight End for his actions. Patrick Mahomes still managed to rally the team with a touchdown drive to cut the lead to 6, but then the stout defense failed to stop the run on the final drive, with Zamir White ripping off a 40-yard run to finish the game. It was another disappointing game for the offense in a game where the defense held the opposing quarterback, Aidan O’Connell to just 62 passing yards.
3. Concerns linger for the Cowboys and Eagles
It feels like the NFC East contenders are stumbling to the finish line if this was a long-distance race. The Cowboys needed a bounce performance against the Miami Dolphins but fell short in the end. The team continues to be plagued by their inability to convert in the red zone, with only 1 touchdown from 3 attempts in the game. The team also made costly mistakes by giving up 6 penalties at ill-opportune times. The Cowboys have committed the second most penalties in the NFL, and it feels like those habits will continue to affect the team as they aspire for a deep run in the playoffs. Despite the offensive struggles Dak Prescott had his team in position to win with a touchdown drive to take a marginal one-point lead in the 4th quarter. Yet, the defense failed to make a play to stop the Dolphins, and the home team was able to run the ball into field goal range which led to a 2-point loss. On Monday afternoon, the Eagles needed a home win to end a three-game skid, and they barely won in the end. The Eagles had a 20-3 at halftime and perhaps felt the game was over. Then came the second-half kickoff, Boston Scott fumbled the ball by running into his teammate. Then, later in the half, Adoree Jackson picked off Jalen Hurts and sprinted 76 yards for a touchdown to make it a 2-point game. The Giants later canceled another Eagles touchdown as the hometown team clung to a close 8-point victory. The Eagles lead the division, followed closely by the Cowboys, but questions will linger about both teams heading to the playoffs.